Stephen K Amos is a British stand-up comedian and television personality who began his career as a compere at the Big Fish comedy clubs in South London. Well-loved for hosting TV's The Stephen K. Amos Show and BBC Radio 4's Life: An Idiot's Guide, he has appeared many times on television programmes such as Live At The Apollo, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, and QI. From 2013-2017 was the host/presenter of Radio 4's What Does The K Stand For?, a semi-autobiographical sitcom about his own South London childhood.
Non-comedy TV and film credits may be found here:
Stephen K Amos on IMDb
- Born
- Sunday 3rd December 1967 (57 years-old)
- Nationality
- British
Stephen K Amos is a British stand-up comedian and television personality who has toured all across the globe. He first made a name for himself as a compere in the Big Fish comedy clubs in South London, and he was nominated for Chortle's Best Compere Award in 2004, 2007, and 2008.
Amos' debut DVD, 'Find the Funny', was recorded at the Enmore Theatre Sydney and released in November 2009. After this he toured the UK, with 75 dates in total. In 2010 he filmed his debut show The Stephen K Amos Show for BBC Two (2010, a sketch show filled with stand-up, hidden camera antics, and lively audience participation,
After a childhood spent travelling often between Nigeria and London, and frequently finding himself the only black face (alongside his six siblings) at school, Amos soon found that comedy was a fruitful escape valve.
After reading law at Westminster University, Amos initially thought he would enter that profession before quickly switching to entertainment.
Although he has often shied away from surface-level descriptions of him as a black, gay comic, a decade after he began in stand-up he talked about his sexuality on stage, and in March 2007 presented Batty Man on Channel 4, a bold and hard-hitting documentary that explored why homophobia is so prevalent and pernicious in certain areas of the UK and Jamaica. It won a Royal Society Television Award and was nominated for a BAFTA.
Amos is known for his observational comedy and sharp, acerbic, political satire. During a 2007 performance on Live At The Apollo, Amos joked, in his typically provocative, committed way, that "The ultimate goal is to have my own TV show. But, as we all know, the BBC have a diversity policy. Apparently I have to wait for Lenny Henry to die".
In 2008, Amos was chosen to appear on an ITV televised performance in the gala/comedy show We Are Most Amused, a celebration of The Prince of Wales' 60th birthday.
In March 2010, Amos played the role of Nelson Mandela in a BBC Sport Relief comedy sketch, involving several members of the England rugby squad.
From March 2012 - 2014, Amos was chair of a BBC Radio 4 programme, Life: An Idiot's Guide, where he selects a wide range of stand-up comedians to offer life lessons and guidelines in an ironic fashion. From December 2013 - 2017, Amos has appeared in his own semi-autobiographical series What Does The K Stand For? on BBC Radio 4, which follows a young black boy, born to Nigerian parents, living in London in the 1980s.
A regular on much-loved TV and radio shows such as QI and The Museum of Curiosity, in 2019 he released a stand-up show Stephen K Amos: Everyman, which unashamedly aims to bring peace, joy, warmth and happiness to his audience's worlds - one evening at a time.
- Loaded LAFTAs 2011
- Funniest TV Personality (Nominee)
- Loaded LAFTAs 2010
- Funniest TV Personality (Nominee)
- Chortle Awards 2008
- Best Compere (Nominee)
- Chortle Awards 2007
- Best Compere (Nominee)
- Chortle Awards 2004
- Best Compere (Nominee)
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