Dave Gorman (II)

Things To Do Before I Die: Appear on a TV show

The TV show appearance is included on my 'Bucket List' not because it was something I particularly wanted to do, but because it is exactly the kind of thing I have always shied away from and is therefore, a challenge. I feel uncomfortable about being in the spotlight. Performing in stunt shows for six years never felt like being held under the microscope in the way that having a camera pointed at you does. It's this fear of the limelight that caused me to turn down the opportunity to train Emma Parker-Bowles to drive a car on two wheels for the Sky show 'Vroom Vroom'. That impossible mission was taken up by a friend of mine, veteran stunt driver Graeme Forder.

As it turned out, my inclusion in a TV show happened by accident. I didn't look around for a game show to apply for, and I certainly wasn't going to enter one of Simon Cowell's dubious talent contests! By pure chance, I got selected for Dave Gorman's BBC 2 show 'Genius'.

Dave Gorman Blog Post

The presenter blogs about the filming of the series.

The British comedian Dave Gorman has his own run at the subject of names next month in a programme called The Dave Gorman Collection. It tells of the journey he made from New York, via Swindon, to Tel Aviv, covering more than 20,000 miles, to meet an impressive 54 Dave Gormans. He has compiled a compendium of Dave Gorman facts: their average shoe size is eight and most of them have ginger beards.

Gorman worked on The Mrs Merton Show before setting off, literally, to find himself. He took the story of his travels to the Edinburgh Festival last summer in a show called Are You Dave Gorman? His propaganda proved so persuasive that five members of the audience changed their names to his by deed poll.

Will the real Dave Gorman please stand up?

This comedian travels the world to find people who share his name. And he's not alone in the task - Alan Berliner's doing the same thing.