Jason Manford: A Manford All Seasons

Born in 1981, it took only 17 years for comedian, writer, actor, television and radio presenter Jason Manford to make his mark on the live circuit. Working as a glass collector at the Buzz Comedy Club in Manchester's suburban area of Chorlton, Manford stepped in when a scheduled performer failed to turn up. Just six live gigs later he claimed The City Life North West Comedian Of The Year award, launching a career that would cement him as a household name across the United Kingdom.

Inspired by family-friendly entertainers such as Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Les Dawson, and citing both Billy Connolly and Peter Kay as catalysts for his love of comedy, Jason Manford secured a nomination for the coveted Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2005 for his debut Urban Legends show. Then described by Chortle as a triumphant performance "unashamedly dedicated to good, uncomplicated fun", he picked up their award for Best Breakthrough Act in 2006.

That same year Jason Manford made the jump from comedy club stages to screen, joining team captain Dave Spikey on Channel 4's 8 Out Of 10 Cats in 2006. Well-received by the show's regulars and audiences alike, Manford was invited to join as a team captain in 2007, holding the position until he amicably parted ways in 2011. During his time as team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Jason Manford was joined by the likes of actor Danny Dyer, the legendary Joan Rivers, presenters Carol Voderman, Claudia Winkleman and Lauren Laverne, as well as huge names from across the world of comedy.

Manford's TV career included presenting BBC One's First & Last, ITV's What Would Your Kid Do? and hosting at the prestigious Olivier Awards. In 2020, he donned a hedgehog outfit to place second on ITV's The Masked Singer, finishing behind Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts – herself performing as a queen bee.

Described as "effortlessly entertaining" by the Evening Standard, Jason Manford has also celebrated West End credits, first performing as Adolfo Pirelli in the 2012 production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street at London's Adelphi Theatre. Manford's theatre career has seen him appear in The Producers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys And Dolls, and as Frank Cioffi in Curtains in 2019. He also joined Absolute Radio in 2016, presenting on a Sunday morning.

In 2023, Manford announced A Manford For All Seasons – a new live show for 2024/5 that sees Manford play some of the UK’s biggest entertainment venues, culminating at Manchester’s hotly anticipated new multi-million pound Co-Op Arena, being the first comic to go on-sale there.