Frank Skinner is one of Britain's best-loved and highest paid
comedians. Yet his road to these dizzy heights of success has been
a long and bumpy one, as he explains in this candid and highly
readable autobiography. Despite his superstar status, Skinner still
clings, somewhat endearingly, to his working class roots. He was
born Christopher Collins in January 1957, the youngest of four
children, and grew up in a council house in the West Midlands. From
this humble start, he overcame a number of obstacles, including the
dole queue, many years of alcohol abuse and a failed marriage.
Skinner's chatty style reads like one of his stand-up comedy
routines as he talks about his turbulent youth, his lifelong
passion for football, his friendship with comedy partner David
Baddiel and his television successes. His random outpourings, as he
meanders back and forth between the past and the present, can be
confusing; even Skinner loses his way at times, and the word
'anyway' pops up rather frequently as he attempts to get himself
back on track. But if you can keep up with his mental gymnastics,
and cope with the bawdy subject matter - liberally peppered with
swear words - you will find this a fascinating insight into this
unlikely star. You may despair at his naivety when he admits to
voting Labour purely 'out of a sense of working class duty', but
you can't help warming to a man who refuses to sit in the back of
his chauffeur-driven car because he'd rather be in the front
chatting to the driver. This book is shocking, poignant,
compelling, outrageously funny and, above all, searingly honest. It
is definitely not for the prudish, but fans of Skinner, and anyone
else looking for an entertaining read, will find it hard to put
down. (Kirkus UK)
Frank Skinner is undoubtedly one of the funniest and most successful comedians appearing on British screens. Born Chris Collins in 1957 he grew up in the West Midlands where he inherited his father's passion for football, a West Bromich Albion supporter, along with a liking for alcohol. Expelled from school at 16 Frank held various jobs later going on to gain an MA in English Literature. Nurturing a serious drink problem from the age of fourteen, Frank eventually turned to Catholicism in 1987 and hasn't had a drink since. He performed his first stand up gig in December 1987. His first television appearance in 1988 met with fits of laughter from the audience and 131 complaints, including one from cabinet minister Edwina Currie. He met fellow comedian David Baddiel in 1990 and the two went on to share a flat throughout the early 90's and to create the hit TV series Fantasy Football League.
Winner of the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival, Skinner's is a unique mixture of laddish and philosophical humour which has won him the prime time ITV show - The Frank Skinner Show. Here, for the first time, Frank candidly tells us of the highs and lows of his fascinating life and career.
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