Craig Charles

Craig Charles
Charles in May 2009
Born	Craig Joseph Charles (1964-07-11) 11 July 1964 (age 52) Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Occupation	Actor, television presenter, comedian, author, poet, DJ
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Cathy Tyson (1984–1989; divorced) Jackie Fleming (1999–present)
Children	3

Craig Joseph Charles (born 11 July 1964) is a British actor, comedian, author, poet, television presenter and DJ. He is best known for playing Dave Lister in the science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf and Lloyd Mullaney in the soap opera Coronation Street, and as a funk and soul DJ on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.

Charles first appeared on television as a performance poet, which led to minor presenting roles. After finding fame in Red Dwarf, he regularly featured on national television with celebrity appearances on many popular shows while he continued to host a wide variety of programmes.

Charles notably presented the gladiator-style game show Robot Wars and narrated the comedy endurance show Takeshi's Castle. His acting credits include playing inmate Eugene Buffy in the ITV drama The Governor, and leading roles in the British films Fated and Clubbing to Death. He has toured the UK extensively as a stand-up comedian.

Charles has hosted The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show on BBC radio since 2002, and performs DJ sets at numerous clubs and festivals, nationally and internationally. In September 2015, he left Coronation Street after ten years, to film new episodes of Red Dwarf.

Charles was born in Liverpool to a Guyanese father and Irish mother. He grew up on the Cantril Farm housing estate with his older brother, Dean (who died in 2014), and younger brother, Emile. He attended West Derby Comprehensive School followed by Childwall Hall College of Further Education, studying A-levels in History, Government and Politics, English Literature and General Studies. Charles won a national competition, run by The Guardian newspaper, for a poem he wrote when he was 12 years old. On leaving school Charles spent time working in a studio at Central Hall, Renshaw Street, Liverpool. Despite his origins, his eloquence in conversation and in his poetry (which he shared with colleagues) was something new at the time. With his gradual flowering as a poet emerged a certain boldness and self-confidence.