About DAVE BENSON
PHILLIPS
It is a sure fact that most children in the UK have enjoyed
being entertained by
Dave Benson Phillips who, since 1981, has become one of the most
popular children's entertainers and presenters on and off
television.
Dave Benson Phillips, presenter, entertainer, broadcaster,
musician, performer and prolific writer and doer of TO-DO lists,
started his career in 1981 at the famous Polka Children's Theatre
in Wimbledon where as a Theatre Usher, he was bitten by the
performing bug and duly set out to learn the art of entertaining
children. He appeared in various magic and music shows and even
helped out with the making of props and costumes.
He wanted to learn all there was to know about showbusiness, and
set himself the task of doing so.
Dave furthered his “education” by becoming a Bluecoat at Pontins
Holiday Camp, the training ground for many of Britain's popular
entertainers. It was there, after a brief period as a song and
dance man, that Dave realised he was much happier performing to
children. He went on to work for Haven Holidays as a Children's
Uncle where he got his big break into television. He was spotted by
the BBC and given the chance to appear in PLAYBUS, which later
became PLAYDAYS, a programme that ran successfully for 6 years.
This led to Dave being given his own show by the BBC, the
phenomenally popular BAFTA nominated GET YOUR OWN BACK, of which
there have been 14 series. He was given another major series in
1996, this time for ITV, called DISNEY'S WAKE UP IN THE WILD ROOM,
which was aired every Saturday morning for nearly two years,
confirming the undoubted popularity of this talented presenter.
Dave is very well known for starring in the best selling FUN
SONG FACTORY video series, which was televised for ITV. He
has also presented numerous other television programmes including
the CITV series PETSWAP, co-presented by Fearne Cotton, NICK JNR
for NICKELODEON and WORDS AND PICTURES and GO FOR IT for BBC
Education. Dave is hugely well known for his work on the
Disney Channel, presenting the children’s cookery programme
BITESIZE and as “Big Dave” on the Cable Guide Award winning,
PLAYHOUSE DISNEY with co-presenter “Little Alex” Lovell.
Dave donned a furry suit to play Bouma the food-loving Yeti in
the big-budget CBBC cookery show PLANET COOK alongside his good
friend TV Chef, Kevin Woodford. The series enjoyed another airing
on Channel 4, as part of their early morning children’s
schedule.
Dave also has a very sought-after voice appearing on many radio
programmes including PLAYTIME for the BBC and on the animation
series DREAM STREET for ITV as the characters “Jack Hammer” and
“Ice Cool”. He also stars as ‘Big Blue’ in the Sony Playstation
game SMARTIES MELTDOWN. More recently, Dave's voice
is heard by young viewers, as Doctor Woof in the popular cbeebies
animation BOJ, alonside aussie soapstar and theatrical stalwart,
Jason Donovan. Adult viewers will know Dave's vocal tones from it's
use as the malevolnent Build-A-Bear Machine in the cult E4 comedy
prank show BAD ROBOTS.
Dave continued to perform to live audiences throughout his
career, including touring with
GET YOUR OWN BACK – LIVE! and THE DAVE BENSON PHILLIPS SHOW,
plus one of
his proudest moments, singing at the London Palladium as part of
the CHILDREN'S ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE.
In 1999, he made his first appearance in a musical, playing
“Eddie Hair” in THE DEMON HEADMASTER, which toured throughout
England. This year Dave and his furry friend
Big Bear toured the HAVEN HOLIDAY Villages on the south, west
and east coasts in a successful nine-week summer tour.
Pantomimes have also featured heavily during Dave's career, and
his appearances won him rave reviews and full houses.
Throughout his hectic schedule Dave has always found time for
children with special needs, amongst whom his Makaton sign language
video is extremely popular. He also donates many hours to charity
work both here and abroad.
Dave was inducted into Britain’s only CHILDREN’S WALK OF FAME,
as voted for by the nation’s children. His plaque can be seen at
Drusilla’s Park, Alfriston,East Sussex along with other inductees,
SOOTY, PETER RABBIT and THE CHEEKY GIRLS.
2007 was a very special year for Dave, as he got to celebrate 25
years inthe business of entertaining children! Dave performed some
very special shows nationwide as a way of saying ‘thank you’to the
public for letting him do his favourite job for so long.
In 2008 Dave released two musical CDs, ‘Dave’s Are We There
Yet!’ Album and ‘Dave’s Nap Attack Album!’. He worked
on a new show for young children based on his Get Up and
Go! stage show and DVD. He’s also had the incredible honour of
being one of the support acts for the group, McFly at their
Brighton concert!
2009 was the start of some quiet years for Dave, because
somebody announced on the internet that had died in car crash while
on a UK theatre tour – which many people believed. Dave was
actually touring the UK at the time.
Through no fault of his own, Dave had become the unwitting
target of an internet hate campaign, and fell victim to internet
trolls. Such was their work of spreading untrue rumours about Dave,
that his TV appearances were halted, his live show tours cancelled
and his business and charity works suffered as a result.
Dave found himself out of work.
As time passed, and once people realised it, and other
Dave-related rumours too rude to display here were also hoaxes,
people came forward and offered him the chance to write, create,
host, entertain and perform on some amazing projects – and in one
particular case, appearing as the rumbustious Mr. Toad in a UK tour
of WIND IN THE WILLOWS… It was a dream part for Dave!
During Dave's 'enforced rest' of 2010, Dave and his wife, Emma
became proud parents. Their Son, Benjamin, to quote his mum and
dad, is ‘the best production we’ve ever worked on’.
2011 found Dave attending business and film–making courses,
spending time writing scripts for pre-school TV shows and creating
new theatre shows for children with his entertainment company,
which he runs with his wife, Emma.
The pair also indulged their love of classical music and worked
with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, to write and
produce classical music concerts for children. They already have
six very successful concerts under their belt, including an
original score by composer, Ian Stephens and Dave, to the classic
rhyme, ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt!’ It premiered to a capacity
crowd at their last Teddy Bears Picnic concert and won rave
reviews.
Dave is hoping that one day, the ‘Bear Hunt’ will be used as an
introduction to the world of classical music for the world’s young
children, just like Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’.
2012 found Dave dusting off his to-do lists and working on plans
for family and adult TV, his trailer transportation business,
www.bigredmover.com, and the
launching of his W.I.T. (whatever It Takes) Initiative, a plan to
raise money and awareness for making good quality shows and live
experiences for people of all ages.
2013… Dave launched his MAD MARCH OFFER, performing his shows
for extremely mad prices during the month of March. On one of
the Mad March dates, Dave hosted and performed stand up at a packed
out comedy night in Brighton for the sum of twenty pounds! He also
received rave reviews for his stand up form the local press and
online community!!
Dave has since decided to make the MAD MARCH OFFER an annual,
but secret occurrence, known only to those 'in the know'. Should
YOU wish to take advantage of his unusual offer, the details can be
found online – but you have to know where to look!
Dave also appeared on Kevin Bridges: What’s The Story?
for the BBC. Twice on Celebrity Juice on ITV2, with the
legendary Keith Lemon. Big Brother’s BIT ON THE
SIDE
for Channel 5, and a cameo performance as a
mischievious genie in an episode of
The Sooty
Show.
He also appeared in several movies!
For the first time since 2009, Dave and his furry friend, Big
Bear took their GET UP & GO Show out on the road for a one
venue performance at The Assembly Rooms, Tamworth in 2013… it was
very well-received.
The end of 2013 was particularly memorable for Dave, as he was
asked to appear in a cameo performance in the Cbeebies television
production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, alongside his
heroes and preschool TV legends, Iain Lauchlin, Baroness Floella
Benjamin and Derek Griffiths.
2014 saw Dave making a return to television, as he voices the
character
‘Doctor Woof’ (a Dog) in BOJ! a pre-school animation series for
cbeebies.
2014 and Beyond...
Dave has also been hosting LET'S ROCK! a series of 80’s music
festivals around the UK, working with the cream of 80’s music… The
Real Thing, Bananarama, China Crisis, Jaki Graham, Doctor & The
Medics, Howard Jones, Go West, Heaven 17, Nick Heywood, Nik
Kershaw, Alexander O’Neal, Altered Images, Toyah, Sonia, Big
Country, Kim Wilde, Brother Beyond, ABC, Jakki Graham, Level 42,
Billy Ocean, Rick Astley… to name but a few.
2015 - 2019 Dave made appearances on various tv shows, performed
his sing-along music shows for families with young children
holidaying at BUTLINS resorts, and ended the year with a part in a
pantomime.
2020, Lockdown and Beyond...
The Coronavirus hit the world pretty hard and affected the lives
and health of many people. Many industries of the world suffered,
and the entertainment industry was greatly affected, with many
people unable to work. Dave was able to transfer his performing
skills and persona to the online world, where he performed his
shows to auldiences young and old, large and small, via ZOOM,
Facebook Live, and other online conference platforms.
Dave spent much of his time consulting his to-do lists, honing
his show skills and acquiring new ones. Dave also started his own
film and TV broadcasting unit, WEBBYTELLY from his Yellow
Bedroom!
From his now infamous Yellow-Bedroom-cum-Studio (which is now
being considered for a blue plaque, apparently), Dave performed
live music sessions on his guitar to music clubs across the
country, co-hosted some very memorable LET'S ROCK 80's live music
events with the DJ, PAT SHARP to an online audience of 300,000
people across the world! Dave also made shows for Channels 4 and 5,
BBC local and national tv. He also did voice-overs for national
radio, podcasts, and many, many (many) quizzes! Dave also spent
much of his time broadcasting songs and messages of love and hope
to thousands of people around the world who were finding the
lockdown a little too difficult to cope with. During this time,
Dave also wrote, filmed, edited and produced the online sing-along
show, SING WITH ME DBP! which can be seen on WEBBYTELLY, Dave's
youtube channel.
2021...
With many uk theatres shut because of the caronavirus pandemic,
Dave was surprised to be offered a part in a show at his local
theatre. He said yes, and for the first time in eighteen months, he
found himself performing as the Fox in a production of PINOCCHIO,
at the Pavilion Theatre, Worthing, during the 2021 May half-term,
in front of a socially-distanced audience.
With his taste for work replenished, Dave has set up the
INTERESTING WORKS UNIT (IWU), where his particular set of skills
can be engaged in 'interesting' matters other than those
showbusiness and entertainment-related.
2022...
Putting the past problems firmly behind him, Dave is currently
working on new shows for the future, and is slowly but surely going
through his to-do lists!
To view other things Dave does,
visit his WEBBYTELLY Channel on Youtube.
Keep up with Dave’s Business And Trade (BAT) site http://davebensonphillips.bksites.net
Dave’s Official Facebook Page www.facebook.com/DaveBensonPhillips
and follow @DaveBensonPhill on Twitter.
@webbytelly on Twitter
BY THE WAY...
In a complete contrast to all the works he’s known for, Dave
also DJ’s at clubs, events and universities around the UK. His
eclectic mix of party tunes, pop hits, TV themes and rare tracks
from the 50’s through to the present, have won him fans across the
country.
They lovingly refer to him as ‘Rave Benson
Phillips’, or ‘the Godfather of Cheese’!
Dave is also a part-time wrestler. He
participates in as many fights as his schedule will
allow.
+44(0)1903-248258.
07840-504474.
Email
Dave!
