Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	The Ashes
country	and
administrator	International Cricket Council
cricket format	Test cricket
first	1882/83
next	2013
tournament format	Test Series
participants	2
trophyholder
most successful	(31 titles)
most wins	(122 Tests)
most runs	Donald Bradman (5,028)
most wickets	Shane Warne (195)
current	2010–11 Ashes series }}

The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues being in opposite hemispheres, the break between series alternates between 18 and 30 months. A series of "The Ashes" comprises five Test matches, two innings per match, under the regular rules for Test match cricket. If a series is drawn then the country already holding the Ashes retains them.

The series is named after a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, ''The Sporting Times'', in 1882 after a match at The Oval in which Australia beat England on an English ground for the first time. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and ''the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia''. The English media dubbed the next English tour to Australia (1882–83) as ''the quest to regain The Ashes''.

During that tour a small terracotta urn was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, a bail.

The urn is erroneously believed by some to be the trophy of the Ashes series, but it has never been formally adopted as such and Bligh always considered it to be a personal gift. Replicas of the urn are often held aloft by victorious teams as a symbol of their victory in an Ashes series, but the actual urn has never been presented or displayed as a trophy in this way. Whichever side holds the Ashes, the urn normally remains in the Marylebone Cricket Club Museum at Lord's since being presented to the MCC by Bligh's widow upon his death.

Since the 1998–99 Ashes series, a Waterford Crystal representation of the Ashes urn has been presented to the winners of an Ashes series as the official trophy of that series.

England is the current holder after winning the Ashes in 2009 and again in the 2010/11 series in Australia.

Legend

The first Test match between England and Australia was played in 1877, though the Ashes legend started later, after the ninth Test, played in 1882.

On their tour that year (1882) the Australians played just one Test, at The Oval in London. It was a low-scoring affair on a difficult wicket. Australia made a mere 63 runs in its first innings, and England, led by A. N. Hornby, took a 38-run lead with a total of 101. In their second innings, the Australians, boosted by a spectacular run-a-minute 55 from Hugh Massie, managed 122, which left England only 85 runs to win.

The Australians were greatly demoralised by the manner of their second-innings collapse, but fast bowler Fred Spofforth, spurred on by some gamesmanship by his opponents, refused to give in. "This thing can be done," he declared. Spofforth went on to devastate the English batting, taking his final four wickets for only two runs to leave England just eight runs short of victory in one of the closest and most nail-biting finishes in the history of cricket.

When Ted Peate, England's last batsman, came to the crease, his side needed just ten runs to win, but Peate managed only two before he was bowled by Harry Boyle. An astonished Oval crowd fell silent, struggling to believe that England could possibly have lost to a colony. When it finally sank in, the crowd swarmed onto the field, cheering loudly and chairing Boyle and Spofforth to the pavilion.

When Peate returned to the pavilion he was reprimanded by his captain for not allowing his partner, Charles Studd (one of the best batsman in England, having already hit two centuries that season against the colonists) to get the runs. Peate humorously replied, "I had no confidence in Mr Studd, sir, so thought I had better do my best."

The momentous defeat was widely recorded in the British press, which praised the Australians for their plentiful "pluck" and berated the Englishmen for their lack thereof. A celebrated poem appeared in ''Punch'' on Saturday, 9 September. The first verse, quoted most frequently, reads:

:''Well done, Cornstalks! Whipt us'' :''Fair and square,'' :''Was it luck that tript us?'' :''Was it scare?'' :''Kangaroo Land's 'Demon''''', or our own'' :''Want of 'devil', coolness, nerve, backbone?''

On 31 August, in the great Charles Alcock-edited magazine ''Cricket: A Weekly Record of The Game'', there appeared a mock obituary:

:''SACRED TO THE MEMORY'' :''OF'' :''ENGLAND'S SUPREMACY IN THE'' :''CRICKET-FIELD'' :''WHICH EXPIRED'' :''ON THE 29TH DAY OF AUGUST, AT THE OVAL''

:''"ITS END WAS PEATE"''

On 2 September a more celebrated mock obituary, written by Reginald Brooks under the pseudonym "Bloobs", appeared in ''The Sporting Times''. It read:

:''In Affectionate Remembrance'' :''of'' :''ENGLISH CRICKET,'' :''which died at the Oval'' :''on'' :''29th AUGUST 1882,'' :''Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing'' :''friends and acquaintances''

:''R.I.P.''

:''N.B.—The body will be cremated and the'' :''ashes taken to Australia.''

Bligh promised that on the tour to Australia in 1882–83, which he was to captain, he would regain "the ashes". He spoke of them several times over the course of the tour, and the Australian media quickly caught on. The three-match series resulted in a two-one win to England, notwithstanding a fourth match, won by the Australians, whose status remains a matter of ardent dispute.

In the 20 years following Bligh's campaign the term "The Ashes" largely disappeared from public use. There is no indication that this was the accepted name for the series, at least not in England. The term became popular again in Australia first, when George Giffen, in his memoirs (''With Bat and Ball'', 1899), used the term as if it were well known.

The true and global revitalisation of interest in the concept dates from 1903, when Pelham Warner took a team to Australia with the promise that he would regain "the ashes". As had been the case on Bligh's tour 20 years before, the Australian media latched fervently onto the term, and, this time it stuck. Having fulfilled his promise, Warner published a book entitled ''How We Recovered The Ashes''. Although the origins of the term are not referred to in the text, the title served (along with the general hype created in Australia) to revive public interest in the legend. The first mention of "The Ashes" in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack occurs in 1905, while ''Wisden'''s first account of the legend is in the 1922 edition.

Urn

As it took many years for the name ''"The Ashes"'' to be given to the ongoing series between England and Australia, there was no concept of there being a representation of the ashes being presented to the winners. As late as 1925 the following verse appeared in ''The Cricketers Annual'':

:''So here's to Chapman, Hendren and Hobbs, :''Gilligan, Woolley and Hearne:'' :''May they bring back to the Motherland,'' :''The ashes which have no urn!''

Nevertheless, several attempts had been made to embody The Ashes in a physical memorial. Examples include one presented to Warner in 1904, another to Australian Captain M.A. Noble in 1909, and another to Australian Captain W.M. Woodfull in 1934.

The oldest, and the one to enjoy enduring fame, was the one presented to Bligh, later Lord Darnley, during the 1882–83 tour. The precise nature of the origin of this urn is matter of dispute. Based on a statement by Darnley made in 1894, it was believed that a group of Victorian ladies, including Darnley's later wife Florence Morphy, made the presentation after the victory in the Third Test in 1883. More recent researchers, in particular Ronald Willis and Joy Munns have studied the tour in detail and concluded that the presentation was made after a private cricket match played over Christmas 1882 when the English team were guests of Sir William Clarke, at his property "Rupertswood", in Sunbury, Victoria. This was before the matches had started. The prime evidence for this theory was provided by a descendant of Clarke.

The contents of the Darnley urn are also problematic; they were variously reported to be the remains of a stump, bail or the outer casing of a ball, but in 1998 Darnley's 82-year-old daughter-in-law said they were the remains of her mother-in-law's veil, casting a further layer of doubt on the matter. However, during the tour of Australia in 2006/7, the MCC official accompanying the urn said the veil legend had been discounted, and it was now "95% certain" that the urn contains the ashes of a cricket bail. Speaking on Channel Nine TV on 25 November 2006, he said x-rays of the urn had shown the pedestal and handles were cracked, and repair work had to be carried out. The urn is made of terracotta and is about six inches (150 mm) tall and may originally have been a perfume jar.

A label containing a six line verse is pasted on the urn. This is the fourth verse of a song-lyric published in Melbourne Punch on 1 February 1883:

:''When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn;'' :''Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return;'' :''The welkin will ring loud,'' :''The great crowd will feel proud,'' :''Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn;'' :''And the rest coming home with the urn.''

In February 1883, just before the disputed Fourth Test, a velvet bag made by Mrs Ann Fletcher, the daughter of Joseph Hines Clarke and Marion Wright, both of Dublin, was given to Bligh to contain the urn.

During Darnley’s lifetime there was little public knowledge of the urn, and no record of a published photograph exists before 1924. However, when Darnley died in 1927 his widow presented the urn to the Marylebone Cricket Club and that was the key event in establishing the urn as the physical embodiment of the legendary ashes. MCC first displayed the urn in the Long Room at Lord's Cricket Ground and since 1953 in the MCC Cricket Museum at the ground. MCC’s wish for it to be seen by as wide a range of cricket enthusiasts as possible has led to its being mistaken for an official trophy.

It is in fact a private memento, and for this reason it is never awarded to either England or Australia, but is kept permanently in the MCC Cricket Museum where it can be seen together with the specially made red and gold velvet bag and the scorecard of the 1882 match.

Because the urn itself is so delicate, it has been allowed to travel to Australia only twice. The first occasion was in 1988 for a museum tour as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations; the second was for the 2006/7 Ashes series. The urn arrived on 17 October 2006, going on display at the Museum of Sydney. It then toured to other states, with the final appearance at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery on 21 January 2007.

In the 1990s, given Australia's long dominance of the Ashes and the popular acceptance of the Darnley urn as ‘The Ashes’, the idea was mooted that the victorious team should be awarded the urn as a trophy and allowed to retain it until the next series. As its condition is fragile and it is a prized exhibit at the MCC Cricket Museum, the MCC were reluctant to agree. Furthermore, in 2002, Bligh's great-great-grandson Lord Clifton, the heir-apparent to the Earldom of Darnley, argued that the Ashes urn should not be returned to Australia because it belonged to his family and was given to the MCC only for safe keeping.

As a compromise, the MCC commissioned a trophy in the form of a larger replica of the urn in Waterford Crystal to award to the winning team of each series from 1998–99. This did little to diminish the status of the Darnley urn as the most important icon in cricket, the symbol of this old and keenly fought contest.

Series and matches

:''See also: List of Ashes series for a full listing of all the Ashes series.''

Quest to "recover those ashes"

Later in 1882, following the famous Australian victory at The Oval, Bligh led an England team to Australia, as he said, to "recover those ashes". Publicity surrounding the series was intense, and it was at some time during this series that the Ashes urn was crafted. Australia won the First Test by nine wickets, but in the next two England were victorious. At the end of the Third Test, England were generally considered to have "won back the Ashes" 2–1. A fourth match was played, against a "United Australian XI", which was arguably stronger than the Australian sides that had competed in the previous three matches; this game, however, is not generally considered part of the 1882–83 series. It ''is'' counted as a Test, but as a standalone.

1884 to 1896

After Bligh's victory, there was an extended period of English dominance. The tours generally had fewer Tests in the 1880s and 1890s than people have grown accustomed to in more recent years, the first five-Test series taking place only in 1894–95. England lost only four Ashes Tests in the 1880s out of 23 played, and they won all the seven series contested.

There was more chopping and changing in the teams, given that there was no official board of selectors for each country (in 1887–88, two separate English teams were on tour in Australia) and popularity with the fans varied. The 1890s games were more closely fought, Australia taking their first series win since 1882 with a 2–1 victory in 1891–92. But England dominated, winning the next three series to 1896 despite continuing player disputes.

The 1894–95 series began in sensational fashion when England won the First Test at Sydney by just 10 runs having followed on. Australia had scored a massive 586 (Syd Gregory 201, George Giffen 161) and then dismissed England for 325. But England responded with 437 and then dramatically dismissed Australia for 166 with Bobby Peel taking 6 for 67. At the close of the second last day's play, Australia were 113–2, needing only 64 more runs. But heavy rain fell overnight and next morning the two slow left-arm bowlers, Peel and Johnny Briggs, were all but unplayable. England went on to win the series 3–2 after it had been all square before the Final Test, which England won by 6 wickets. The English heroes were Peel, with 27 wickets in the series at an average of 26.70, and Tom Richardson, with 32 at 26.53.

In 1896 England under the captaincy of W G Grace won the series 2–1, and this marked the end of England's longest period of Ashes dominance.

1897 to 1902

Australia resoundingly won the 1897–98 series by 4–1 under the captaincy of Harry Trott. His successor Joe Darling won the next three series in 1899, 1901–02 and the classic 1902 series, which became one of the most famous in the history of Test cricket.

Five matches were played in 1902 but the first two were drawn after being hit by bad weather. In the First Test (the first played at Edgbaston), after scoring 376 England bowled out Australia for 36 (Wilfred Rhodes 7/17) and reduced them to 46–2 when they followed on. Australia won the Third and Fourth Tests at Bramall Lane and Old Trafford respectively. At Old Trafford, Australia won by just 3 runs after Victor Trumper had scored 104 on a "bad wicket", reaching his hundred before lunch on the first day. England won the last Test at The Oval by one wicket. Chasing 263 to win, they slumped to 48–5 before Jessop's 104 gave them a chance. He reached his hundred in just 75 minutes. The last wicket pair of George Hirst and Rhodes were left with 15 runs to get, and duly got them. When Rhodes joined him, Hirst is famously supposed to have said: "We'll get them in singles, Wilfred." The story is apocryphal and they are believed to have scored at least one two among the singles.

The period of Darling's captaincy saw the emergence of outstanding Australian players such as Trumper, Warwick Armstrong, James Kelly, Monty Noble, Clem Hill, Hugh Trumble and Ernie Jones.

Reviving the legend

After what the MCC saw as the problems of the earlier professional and amateur series they decided not to take control of organising tours themselves, and this led to the first MCC tour of Australia in 1903–04. England won it against the odds, and Plum Warner, the England captain, wrote up his version of the tour in his book ''How We Recovered The Ashes''. The title of this book revived the Ashes legend and it was after this that England v Australia series were customarily referred to as "The Ashes".

1905 to 1912

England and Australia were evenly matched until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Five more series took place between 1905 and 1912. In 1905 England's captain Stanley Jackson not only won the series 2–0, but also won the toss in all five matches and headed both the batting and the bowling averages. Monty Noble led Australia to victory in both 1907–08 and 1909. Then England won in 1911–12 by four matches to one. Jack Hobbs establishing himself as England's first-choice opening batsman with three centuries, while Frank Foster (32 wickets at 21.62) and Sydney Barnes (34 wickets at 22.88) formed a formidable bowling partnership.

England retained the Ashes when they won the 1912 Triangular Tournament, which also featured South Africa. The Australian touring party had been severely weakened by a dispute between the board and players that caused Clem Hill, Victor Trumper, Warwick Armstrong, Tibby Cotter, Sammy Carter and Vernon Ransford to be omitted.

1920 to 1933

After the war, Australia took firm control of both the Ashes and world cricket. For the first time, the tactic of using two express bowlers in tandem paid off as Jack Gregory and Ted McDonald crippled the English batting on a regular basis. Australia recorded overwhelming victories both in England and on home soil. They won the first eight matches in succession including a 5–0 whitewash in 1920–1921 at the hands of Warwick Armstrong's team.

The ruthless and belligerent Armstrong led his team back to England in 1921 where his men lost only two games late in the tour to narrowly miss out of being the first team to complete a tour of England without defeat.

England won only one Test out of 15 from the end of the war until 1925.

In a rain-hit series in 1926, England managed to eke out a 1–0 victory with a win in the final Test at The Oval. Because the series was at stake, the match was to be "timeless", i.e., played to a finish. Australia had a narrow first innings lead of 22. Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe took the score to 49–0 at the end of the second day, a lead of 27. Heavy rain fell overnight, and next day the pitch soon developed into a traditional sticky wicket. England seemed doomed to be bowled out cheaply and to lose the match. In spite of the very difficult batting conditions, however, Hobbs and Sutcliffe took their partnership to 172 before Hobbs was out for exactly 100. Sutcliffe went on to make 161 and England won the game comfortably. Australian captain Herbie Collins was stripped of all captaincy positions down to club level, and some accused him of throwing the match.

Australia's ageing post-war team broke up after 1926, with Collins, Charlie Macartney and Warren Bardsley all departing, and Gregory breaking down at the start of the 1928–29 series.

Despite the debut of Donald Bradman, the inexperienced Australians, led by Jack Ryder, were heavily defeated, losing 4–1. England had a very strong batting side, with Wally Hammond contributing 905 runs at an average of 113.12, and Hobbs, Sutcliffe and Patsy Hendren all scoring heavily; the bowling was more than adequate, without being outstanding.

In 1930, Bill Woodfull led an extremely inexperienced team to England.

Bradman fulfilled his promise in the 1930 series when he scored 974 runs at 139.14, which remains a world record Test series aggregate. A modest Bradman can be heard in a 1930 recording saying "I have always endeavoured to do my best for the side, and the few centuries that have come my way have been achieved in the hope of winning matches. My one idea when going into bat was to make runs for Australia." In the Headingley Test, he made 334, reaching 309* at the end of the first day, including a century before lunch. Bradman himself thought that his 254 in the preceding match, at Lord's, was a better innings. England managed to stay in contention until the deciding final Test at The Oval, but yet another double hundred by Bradman, and 7/92 by Percy Hornibrook in England's second innings, enabled Australia to win by an innings and take the series 2–1. Clarrie Grimmett's 29 wickets at 31.89 for Australia in this high-scoring series were also important.

Australia had one of the strongest batting line-ups ever in the early 1930s, with Bradman, Archie Jackson, Stan McCabe, Bill Woodfull and Bill Ponsford. It was the prospect of bowling at this line-up that caused England's 1932–33 captain Douglas Jardine to adopt the tactic of fast leg theory, also known as Bodyline.

Jardine instructed his fast bowlers, most notably Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, to bowl at the bodies of the Australian batsmen, with the goal of forcing them to defend their bodies with their bats, thus providing easy catches to a stacked leg-side field. Jardine insisted that the tactic was legitimate and called it "leg theory" but it was widely disparaged by its opponents, who dubbed it "Bodyline" (from "on the line of the body"). Although England decisively won the Ashes 4–1, Bodyline caused such a furore in Australia that diplomats had to intervene to prevent serious harm to Anglo-Australian relations, and the MCC eventually changed the Laws of cricket to curtail the number of leg side fielders.

Jardine's comment was: "I've not travelled 6,000 miles to make friends. I'm here to win the Ashes".

Some of the Australians wanted to use Bodyline in retaliation, but Woodfull flatly refused. He famously told England manager Pelham Warner, "There are two teams out there. One is playing cricket; the other is making no attempt to do so" after the latter had come into the Australian rooms to express sympathy for a Larwood bouncer had struck the Australian skipper in the heart and felled him.

1934 to 1953

On the batting-friendly wickets that prevailed in the late 1930s, most Tests up to the Second World War still gave results. It should be borne in mind that Tests in Australia prior to the war were all played to a finish. Many batting records were set in this period.

The 1934 Ashes series began with the notable absence of Larwood, Voce and Jardine. The MCC had made it clear, in light of the revelations of the bodyline series, that these players would not face Australia. It should be noted that the MCC, although it had earlier condoned and encouraged bodyline tactics in the 1932–33 series, laid the blame on Larwood when relations turned sour. Larwood was forced by the MCC to either apologise or be removed from the Test side. He went for the latter.

Australia recovered the Ashes in 1934 and held them until 1953, although no international cricket was possible during the Second World War.

As in 1930, the 1934 series was decided in the final Test at The Oval. Australia, batting first, posted a massive 701 in the first innings. Bradman (244) and Ponsford (266) were in record-breaking form with a partnership of 451 for the second wicket. England eventually faced a massive 707 run target for victory and failed, Australia winning the series 2–1. This made Woodfull the only captain to regain the Ashes and he retired upon his return to Australia.

In 1936–37 Bradman succeeded Woodfull as Australian captain. He started badly, losing the first two Tests heavily after Australia were caught on sticky wickets. However, the Australians fought back and Bradman won his first series in charge 3–2.

The 1938 series was high-scoring affair with many high-scoring draws, resulting in a 1–1 result, Australia retaining the Ashes. After the first two matches ended in stalemate and the Third Test at Old Trafford never started due to rain. Australia then scraped home by five wickets inside three days in a low-scoring match at Headingley to retain the urn. In the timeless Fifth Test at The Oval, the highlight was Len Hutton's then world record score of 364 as England made 903-7 declared. Bradman and Jack Fingleton injured themselves during Hutton's marathon effort, and with only nine men, Australia fell to defeat by an innings and 578 runs, the heaviest in Test history.

The Ashes resumed after the war when England toured in 1946–47, and as in 1920–21, found that Australia had made the best post-war recovery. Still captained by Bradman and now featuring the potent new ball partnership of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller, Australia were convincing 3–0 winners.

Aged 38 and having been unwell during the war, Bradman had been reluctant to play. He batted unconvincingly and reached 28 when he hit a ball to Jack Ikin; England believed it was a catch, but Bradman stood his ground, believing it to be a bump ball. The umpire ruled in the Australian captain's favour and he appeared to regain his fluency of yesteryear, scoring 187. Australia promptly seized the initiative, won the First Test convincingly and inaugurated a dominant post-war era. The controversy over the Ikin catch was one of the biggest disputes of the era.

In 1948 Australia set new standards, completely outplaying their hosts to win 4–0 with one draw. This Australian team, led by Bradman, who turned 40 during his final tour of England, has gone down in history as ''The Invincibles''. Playing 34 matches on tour—three of which were not first-class—including the five Tests, they remained unbeaten, winning 27 and drawing only 7.

Bradman's men were greeted by packed crowds across the country, and records for Test attendances in England were set in the Second and Fourth Tests at Lord's and Headingley respectively; the crowd at Headingley remains a record, and it was there that Australia set a world record by chasing down 404 on the last day for a seven-wicket victory.

The 1948 series ended with one of the most poignant moments in cricket history, as Bradman played his final innings for Australia in the Fifth Test at The Oval, needing to score only four runs to end with a career batting average of exactly 100. However, Bradman made a second ball duck, bowled by a Eric Hollies googly that sent him into retirement with a career average of 99.94.

Bradman was succeeded as Australian captain by Lindsay Hassett, who led the team to 4–1 victory in 1950–51. The series was not as one-sided as the number of wins suggest, with several tight matches.

The tide finally turned in 1953 when England won the final Test at The Oval to take the series 1–0, having narrowly evaded defeat in the preceding Test at Headingley. This was the beginning of one of the greatest periods in English cricket history with players such as captain Len Hutton, batsmen Denis Compton, Peter May, Tom Graveney, Colin Cowdrey, bowlers Fred Trueman, Brian Statham, Alec Bedser, Jim Laker, Tony Lock and wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans.

1954 to 1971

In 1954–55, Australia's batsmen had no answer to the pace of Frank Tyson and Statham. After winning the First Test by an innings after being controversially sent in by Hutton, Australia lost its way and England took a hat-trick of victories to win the series 3–1.

A dramatic series in 1956 saw a record that will probably never be beaten: off-spinner Jim Laker's monumental effort at Old Trafford when he bowled 68 of 191 overs to take 19 out of 20 possible Australian wickets in the Fourth Test. It was Australia's second consecutive innings defeat in a wet summer, and the hosts were in strong positions in the two drawn Tests, in which half the playing time was washed out. Bradman rated the team that won the series 2–1 as England's best ever.

England's dominance was not to last. Australia won 4–0 in 1958–59, having found a high-quality spinner of their own in new skipper Richie Benaud, who took 31 wickets in the five-Test series, and paceman Alan Davidson, who took 24 wickets at 19.00. The series was overshadowed by the furore over various Australian bowlers, most notably Ian Meckiff, whom the English management and media accused of illegally throwing Australia to victory.

Australia consolidated their status as the leading team in world cricket with a hard-fought 2–1 away series. After narrowly winning the Second Test at Lord's, dubbed "The Battle of the Ridge" because of a protrusion on the pitch that caused erratic bounce, Australia mounted a comeback on the final day of the Fourth Test at Old Trafford and sealed the series after a heavy collapse during the English runchase.

The tempo of the play changed over the next four series in the 1960s, held in 1962–63, 1964, 1965–66 and 1968. The powerful array of bowlers that both countries boasted in the preceding decade moved into retirement, and their replacements were of lesser quality, making it more difficult to force a result. England failed to win any series during the 1960s, a period dominated by draws as teams found it more prudent to save face than risk losing. Of the 20 Tests played during the four series, Australia won four and England three. As they held the Ashes, Australian captains Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry were happy to adopt safety-first tactics and their strategy of sedate batting saw many draws. During this period, spectator attendances dropped and media condemnation increased, but Simpson and Lawry flatly disregarded the public dissatisfaction.

It was in the 1960s that the bipolar dominance of England and Australia in world cricket was seriously challenged for the first time. West Indies defeated England twice in the mid-1960s and South Africa, in two series before they were banned for apartheid, completely outplayed Australia 3–1 and 4–0. Australia had lost 2–1 during a tour of the West Indies in 1964–65, the first time they had lost a series to any team other than England.

In 1970–71, Ray Illingworth led England to a 2–0 win in Australia, mainly due to John Snow's fast bowling, and the prolific batting of Geoffrey Boycott and John Edrich. It was not until the last session of what was the 7th Test (one match having been abandoned without a ball bowled) that England's success was secured. Lawry was sacked after the Sixth Test after the selectors finally lost patience with Australia's lack of success and dour strategy. Lawry was not informed of the decision privately and heard his fate over the radio.

1972 to 1987

The 1972 series finished 2–2, with England under Illingworth retaining the Ashes.

In the 1974–75 series, with the England team breaking up and their best batsman Geoff Boycott refusing to play, Australian pace bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee wreaked havoc. A 4–1 result was a fair reflection as England were left shell shocked. England then lost the 1975 series 0–1, but at least restored some pride under new captain Tony Greig.

Australia won the 1977 Centenary Test which was not an Ashes contest, but then a storm broke as Kerry Packer announced his intention to form World Series Cricket. WSC affected all Test playing nations but it weakened Australia especially as the bulk of its players had signed up with Packer; the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) would not select WSC-contracted players and an almost completely new Test team had to be formed. WSC came after an era during which the duopoly of Australian and English dominance dissipated; the Ashes had long been seen as a cricket world championship but the rise of the West Indies in the late 1970s challenged that view. The West Indies would go on to record resounding Test series wins over Australia and England and dominated world cricket until the 1990s.

With Greig having joined WSC, England appointed Mike Brearley as their captain and he enjoyed great success against Australia. Largely assisted by the return of Boycott, Brearley's men won the 1977 series 3–0 and then completed an overwhelming 5–1 series win against an Australian side missing its WSC players in 1978–79. Allan Border made his Test debut for Australia in 1978–79.

Brearley retired from Test cricket in 1979 and was succeeded by Ian Botham, who started the 1981 series as England captain, by which time the WSC split had ended. After Australia took a 1–0 lead in the first two Tests, Botham was forced to resign or was sacked (depending on the source). Brearley surprisingly agreed to be reappointed before the Third Test at Headingley. This was a remarkable match in which Australia looked certain to take a 2–0 series lead after they had forced England to follow-on 227 runs behind. England, despite being 135 for 7, produced a second innings total of 356, Botham scoring 149*. Chasing just 130, Australia were sensationally dismissed for 111, Bob Willis taking 8–43. It was the first time since 1894–95 that a team following on had won a Test match. Under Brearley's leadership, England went on to win the next two matches before a drawn final match at The Oval.

In 1982–83 Australia had Greg Chappell back from WSC as captain, while the England team was weakened by the enforced omission of their South African tour rebels, particularly Graham Gooch and John Emburey. Australia went 2–0 up after three Tests, but England won the Fourth Test by 3 runs (after a 70-run last wicket stand) to set up the final decider, which was drawn.

In 1985 David Gower's England team was strengthened by the return of Gooch and Emburey as well as the emergence at international level of Tim Robinson and Mike Gatting. Australia, now captained by Allan Border, had themselves been weakened by a rebel South African tour, the loss of Terry Alderman being a particular factor. England won 3–1.

Despite suffering heavy defeats against the West Indies during the 1980s, England continued to do well in the Ashes. Mike Gatting was the captain in 1986–87 but his team started badly and attracted some criticism. Then Chris Broad scored three hundreds in successive Tests and bowling successes from Graham Dilley and Gladstone Small meant England won the series 2–1.

1989 to 2003

The Australian team of 1989 was comparable to the great Australian teams of the past, and resoundingly defeated England 4–0. Well led by Allan Border, the team included the young cricketers Mark Taylor, Merv Hughes, David Boon, Ian Healy and Steve Waugh, who were all to prove long-serving and successful Ashes competitors. England, now led once again by David Gower, suffered from injuries and poor form. During the Fourth Test news broke that prominent England players had agreed to take part in a "rebel tour" of South Africa the following winter; three of them (Tim Robinson, Neil Foster and John Emburey) were playing in the match, and were subsequently dropped from the England side.

Australia reached a cricketing peak in the 1990s and early 2000s, coupled with a general decline in England's fortunes. After re-establishing its credibility in 1989, Australia underlined its superiority with victories in the 1990–91, 1993, 1994–95, 1997, 1998–99, 2001 and 2002–03 series, all by convincing margins.

Great Australian players in the early years included batsmen Border, Boon, Taylor and Steve Waugh. The captaincy passed from Border to Taylor in the mid-1990s and then to Steve Waugh before the 2001 series. In the latter part of the 1990s Waugh himself, along with his twin brother Mark, scored heavily for Australia and fast bowlers Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie made a serious impact, especially the former. The wicketkeeper-batsman position was held by Ian Healy for most of the 1990s and by Adam Gilchrist from 2001 to 2006–07. In the 2000s, batsmen Justin Langer, Damien Martyn and Matthew Hayden became noted players for Australia. But the most dominant Australian player was leg-spinner Shane Warne, whose first delivery in Ashes cricket in 1993, to dismiss Mike Gatting, became known as the Ball of the century.

Australia's record between 1989 and 2005 had a significant impact on the statistics between the two sides. Before the 1989 series began, the win-loss ratio was almost even, with 87 wins for Australia to England's 86, 74 having been drawn. By the 2005 series Australia's wins had increased to 115 whereas England's had increased to only 93 (with 82 draws). In the period between 1989 and the beginning of the 2005 series, the two sides had played 43 times; Australia winning 28 times, England 7 times, with 8 draws. Only a single England victory had come in a match in which the Ashes were still at stake, namely the First Test of the 1997 series. All others were consolation victories when the Ashes had been secured by Australia.

2005 to present

England began to recover in the early 2000s and were undefeated in Test matches through the 2004 calendar year. This elevated them to second in the ICC Test Championship. Hopes that the 2005 Ashes series would be closely fought proved well-founded, as the series was more competitive than anyone had predicted and was still undecided as the closing session of the final Test began. Experienced journalists including Richie Benaud rated the series as the most exciting in living memory. It has been compared with the great series of the distant past, such as 1894–95 and 1902.

The First Test at Lord's was convincingly won by Australia, but in the remaining four matches the teams were evenly matched and England fought back to win the Second Test by 2 runs, the smallest victory by a runs margin in Ashes history, and the second-closest such victory in all Tests. The rain-affected Third Test ended with the last two Australian batsmen holding out for a draw and England won the Fourth Test by three wickets after forcing Australia to follow-on for the first time in 191 Tests. A draw in the final Test gave England victory in an Ashes series for the first time in 18 years and their first Ashes victory at home since 1985.

With several England players having retired or been injured after the 2005 series, Australia regained The Ashes in the 2006–07 series with a convincing 5–0 victory, the second time an Ashes series has been won by that margin. Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Justin Langer retired from Test cricket after that series, while Damien Martyn retired during the series.

The 2009 series began with a tense draw in the First Test at SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, with final pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar surviving 69 balls. England then achieved their first Ashes win at Lord's since 1934 to go 1–0 up. After a rain-affected draw at Edgbaston, the fourth match at Headingley was convincingly won by Australia by an innings and 80 runs to level the series. Finally, England won the Fifth Test at The Oval by a margin of 197 runs to regain the Ashes. Andrew Flintoff retired from Test cricket soon afterwards.

The 2010–11 series was held in Australia. The First Test at Brisbane ended in a draw, but England won the Second Test, at Adelaide, by an innings and 71 runs. Australia came back with a victory at Perth in the Third Test. In the Fourth Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, England batting second scored 513 to defeat Australia (98 & 258) by an innings and 157 runs. This allowed England to take an unbeatable 2–1 lead in the series and so they retained The Ashes. Jonathan Trott (England) scored 168 not out while Peter Siddle (Australia) took 6–75. England went on to win the series 3–1, beating Australia by an innings and 83 runs at Sydney in the Fifth Test. Australia, captained by Michael Clarke, batted first on a cloudy day after winning the toss and were bowled out for 280. England made 644, their highest innings total since 1938. Alastair Cook scored 189 and both Ian Bell and Matt Prior made centuries. England bowled Australia out again for 281 and so won a series on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years. The 2010–11 Ashes series is the only one in which a team has won three Tests by innings margins and it was the first time England had scored 500 or more four times in a single series.

Summary of results and statistics

:''See also: List of Ashes series for a full listing of all the Ashes series since 1882.'' A team must win a series to gain the right to hold the Ashes. A drawn series results in the previous holders retaining the Ashes. Sixty-six series have been played, with Australia winning 31 and England 30. The remaining five series were drawn, with Australia retaining the Ashes four times (1938, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1968) and England retaining it once (1972). The win-loss ratio in Ashes Tests (up to and including the 2011 series) stands at 123 wins for Australia to 100 wins for England, with 87 draws.

Ashes series have generally been played over five Test matches, although there have been four-match series (1938; 1975) and six-match series (1970–71; 1974–75; 1978–79; 1981; 1985; 1989; 1993 and 1997). Australians have made 264 centuries in Ashes Tests, 23 of them over 200, while Englishmen have scored 212 centuries, of which 10 have been over 200. On 41 occasions Australians have taken 10 wickets in a match, Englishmen 38 times.

Match venues

The series alternates between the United Kingdom and Australia, and within each country each of the usually five matches is held at a different cricket ground.

In Australia, the grounds currently used are The Gabba in Brisbane (first staged an England–Australia Test in the 1932–33 season), Adelaide Oval (1884–85), The WACA, Perth (1970–71) the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) (1876–77) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) (1881–82). A single Test was held at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in 1928–29. Traditionally, Melbourne hosts the Boxing Day Test and Sydney hosts the New Year Test. Cricket Australia proposed that the 2010–11 series consist of six Tests, with the additional game to be played at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. The England Cricket Board declined and the series was played over five Tests.

In England the grounds used are The Oval (since 1880), Old Trafford (1884), Lord's (1884), Trent Bridge (1899), Headingley (1899) and Edgbaston (1902). One Test was held at Bramall Lane, Sheffield in 1902. Sophia Gardens in Cardiff held the First Test in the 2009 Ashes series, the first time England had played a home Test in Wales. In the next series on English soil in 2013, Durham's Chester-le-Street ground will host its first Ashes Test match.

Cultural references

The popularity and reputation of the cricket series has led to other sports or games, and/or their followers, using the name "Ashes" for contests between England and Australia. The best-known and longest-running of these events is the rugby league rivalry between Great Britain and Australia (see rugby league "Ashes"). Use of the name "Ashes" was suggested by the Australian team when rugby league matches between the two countries commenced in 1908. Another example is in the television show ''Gladiators'', in which two series were based on contests between teams representing Australia and England.

The Ashes featured in the film ''The Final Test'', released in 1953, based on a television play by Terence Rattigan. It stars Jack Warner as an England cricketer playing the last Test of his career, which is the last of an Ashes series; the film contains cameo appearances from cricketers, including Jim Laker and Denis Compton, who were part of England's 1953 triumph.

Douglas Adams's 1982 science fiction comedy novel ''Life, the Universe and Everything'' – the third part of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy'' series – features the urn containing the Ashes, as a significant element of its plot. The urn is stolen by alien robots, as the burnt stump inside is part of a key needed to unlock the "Wikkit Gate" and release an imprisoned world called Krikkit.

''Bodyline'', a fictionalised television miniseries based on the "Bodyline" Ashes series of 1932–33, screened in Australia in 1984, to significant public interest and critical acclaim. The cast included Gary Sweet, as Donald Bradman and Hugo Weaving, as England captain Douglas Jardine.

See also

History of Test cricket from 1877 to 1883

History of Test cricket from 1884 to 1889

History of Test cricket from 1890 to 1900

Rupertswood

Notes

References

Willis, R. ''Cricket's Biggest Mystery: The Ashes'', The Lutterworth Press (1987), ISBN 978-0-7188-2588-1.

;Other

''Wisden's Cricketers Almanack'' (various editions)

External links

Cricinfo's Ashes website

MCC's Ashes website

The Origin of the Ashes – Rex Harcourt

Listen to a young Don Bradman speaking after the 1930 Ashes tour on australianscreen online

Category:England in international cricket Category:Australia in international cricket Category:Australian culture Category:English culture Category:Test cricket competitions Category:Cricket awards and rankings Category:Recurring events established in 1882 Category:Sports rivalries de:Ashes fr:The Ashes id:The Ashes it:The Ashes ml:ആഷസ് ക്രിക്കറ്റ് ടെസ്റ്റ് mr:द ऍशेस nl:The Ashes ja:ジ・アッシズ pl:The Ashes scn:The Ashes si:අළු බඳුන කුසලාන තරගය simple:The Ashes sv:The Ashes ta:ஆஷஸ் ur:ایشیز

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
birth name	Sacha Noam Baron Cohen
birth date	October 13, 1971
birth place	Hammersmith, London, England
height	6'3" (1.91 m)
nationality	British, Israeli
occupation	Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, voice artist, comedian
years active	1995–present
spouse
children	2 daughters }}

Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, writer, voice artist, and comedian. He is most widely known for his portrayal of three unorthodox fictional characters: Ali G, Borat, and Brüno. In his routines, Baron Cohen's characters interact with unsuspecting people who do not realize they are being set up for comic situations and self-revealing ridicule.

Baron Cohen's work has been recognised with several Emmy nominations, an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, a BAFTA award, and a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his work in the feature film ''Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan''. After the release of the movie ''Borat'', Baron Cohen stated that because the public had become too familiar with the characters, he would retire Borat and Ali G. Similarly, after the release of ''Brüno'', he has stated he would also retire the title character.

Early life

Family

Baron Cohen was born Sacha Noam Baron Cohen in Hammersmith, West London, England. His mother, Daniella (née Weiser), was born in Israel, while his father, Gerald, was originally from Pontypridd, Wales. Sacha is the second of three sons, with elder brother Erran and younger brother Amnon. His family is Jewish. His maternal grandmother, who lives in Haifa, Israel, trained as a ballet dancer in Germany. Erran is a composer and has worked on several of his films. Internationally renowned autism researcher Simon Baron-Cohen is his cousin.

Education

Baron Cohen first attended St Columba's College Prep School, St Albans, Hertfordshire, before moving on to attend Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, a private school in Elstree, Hertfordshire, near London. He went on to the University of Cambridge, entering Christ's College, Cambridge, where he read history under Niall Ferguson and wrote his dissertation on Jewish involvement in the American Civil Rights movement, with emphasis on the 1964 murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner in Mississippi.

At the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club, Baron Cohen acted in plays such as ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (in which he played Tevye) and ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. While at Cambridge, he performed in Habonim Dror Jewish theatre performances.

Early roles

After leaving university, Baron Cohen worked for a time as a fashion model, appearing in many fashion magazines. By the early 1990s, he was hosting a weekly programme on Windsor cable television's local broadcasts with Carol Kirkwood, who later became a BBC weather forecaster. In 1995, Channel 4 was planning a replacement for its series ''The Word'', and disseminated an open call for new television presenters. Baron Cohen sent in a tape of himself in the character of Kristo, a fictional television reporter from Albania (who developed into the Kazakh Borat Sagdiyev), which caught the attention of a producer. Baron Cohen hosted Pump TV from 1995–1996. In 1996, he began presenting the youth chat programme F2F for Granada Talk TV. The late nineties saw Baron Cohen make his first feature film appearance in the British comedy ''The Jolly Boys' Last Stand'', then in 2000 Baron Cohen played the part of Super Greg for a series of TV advertisements for Lee Jeans which never aired, yet the website for Super Greg created an internet sensation. He also attended Ecole Philippe Gaulier, studying under Philippe Gaulier whom he credits with enabling him to find the play and pleasure to create characters such as Ali G and Borat.

Characters

Ali G

Baron Cohen appeared during 2-minute sketches as his fashion reporter Brüno on The Paramount Comedy Channel during 1998. He shot to fame when his comic character Ali G, an uneducated, boorish junglist, started appearing on the British television show ''The 11 O'Clock Show'' on Channel 4, which first went to air 8 September 1998.

''Da Ali G Show'' began in 2000, and won the BAFTA for Best Comedy in the following year. Also in 2000, Baron Cohen as Ali G appeared as the limousine driver in Madonna's 2000 video "Music", directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who was also responsible for directing the titles for ''Da Ali G Show''.

In 2002, Ali G was the central character in the feature film ''Ali G Indahouse'', in which he is elected to the British Parliament and foils a plot to bulldoze a community centre in his hometown, Staines. His television show was exported to the United States in 2003, with new episodes set there, for HBO.

Ali G's interviews with famous people (often politicians) gained notoriety partly because the subjects were not privy to the joke that Ali G, rather than being a real interviewer, was a comic character played by Baron Cohen. According to ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, Baron Cohen would always enter the interview area in character as Ali G, carrying equipment and appearing to be an insignificant crew member. He would arrive with a suited man, whom the interviewee naturally thought was the interviewer. Baron Cohen, as Ali G, would sit down to begin conducting the interview by asking the interviewee some preliminary questions. The interviewee, however, would remain under the impression that the smartly-dressed director would be conducting the interview until short notice prior to cameras rolling: this would grant an advantage of surprise, whereby the interviewee would be less likely to opt out of the Ali interview prior to its commencement.

The resulting willingness of Baron Cohen's targets to answer his frequently risqué questions often created surprising conversations. Interviewees have included:

astronaut Buzz Aldrin

politician and consumer advocate Ralph Nader

writer Gore Vidal

real estate mogul Donald Trump

former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop

basketball players Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Richard Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Ben Wallace and Robert Horry

former US Secretary of State James Baker III

former US Attorney General Dick Thornburgh

businessman and billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed

Professor Heinz Wolff

former US Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich

political commentator Pat Buchanan

Professor Noam Chomsky

footballer David Beckham and his wife, ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, for the UK's Comic Relief

former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali (whom Baron Cohen, in his Ali G character, referred to as 'Boutros Boutros ''Boutros''-Ghali')

former Conservative Party MP Neil Hamilton

journalist Andy Rooney

Labour politician Tony Benn

DUP politician Sammy Wilson

Baron Cohen is a supporter of ''Comic Relief'' and as Ali G has hosted some interviews for the benefit of the charity.

Borat

''Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan'', a feature film with Borat at the centre, was screened at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and released in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2006, in the United States on 3 November 2006 and Australia 23 November 2006. The film is about a journey across the United States in an ice cream truck, in which the main character is obsessed with the idea of marrying Pamela Anderson. The film is a mockumentary which includes interviews with various American citizens that poke fun at American culture, as well as sexism, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, jingoism and ''Baywatch''.

It debuted at the #1 spot in the US, taking in an estimated $26.4 million in just 837 theatres averaging $31,600 per theatre, the fourth highest per-theatre average of all time for movies opening wide (500 screens or more), behind ''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' and ''Spider-Man''.

Baron Cohen won the 2007 Golden Globe in the "Best Actor – Musical or Comedy" category, his sixth such award. Although Borat was up for "Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy", the film lost to ''Dreamgirls''. On 23 January 2007, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He shared his nomination with the film's co-writers, Ant Hines, Peter Baynham, Sy Mordecai Finesto, Dan Mazer, and Todd Phillips.

Aside from the comic elements of his characters, Baron Cohen's performances are interpreted by some as reflecting uncomfortable truths about his audience. He juxtaposes his own Jewish lineage with the anti-Semitism of his character Borat.

In 2007, Baron Cohen published a travel guide as Borat, with dual titles: ''Borat: Touristic Guidings To Minor Nation of U.S. and A.'' and ''Borat: Touristic Guidings To Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan''.

On 21 December 2007, Baron Cohen announced he was retiring the character of Borat.

Brüno

Another alter ego Sacha Baron Cohen performed as is 'Brüno', a flamboyantly gay allegedly-19-year-old Austrian fashion show presenter, who often lures his subjects, unwittingly, into making provocative statements and engaging in embarrassing behaviour, as well as leading them to contradict themselves, often in the same interview. Brüno asks the subjects to answer 'yes or no' questions with either "Vassup" (whats up), or "Ich don't think so" (No), or sometimes "Ach, ja!" (Ah yes!) or "Nicht, nicht" ("Nicht" means "not" in German). In one segment on ''Da Ali G Show'' he encouraged his guest to answer questions with either "Keep them in the ghetto" or "Train to Auschwitz". Brüno's main comedic satire pertains to the vacuity and inanity of the fashion and clubbing world. In May 2009, at the MTV Movie Awards, Baron Cohen appeared as 'Brüno' wearing a white angel costume, a white jock strap, white go-go boots and white wings, and did an aerial stunt where he dropped from a height (using wires) onto Eminem, Baron Cohen landed on his lap and his rear in Eminem's face, prompting Eminem to exit the venue with fellow rappers of D12. Eminem later admitted to staging the stunt with Baron Cohen.

Film

After an intense bidding war that included such Hollywood powerhouses as DreamWorks, Sony, and 20th Century Fox; Universal Pictures paid a reported $42.5 million for the rights to the movie. A number of shill companies and Web sites were created in order to draw potential interviewees into interviews by creating an illusion of legitimacy. The film was released in July 2009.

Performer versus characters

Baron Cohen has often been confused with the identity of one of his characters. When he posed as Borat to host the MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon, the central Hungarian news wire agency MTI reported that the host was 'Borat Sagdiyev'. As most Hungarian newspapers and television networks take MTI as their official source, the misinterpretation of the character spread rapidly in Hungary, with some sources (such as TV2) emphasising that a Kazakh news reporter hosted the awards, while others (such as Index.hu) noticed and pointed out the error.

Controversies

Baron Cohen has encountered many controversies regarding some of his comic characters: In an interview with former British MP Neil Hamilton in 2000, Ali G offered Hamilton what was allegedly cannabis, which Hamilton accepted and smoked, creating some minor controversy in the British media.

At the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Borat introduced Gnarls Barkley's performance of "Crazy", where he made a comment about Jessica Simpson, saying that he liked her mouth and that he could see it clearly through her denim pants. His appearance was cut from subsequent rebroadcasts.

Baron Cohen has had some trouble because of racist or prejudiced comments his characters have made (see ''Da Ali G Show''). HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer has replied to criticism concerning Baron Cohen's characters: 'Through his alter-egos, he delivers an obvious satire that exposes people's ignorance and prejudice in much the same way ''All in the Family'' did years ago.' Regarding his portrayal as the anti-Semitic Borat, Baron Cohen says the segments are a "dramatic demonstration of how racism feeds on dumb conformity, as much as rabid bigotry", rather than a display of racism by Baron Cohen himself. "Borat essentially works as a tool. By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudice", Baron Cohen explains. Addressing the same topic in an NPR interview with Robert Siegel, Baron Cohen says "...and I think that's quite an interesting thing with Borat, which is people really let down their guard with him because they're in a room with somebody who seems to have these outrageous opinions. They sometimes feel much more relaxed about letting their own outrageous, politically incorrect, prejudiced opinions come out."

Baron Cohen, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, says he also wishes in particular to expose the role of indifference in that genocide. "When I was in university, there was this major historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw, who said, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.' I know it's not very funny being a comedian talking about the Holocaust, but it's an interesting idea that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite. They just had to be apathetic." Regarding the enthusiastic response to his song, "Throw The Jew Down The Well", he says, "Did it reveal that they were anti-Semitic? Perhaps. But maybe it just revealed that they were indifferent to anti-Semitism."

Baron Cohen walked onto the runway during the Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada fashion show in Milan on 26 September 2008. In the character of his latest alter-ego Brüno, he was wearing a costume made out of velcro. He appeared on the stage with a blanket and items of clothing stuck to his velcro suit. Lights were turned off while security intervened and escorted him off the stage, and the fashion show resumed normally shortly thereafter. Baron Cohen and his team allegedly accessed the fashion show using fake IDs.

During an appearance on ''Late Show with David Letterman'', Baron Cohen stated he was restricted from answering David Letterman's question as to how he managed to get an interview with Pat Buchanan while in character as Ali G due to pending "legal reasons".

While introducing an award at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, Baron Cohen was lowered upside-down from the rafters dressed as an angel right into rapper Eminem's lap after an apparently staged problem with his wire harness. Baron Cohen had only a jockstrap on underneath and fully exposed his buttocks in Eminem's face. Eminem swore repeatedly, demanding that his friends, members of D12, each of whom were sitting next to Eminem, remove Baron Cohen, then left the auditorium. Baron Cohen then announced the winner (Zac Efron) while still hanging from the wires above the stage. It was later revealed that Eminem and Baron Cohen had planned the gag together.

Pauly Shore claimed, in 2009, that Baron Cohen's film, ''Brüno'', was "stolen from Shore's 'mockumentary'", as the film ''Brüno'' had started production after the start of production for ''Adopted'' and also featured the main character adopting a child from a Third World nation.

Future projects

It has been confirmed that Baron Cohen will star as Freddie Mercury of the rock band Queen in an upcoming film about the period in the band's history from 1971 leading up to the Live Aid concert in 1985. It was Baron Cohen himself who contacted screenwriter Peter Morgan with the idea of portraying the flamboyant lead singer. ''TIME'' commented with approval on his singing ability and visual similarity to Mercury. Baron Cohen will appear in Martin Scorsese's upcoming adventure film ''Hugo''. Cohen's next film, ''The Dictator'', will be a loose adaptation of the novel ''Zabibah and the King'', written by Saddam Hussein. It will tell "the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed". Cohen will play the part of a Saddam Hussein type ruler who gets secretly replaced by a lookalike and then flees to New York. ''Borat'' and ''Bruno'' film director Larry Charles will direct the film.

Television, radio and magazine appearances

Baron Cohen guest-starred in the finale of the fifth season ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', with Dustin Hoffman as a guide to Heaven. He also provided the voice of the ring-tailed lemur king, King Julien, in DreamWorks' family movie ''Madagascar'' (2005) as well as its 2008 sequel, and appeared as Will Ferrell's arch rival the French Formula One speed demon Jean Girard in the 2006 hit ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''. He also appeared alongside Johnny Depp in the 2007 film ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' as Signor Adolfo Pirelli.

Baron Cohen tends to avoid doing interviews out of character. However, in 2004, he did the talk show circuit appearing as himself on ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''The Opie and Anthony Show'', ''The Howard Stern Show'', and others in order to promote the upcoming season of his show on HBO. He was also interviewed on NPR's ''All Things Considered''. He also did an interview with ''Rolling Stone'', published in November 2006, that the magazine labelled as "his only interview as himself". He also appeared in an interview out of character with Terry Gross on NPR's ''Fresh Air'' on 4 January 2007.

Baron Cohen has twice presented the MTV Europe Music Awards, first as Ali G on 8 November 2001, in Frankfurt, Germany, and then as Borat on 3 November 2005 in Lisbon, Portugal. Baron Cohen appeared out of character to accept an award at the British Comedy Awards in December 2006. He said at the time that Borat could not make it to the awards as "he's guest of honour at the Holocaust denial conference in Tehran", referring to the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust.

''Borat'' director Larry Charles explains that Baron Cohen generally appears in character partly to "protect his weakness", by focusing public interest on his characters rather than himself. His other reason, ''Newsweek'' claims, is that Baron Cohen is fiercely private: "...according to the UK press, his publicists denied not only that he attended a party for the London premiere of ''Borat'', but also that a party even occurred."

It was reported online that Baron Cohen might play Freddie Mercury in a biographical film, but his publicist later declared that Baron Cohen would not do so. However, on 16 September 2010, representatives for Cohen confirmed that he would indeed be playing the role in an as-of-yet untitled biopic about Mercury.

Baron Cohen shot a spread with supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio for ''Marie Claire'' magazine to promote the film ''Brüno''.

''Sports Illustrated'''s 6 November 2006 issue contains a column called "Skater vs. Instigator", which illustrates various amusing "parallels" between Baron Cohen and figure skater Sasha Cohen, ranging from their mutually held personal significance of the number 4, to their mutual romantic interests in redheads.

Baron Cohen was featured on Australian talk show ''Rove'' as Brüno on 28 June 2009.

Baron Cohen was featured in the Time 100 list for 2007.

In 2010, Cohen guest-starred on ''The Simpsons'' in the episode "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" as Jakob, an angry Israeli tour guide.

Personal life

Marriage and family

Baron Cohen married Australian actress Isla Fisher on 15 March 2010. After three years of study, Fisher converted to Judaism in early 2007, saying "I will definitely have a Jewish wedding just to be with Sacha. I would do anything – move into any religion – to be united in marriage with him. We have a future together, and religion comes second to love as far as we are concerned." She has received the approval of Baron Cohen's observant Jewish parents. Baron Cohen and Fisher have two daughters: Olive, born on 19 October 2007 in Los Angeles, and Elula, born in the summer of 2010.

Legal issues

Two residents of Glod, the Romanian village in which the opening scenes of ''Borat'' were filmed, hired attorney Edward Fagan to sue the makers of ''Borat'' for $30 million. They alleged that the intent of the film was misrepresented to them, that the poorest members of their village were made to look like "savages", and that they were underpaid, particularly when their minute salaries were compared to the millions earned by the completed movie. During several segments, children were filmed with guns and other weapons and in another scene, an amputee who lost his arm was told to wear a rubber fist sex toy. The lawsuit was dismissed in New York hearing on the grounds that the allegations were too vague to stand up in court.

The government of Kazakhstan threatened Baron Cohen with legal action following the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony in Lisbon, and the authority in charge of the country's country-code top-level domain name removed the website that he had created for his character Borat (previously: http://www.borat.kz) for alleged violation of the law—specifically, registering for the domain under a false name. ''The New York Times'', (among others), has reported that Baron Cohen, (in character as Borat), replied: "I'd like to state that I have no connection with Mr Cohen and fully support my government decision to sue this Jew". He was, however, defended by Dariga Nazarbayeva, a politician and the daughter of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who stated, "We should not be afraid of humour and we shouldn't try to control everything, I think." The deputy foreign minister of Kazakhstan later invited Baron Cohen to visit the country, stating that he could learn that "women drive cars, wine is made of grapes, and Jews are free to go to synagogues". After the worldwide success of the ''Borat'' film, the Kazakh government, including the president, altered their stance on Baron Cohen's parody, tacitly recognising the invaluable press the controversy created for their country.

Baron Cohen encountered another problem around his Borat character. Two of the three University of South Carolina students who appear in ''Borat'' sued the filmmakers, alleging that they were duped into signing release forms while drunk, and that false promises were made that the footage was for a documentary that would never be screened in the US. On 11 December 2006, a Los Angeles judge denied the pair a restraining order to remove them from the film. The lawsuit was dismissed in February 2007.

On 22 May 2009, a charity worker at a seniors bingo game sued Baron Cohen, claiming an incident shot for ''Brüno'' at a charity bingo tournament left her disabled. However, the worker later retracted her statement, saying the "actor never struck her", but that he "beat her down emotionally to the point she's now confined to a wheelchair". The scene did not make the final cut for the film.

A lawsuit was filed on 30 April 2010 in the District of Columbia by Palestinian Christian Ayman Abu Aita of Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, West Bank, against Baron Cohen relating to his interview which was used in ''Brüno''. Aita alleges that he has been defamed by false accusations that he is a terrorist. Aita included David Letterman in the suit based on comments made during the 7 July 2009 appearance by Baron Cohen on the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. On 4 November 2010, the DC Case was dismissed with Aita given 120 days to file in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, or have the case permanently dismissed (see DC Case Docket Sheet).

Israel and Judaism

Baron Cohen first acted in theatrical productions featuring the Socialist-Zionist youth movement Habonim Dror.

He spent a year in Israel at Kibbutz Rosh HaNikra and Kibbutz Beit HaEmek as part of the Shnat Habonim Dror, as well as taking part in the programme Machon L'Madrichei Chutz La'Aretz for Jewish youth movement leaders.

According to Baron Cohen, "I wouldn't say that I am a religious Jew, but I'm still proud to be Jewish". However, he keeps kosher and attends synagogue about twice a year.

Baron Cohen frequently speaks in Hebrew while playing the anti-Semitic character Borat. He also sang the lyrics from an old kibbutz song (pretending that it was the Kazakh national anthem) in an episode of ''Da Ali G Show''. In one of the deleted scenes of his movie, after being asked by the host-pastor to lead the table in a pre-meal prayer service, Baron Cohen, in his character role of Borat, sings a lengthy hymn (not Hebrew) that has clear similarities to the Mussaf prayer service of the Jewish High Holidays. He actually repeatedly sings two Polish phrases (slightly mispronounced) "Excuse me ma'am do you speak English?" and "Could you speak slowly please?"

Awards and nominations

1999 – Won British Comedy Award, Best Male Comedy Newcomer for ''The 11 O'Clock Show'' (1998)

2000 – Nominated BAFTA TV Award, Best Entertainment Performance for ''The 11 O'Clock Show'' (1998)

2000 – Nominated National Television Awards, UK, Most Popular Comedy Performer for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2000)

2000 – Won TV Quick Award, TV Personality of the Year for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2000)

2001 – Won BAFTA TV Award, Best Comedy (Programme or Series) for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2000) (shared)

2001 – Won BAFTA TV Award, Best Comedy Performance for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2000)

2003 – Nominated Emmy Award, Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Alternative) for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2003) (shared)

2003 – Nominated Emmy Award, Outstanding Writing for Non-Fiction Programming for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2003) (shared)

2004 – Nominated Golden Satellite Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2003)

2005 – Nominated Emmy Award, Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2003) (shared)

2005 – Nominated Emmy Award, Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program for ''Da Ali G Show'' (2003) (shared)

2006 – Won Ronnie Barker Award

2007 – Won MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss alongside Will Ferrell in ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''

''Borat'' awards and nominations

2006 – Won: Los Angeles Films Critics Association Award for Best Actor.

2006 – Won: San Francisco Films Critics Circle Award for Best Actor.

2006 – Winner: Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor.

2006 – Won: Deutscher Comedypreis (German comedy award) for Best International Comedy.

2007 – Won: Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical

2007 – Nominated: Golden Globe for Best Picture Comedy/Musical.

2007 – Nominated: London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year.

2007 – Nominated: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (shared).

2007 – Nominated: Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (shared).

2007 – Won: MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance and Nominated for Best Movie as well and Best Fight with Ken Davitian.

2007 – Won: The Evening Standard British Film Awards: Peter Sellers award for Best Comedy.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
	''Jack and Jeremy's Police 4''	Execution victim	TV Special
''Pump TV''	TV Presenter, UK regional cable channel	TV Special
1996	''Punch''	Unnamed	Short Film
1998	''Live from the Lighthouse''	Ali G	TV Special
1998–1999	''The 11 O'Clock Show''	Ali G	TV SeriesAlso Writer
	''The Jolly Boys' Last Stand''	Vinnie
		TV Series: 6 EpisodesAlso Writer
2002	''Ali G Indahouse''	Ali G/Borat Sagdiyev	Also Executive Producer/Writer
2003	''Spyz''	James Bond (Ali G)	Short FilmAlso Executive Producer/Writer
2003–2004			TV Series: 12 EpisodesAlso Executive Producer/Writer
	''Curb Your Enthusiasm''	Larry's Guide #2	Season 5 Episode 10 "The End"
		Voice Only
	''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''	Jean Girard
''Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Event forAutism Education''	Borat Sagdiyev	TV Special
''Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan''	Borat Sagdiyev	Also Producer/Writer
2007
2008	''Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa''		Voice Only
2009	''Brüno''		Also Producer/Writer
2010	''The Simpsons''	Jakob	Season 21 Episode 16 "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed"Voice Only
2011		The Station Inspector	Post-Production
2012			FilmingAlso Producer/Writer
2012		Freddie Mercury	Pre-Production
2012	''Madagascar 3''		Voice OnlyIn Production

References

External links

in 2007  – biography and credits

Sacha Baron Cohen audio interview with NPR's Robert Siegel

''And Now for the World According to Borat and Sacha Baron Cohen'', ''Authors Den'', 24 March 2007

''Sacha Baron Cohen: Killing off Borat'', article at ''The Daily Telegraph'', 21 December 2007

Category:1971 births Category:Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:English comedians Category:English film actors Category:English film producers Category:English Jews Category:English people of Welsh descent Category:English screenwriters Category:English television writers Category:English television producers Category:English voice actors Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish comedians Category:Living people Category:Old Columbans (St Albans) Category:Old Haberdashers Category:People from Hammersmith Category:Pranksters

als:Sacha Baron Cohen ar:ساشا بارون كوهين bs:Sacha Baron Cohen ca:Sacha Baron Cohen cs:Sacha Baron Cohen cy:Sacha Baron Cohen da:Sacha Baron Cohen de:Sacha Baron Cohen et:Sacha Baron Cohen es:Sacha Baron Cohen eo:Sacha Baron Cohen eu:Sacha Baron Cohen fa:ساشا بارون کوهن fr:Sacha Baron Cohen gl:Sacha Baron Cohen hr:Sacha Baron Cohen id:Sacha Baron Cohen it:Sacha Baron Cohen he:סשה ברון כהן jv:Sacha Baron Cohen lv:Saša Barons Koens mk:Саша Барон Коен nl:Sacha Baron Cohen ja:サシャ・バロン・コーエン no:Sacha Baron Cohen pl:Sacha Baron Cohen pt:Sacha Baron Cohen ru:Барон Коэн, Саша sq:Sacha Baron Cohen simple:Sacha Baron Cohen sk:Sacha Baron Cohen sr:Саша Барон Коен fi:Sacha Baron Cohen sv:Sacha Baron Cohen th:ซาชา บารอน โคเฮน tr:Sacha Baron Cohen uk:Саша Барон Коен yi:סאשא בארון כהן zh:沙查·巴隆·科恩

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Ryan Seacrest
birth name	Ryan John Seacrest
birth date	December 24, 1974
birth place	Dunwoody, Georgia, U.S.
occupation	Reality and game show host, television and radio personality
years active	1990–present
website	RyanSeacrest.com }}

Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of ''On Air with Ryan Seacrest'', a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks, and the internationally syndicated chart show ''American Top 40'', also syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. On television, Seacrest hosts E! News and American Idol.

Early life

Seacrest was born on December 24, 1974, in an Atlanta suburb, Dunwoody, Georgia, the son of Constance Marie (née Zullinger), a homemaker, and Gary Lee Seacrest. Connie Seacrest told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Instead of playing with G.I. Joes or Cowboys and Indians, [Ryan] would always have a little microphone and do shows in the house." "But people would call my answering machine just to listen to his voice. They thought I had a professional doing it. That's when I thought, This might be bigger than I think it is."

''People'' magazine revealed that "Ryan Seacrest's first time in the spotlight was in the fourth grade. He performed the singing role of ''King Winter'' in a school musical – and he forgot his lines." At age fourteen, he attended and soon became the "Voice of Dunwoody High School", as his school's regular morning public address system announcer. "I wore braces and glasses and was fat and got teased about it," Seacrest said, "but I was always very ambitious." At aged 16, while still attending high school, Seacrest won a hard-to-get internship at WSTR FM, in Atlanta, with Tom Sullivan, who trained him in the many aspects of radio. When the regular DJ called in sick, Sullivan put him on the air for the very first show of his broadcasting career. In a surprise phone call the next day, the station owner told Seacrest that, although he was not a professional, his stint of the night before had not been "too bad" Soon he was given the weekend overnight shift at WSTR. Seacrest continued to work on air at WSTR FM until graduating from Dunwoody High School in 1992.

Seacrest went on to study journalism at the University of Georgia in the fall of 1992. There, he would continue his radio show at a local Athens station. Seacrest left UGA at age 19 and moved to Hollywood to continue his broadcasting career. While there, he attended Santa Monica City College for a short time. By the time he was 20, he had landed a job in Los Angeles at KYSR-FM 98.7's afternoon show, called ''Ryan Seacrest for the Ride Home''. His starting pay was $15 an hour. It became the station's No. 1 show and was nationally syndicated.

Career

In 1993, Seacrest hosted the first season of ESPN's ''Radical Outdoor Challenge'' and in 1994, a kids show called Gladiators 2000 was created as a spinoff television show of American Gladiators. Seacrest appeared as the host of the fictional game show ''Lover's Lane'' on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' in "The Final Proof".

In the fall of 2000, Seacrest was the host of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies. On Saturdays in the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2001 NBC would dedicate the 8–11 PM EST block to showing a major theatrical film. Seacrest would appear as the host during the commercial breaks. He offered trivia on the film and a chance to win prizes by calling in a specific number. In 2001, he hosted a reality television program, Ultimate Revenge, where elaborate "get even" practical jokes were played on family and friends instigated by their own relatives and friends, The two seasons featured current radio talk show host Karel. It was shown on The New TNN from 2001 to 2003. Additionally in 2000, Seacrest hosted the International Hawaiian Tropic competition held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. He was hired for the hosting duties by Hawaiian Tropic founder, Ron Rice, as a result of his voice and radio work in Los Angeles. In 2010, Seacrest appeared in an advertisement for Scope mouthwash.

Radio

In January 2004, Seacrest became the new host of the radio program ''American Top 40'', a syndicated weekly countdown show, created and formerly hosted by Casey Kasem. The show was syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. In February 2004, Seacrest became host of Los Angeles radio station KIIS's morning show, replacing long-time host Rick Dees. This show, also known as ''On Air With Ryan Seacrest'', remains on the air. Seacrest is the host, executive producer of this syndicated daily show airing on over 150 stations in North America, with affiliates worldwide. Kasem had been one of Seacrest's radio idols when he was growing up, along with Dick Clark. Seacrest asked Clark for some career advice, and Clark told him, "I believe a stake in ownership is important to have," and Seacrest negotiated a piece of the ownership for the televised ''On Air''. Seacrest stated, "So maybe in 20 years it will still be called 'On Air', with someone else hosting the show, but I can still produce it. Because, let's be honest, you don't know how long people are going to let you into their homes." Recently, Kathy Griffin joined the long list of celebrity guests on Seacrest's radio program.

Leading host and producer

In 2002, Seacrest accepted the position as co-host of the hit reality TV series ''American Idol'' with comedian Brian Dunkleman. ''American Idol'' went on to phenomenal success, putting Seacrest in the national spotlight. The following year, when he became the sole host when Dunkleman left the show, Seacrest's on-screen enthusiasm made him an overnight sensation, and the show was seen by some twenty-six million viewers weekly. In 2003, Seacrest hosted the spin-off show, ''American Juniors''. In January 2004, Seacrest launched a daily entertainment/variety/talk syndicated television program, ''On Air with Ryan Seacrest''. Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled nine months later.

In January 2005, Seacrest hosted the "Celebration of Freedom" concert in Washington, DC for President George W. Bush, the Bush family and the United States Military. In August 2005, it was announced that Seacrest would become executive producer and co-host of ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'', and that he would be the producer-host's eventual successor. On December 31, 2005, Seacrest performed much of the show's hosting duties. Dick Clark's role was limited by speech and mobility issues due to his recovery from a stroke. Seacrest also occasionally served as a substitute host on the CNN television program ''Larry King Live'', and co-emceed Larry King's final show with Bill Maher on December 16, 2010.

In January 2006, U.S. cable channel E! announced a three-year, $21 million deal for Seacrest to host and produce various programs, including ''E! News'' and its red carpet awards show coverages (E!'s signature piece of original programming). An Associated Press profile portrayed Seacrest as using both the deal with E! and the ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' involvement as a springboard towards a long-lasting career in television production and ownership. In April 2006, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for co-hosting the 2005 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade with Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. Seacrest had a cameo in the summer 2007 blockbuster film ''Knocked Up'', where he steps out of his usual friendly host role on E! and rants about the stupidity of the interviews he has to conduct, noting that no one has anything to say about an exit strategy in Iraq or dealing with (presumably North) Korea. Seacrest hosted the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 16, 2007. This is also the same year the reality show he produced ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' premiered with mostly negative critical reaction, but favored among viewers. In 2008, it was announced he had proposed two new shows: ''Bromance'', a reality show on MTV featuring Brody Jenner, and an untitled scripted series he is producing with Paris Hilton.

Seacrest was executive producer for a new reality dating show, ''Momma's Boys'', for NBC. According to a casting announcement, the series follows mothers as they work with their sons to find their perfect match. Seacrest was the executive producer of E! reality show ''Denise Richards: It's Complicated'' which premiered on May 26, 2008. The show received numerous negative reviews. Boston Herald rated the show a D. Its critic Mark A. Perigard said of the first episode:"''Denise Richards’ life is one steaming pile of pig poop...Literally''".

In 2007, Seacrest signed a partnership deal with Crest and Scope. The partnership encompasses print and broadcast advertising, and other appearances. Seacrest stated: "Signing on be the spokesperson for Crest and Scope was a perfect way for my work persona to fulfill a philanthropic need. Fresh breath and a white smile are important factors in my confidence whenever I have to step onstage. There are children in many countries who are born with mouth deformities and have no access to simple dental hygiene..." Crest, Scope, and Seacrest are working together to raise awareness for one of Seacrest's favorite charities. Sharing the belief that children everywhere should benefit from having a healthy smile, Crest and Scope agreed to match Seacrest's personal donations to Operation Smile. His Scope commercials have proven to be quite popular and are currently referenced in many entertainment blogs.

In August 2008, ABC picked up the option in Seacrest's contract to extend him as co-host of New Year's Eve through 2010, ringing in 2011, also renaming the program "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest", to reflect Seacrest's role as co-host. Also in August, Seacrest named his longtime William Morris Agent, Adam Sher, as C.E.O. of Ryan Seacrest Productions and inked an expansive deal with the Comcast Entertainment Group, keeping him on E! Entertainment Television through early 2012. Comcast also gets first-look rights at all Ryan Seacrest Productions products. In July 2009, Seacrest inked a deal with CKX for $45 million, making him the highest paid reality television host to date.

In July 2010, it was announced that Seacrest was teaming up with E! to develop and produce their first dance show. It will feature Lady Gaga's choreographer, Laurie Ann Gibson. When Larry King decided to retire his microphone from his long-running ''Larry King Live'' in 2010, he suggested that Seacrest would be the ideal replacement. However, that job eventually went to Piers Morgan, a judge on ''America's Got Talent''.

Personal life

Since the spring of 2010, Seacrest has been romancing Julianne Hough, a professional dancer, actress and singer best known for ''Dancing with the Stars''.

In October 2009, Chidi Benjamin Uzomah Jr. was arrested while carrying a pocketknife at Seacrest's E! Entertainment Television offices. Uzomah was also in violation of a restraining order for an attack on a Seacrest security guard in August 2009. In November 2009, Uzomah was sentenced to two years in prison. In a declaration, Seacrest stated: "His aggressive and violent efforts to come into physical contact with me are extremely frightening to me. They have jeopardized not only my personal safety, but also the safety and well-being of those around me."

Credits

; ''Radio''

''On Air with Ryan Seacrest'': Host, executive producer of this syndicated daily show airing on over 150 stations in North America alone, with affiliates worldwide

''American Top 40'': Host of this syndicated weekly countdown show

2003 Radio Music Awards: Co-host

102.7 KIIS-FM Los Angeles: Since 2004, Morning Drive Personality with co-host Ellen K.

Former: KYSR and WSTR On-Air Personality.

98.7 FM 1pm to 4pm

; ''Film''

''Knocked Up'' as a parody of Himself

''Get Smart'' as Himself (Host of ''American Top 40'')

''Shrek 4'' as voice of Butterpants's Father

; ''Television''

''Bank of Hollywood'' :Producer (2009–present)

''Channel 1 News: News Anchor/Reporter. Co-anchor Maria Menounos

''CNET Central'': Co-Host

''Super Bowl XLII'' (2008) Host for pregame and halftime shows

''Gladiators 2000'': Co-Host

''Wild Animal Games'': Host

''The New Edge'': Host

''Ultimate Revenge'': Host

''Fear Factor'': Contestant

''Reality Check'': Jack Craft

''The NBC Saturday Night Movie'': Host

''American Idol'': Co-Host (season 1); Host (season 2–present)

''American Juniors'': Host

''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'': Co-host, executive producer

''Hey Arnold!'': Fighting Families Host

''E! News'': co-host

''Larry King Live'': Guest host, substitute host

''Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade'': (2005–Present) Host

''America's Party: Live from Las Vegas'': Host

''Good Day Live'': Guest host

''Disneyland 2000: 45 Years of Magic'': Host

''Robot Chicken'': (2005) Himself

''Click'': Host

''59th Primetime Emmy Awards'': Host

''Mind of Mencia'': (2005) Himself

''Blind Date'': Himself

''Punk'd'': Himself

''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'': Executive Producer

''Denise Richards: It's Complicated'': Executive Producer

"2009 Academy Awards" Host on E!

''Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution'': Executive Producer

References

External links

Larry King Live interview

Time Out New York interview

DigitalReview.net Biography and reviews of Ryan Seacrest

Listen to Ryan Seacrest on American Top 40 online – A partial list of radio stations carrying American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, with scheduled broadcast times and streaming links.

The New York Times – The Invisible Man

Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Dunwoody, Georgia Category:American game show hosts Category:American infotainers Category:American talk radio hosts Category:American television producers Category:American voice actors Category:Radio personalities from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Idol series hosts Category:Participants in American reality television series

da:Ryan Seacrest de:Ryan Seacrest es:Ryan Seacrest fa:رایان سیکرست fr:Ryan Seacrest id:Ryan Seacrest it:Ryan Seacrest he:ראיין סיקרסט nl:Ryan Seacrest ja:ライアン・シークレスト no:Ryan Seacrest pl:Ryan Seacrest pt:Ryan Seacrest ru:Сикрест, Райан sr:Рајан Сикрест fi:Ryan Seacrest sv:Ryan Seacrest th:ไรอัน ซีเครสต์ vi:Ryan Seacrest zh:瑞安·西克雷斯特

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Symphony X
landscape	Yes
background	group_or_band
years active	1994–present
genre	Progressive metal, neo-classical metal, symphonic metal
origin	Middletown, New Jersey, United States
label	Nuclear Blast, Inside Out, Zero Corporation
current members	Russell AllenMichael RomeoMichael PinnellaMichael LepondJason Rullo
past members	Thomas WallingThomas MillerRod Tyler
website	www.symphonyx.com }}

Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.

Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums ''The Divine Wings of Tragedy'' and ''V: The New Mythology Suite'' have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community. They also have achieved more commercial success with the 2007 album ''Paradise Lost''; the band's 2011 album ''Iconoclast'' is the highest chart position and the most first-week sales in the band's history.

Biography

''The Dark Chapter'', ''Symphony X'' and ''The Damnation Game'' (1994−1995)

In early 1994 Michael Romeo (ex-Phantom's Opera, ex-Gemini) recorded a studio album entitled ''The Dark Chapter'', which featured himself and keyboard player Michael Pinnella. The tape attracted a fair share of attention, particularly in Japan. He then recruited bassist Thomas Miller, drummer Jason Rullo, and vocalist Rod Tyler. Their self-titled debut album was recorded in the same year, and released to a positive reception in Japan by the now-extinct record company Zero Corporation Label. The band's second studio album, ''The Damnation Game'', followed six months later. Singer Rod Tyler had left the band by then and was replaced by current singer Russell Allen.

''The Divine Wings of Tragedy'' and ''Twilight in Olympus'' (1996−1998)

''The Divine Wings of Tragedy'' was the album that first gave Symphony X exposure in metal circles. It took a considerable time to record the album, with the recording sessions beginning in 1996 and concluding in 1997. The positive feedback from the specialized press served to establish Symphony X in Europe; their success in Japan only continued to grow.

At the end of 1997 and for part of the next year, Jason Rullo, their drummer, had to stay away from the band in order to solve personal issues. He was temporarily replaced by Thomas Walling. Even with a temporary drummer, the band recorded ''Twilight in Olympus'', released in early 1998. That year also saw the first live performances from the band, which by then had already gathered many fans from around the globe. Their first official show happened in 1998, in Japan. It was soon followed by a world tour. Bassist Thomas Miller left the band and was replaced by Michael Lepond in that year.

A compilation album, ''Prelude to the Millennium'', was released by the end of 1998. As an extra, it featured a second version of the song "Masquerade" from the first album, with Russell Allen on vocals.

''V: The New Mythology Suite'' and ''The Odyssey'' (1999−2002)

Jason Rullo returned to the drums for the band's fifth album, ''V: The New Mythology Suite'', released in 2000. It was the band's first release on major progressive label InsideOut Music. The album was their first concept album, dealing with the myth of Atlantis. The album features classics such as "Communion and the Oracle," "Egypt" and the mini-suite "Rediscovery," and includes pieces of classical music.

The band went on a European tour shortly after its release and recorded their first live album, ''Live on the Edge of Forever''.

In 2002, the band released ''The Odyssey'', an album prominently featuring a 24-minute long musical interpretation of the Homeric epic, the Odyssey.

Solo albums (2003−2006)

Keyboardist Michael Pinnella released a solo album, entitled ''Enter By the Twelfth Gate'', on October 12, 2004. Vocalist Russell Allen's solo debut, entitled ''Atomic Soul'', was released in the summer of 2005. With this album, Allen took a different musical direction from that seen in his work with Symphony X. It was considered by many—including Allen himself—to be a hard rock album. Also in 2005, he recorded an album called ''The Battle'' with former Masterplan vocalist Jørn Lande under the moniker "Allen/Lande." The two would later record a follow-up album entitled ''The Revenge'', released May 11, 2007. In 2005 Symphony X was featured on Gigantour, a summer festival headlined by Megadeth with Dream Theater and Anthrax. Two Symphony X songs from the tour, "Inferno" and "Of Sins and Shadows," are featured on the Gigantour DVD and CD-set, released in September 2006.

''Paradise Lost'' (2007-2010)

The band's album ''Paradise Lost'', a concept album loosely inspired by John Milton's epic poem of the same name, was recorded in Romeo's studio and released worldwide on June 26, 2007. The band claimed this work had darker themes musically. The album included a special DVD of footage shot by the band throughout their history, available in FYE stores. The release coincided with a 14-month world tour, including a tour through all of Europe with Dream Theater in the fall of 2007. The band also revealed plans to perform in Japan and other Asian countries, as well as appear for the first time ever in Russia, India, and the Middle East.

''Paradise Lost'' debuted at number 123 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States, selling 6,300 copies in its first week. The record also debuted at number 1 on the Top Heatseekers Chart.

Symphony X released their first music video for the song "Serpent's Kiss" on July 28, 2007. It was followed by a video for "Set the World on Fire," released on January 11, 2008. The band toured North and South America from October to November 2008, and toured Asia in February 2009.

''Iconoclast'' (2011-present)

On March 1, 2010, an update on the Symphony X official website announced that the band had recorded most of their next album and that Romeo and Allen were working on lyrics; Romeo was getting ready to start doing tracking for the album. The album's name and lyrical concept were revealed on January 29, 2011 in an interview by DJ JC Green of Metal Messiah Radio's "Heavy Metal Thunder" show with Russell Allen: the follow-up to ''Paradise Lost'' will be titled ''Iconoclast'' and will have its lyrics centered around "machines taking over everything and all this technology we put our society into pretty much being our demise." When asked about a release date Allen said, "We are in post-production, so the album is pretty much almost done. At this point, mixes are being wrapped up and finalized and it's off to mastering and should be ready for release in a few months, definitely first quarter of 2011. We've got the artworks all done, we're taking pictures next week... all that good stuff. So everything's on track for release pretty soon. Allen also commented that "Sonically, it's in the realm of [''Paradise Lost''] in a way, in terms of the sound of things; the guitar sound is a little different. Basically, the album is pretty intense, probably the most intense record we've ever done... "This album will contain a good body of work that harkens back to a lot of early metal, some early metal, and a lot of Symphony X standards that you guys know already, and a little bit of a newer sound too, here and there, just a newer direction."

On February 25, 2011, Symphony X played the first show of their 2011 tour in Stuttgart, Germany, where they performed two songs from ''Iconoclast'': "End of Innocence" and "Dehumanized." Some days later, in Antwerp, Belgium, they performed yet another new song, "Heretic." During their show in London, England, the band debuted another new song titled "Prometheus."

On March 25, 2011 It was announced on the Nuclear Blast website and Blabbermouth.net that new Symphony X album, "Iconoclast", would be released in Europe on June 17 and in North America on June 21. as a Standard Edition as well as a 2-CD Digipack.

''Iconoclast'' debuted at number 76 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States, selling more than 7,300 copies in its first week. The record also debuted at number 7 on the Top Hard Rock Chart, number 19 on the Top Rock Chart and number 13 on the Top Independent Chart. The album showcases the highest chart position and the most first-week sales in the band's history.

Sound

Symphony X is often compared to other progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning and Shadow Gallery. Their music includes complex timings and odd meters while incorporating elements of symphonic metal and more traditional heavy metal. It also contains strong neo-classical elements reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, Cacophony, Randy Rhoads, and other neo-classical metal artists.

Recording Studio: The Dungeon

The Dungeon is the studio located at the home of Symphony X's guitarist and composer Michael Romeo. The albums ''The Divine Wings of Tragedy'' and ''V: The New Mythology Suite'' were partly recorded in The Dungeon, while ''The Odyssey'', ''Paradise Lost'' and ''Iconoclast'' were fully recorded there and produced by Romeo himself. Symphony X spent a sum of money upgrading The Dungeon and buying state of the art orchestration software and tools for the rich symphonic arrangements in their songs.

Line-up

Current members

Russell Allen − lead vocals (1995–present)

Michael Romeo − guitar, backing vocals (1994–present)

Michael Pinnella − keyboards, backing vocals (1994–present)

Michael Lepond − bass guitar, backing vocals (2000–present)

Jason Rullo – drums (1994–1998, 2000–present)

Former members

Rod Tyler − vocals (1994)

Thomas Miller − bass guitar (1994−2000)

Thomas Walling − drums (1998−2000)

Discography

Year	Title	Type	!width="40"	FR	!width="40"
	align="center"
	align="center"
	align="center"
	align="center"
	align="center"
	align="center"

Music videos

"The Serpent's Kiss" - 2007

"Set The World On Fire" - 2008

References

External links

Symphony X's official website

Symphony X's official MySpace page

Official French website

Category:Former Metal Blade Records artists Category:Heavy metal musical groups from New Jersey Category:American progressive metal musical groups Category:Musical quintets Category:Middletown Township, New Jersey

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Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Jools Holland
background	solo_singer
birth name	Julian Miles Holland
birth date	January 24, 1958
birth place	Blackheath, London, England
instrument	Piano, keyboard, guitar
genre	Boogie-woogie, jazz, blues, R&B;
occupation	Musician, composer, television presenter, bandleader
years active	1974–present
associated acts	Squeeze Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
website	Official site }}

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze (1974-1980 & 1985-1990) and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour, Magazine and Bono.

Holland is a published author and appears on television shows besides his own and contributes to radio shows. In 2004, he collaborated with Tom Jones on an album of traditional R&B; music. He currently hosts ''Later... with Jools Holland'', a music-based show aired on BBC2, on which his annual show the Hootenanny, is based.

Life and career

His great grandfather came from Ireland.

Holland played as a session musician before finding fame, and his first studio session was with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs in 1976 on their track "F*ck Off."

Holland was a founding member of the British pop band Squeeze, formed in March 1974, in which he played keyboards until 1981 and helped the band to achieve millions of record sales, before pursuing his solo career.

Holland began issuing solo records in 1978, his first EP being ''Boogie Woogie '78''. He continued his solo career through the early 1980s, releasing an album and several singles between 1981 and 1984. He branched out into TV, co-presenting the Newcastle-based TV music show ''The Tube'' with Paula Yates. Holland achieved notoriety by inadvertently using the phrase "groovy fuckers" in a live, early evening TV trailer for the show, causing it to be suspended for six weeks. He referred to this in his sitcom "The Groovy Fellers" with Rowland Rivron.

thumb|right|Holland at the Tsunami Relief concert in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, 22 January 2005In 1983 Holland played an extended piano solo on The The's re-recording of "Uncertain Smile" for the album ''Soul Mining''. In 1985, Squeeze (which had continued in Holland's absence through to 1982) unexpectedly regrouped including Jools Holland as their keyboard player. Holland remained in the band until 1990, at which point, he again departed Squeeze on amicable terms to resume his solo career as a musician and a TV host.

In 1987, Holland formed The ''Jools Holland Big Band'' which consisted of himself and Gilson Lavis from Squeeze. This gradually became his 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Between 1988 and 1990 he performed and co-hosted along with David Sanborn during the two seasons of the music performance program Sunday Night on NBC late-night television. Since 1992 he has presented the eclectic music program ''Later... with Jools Holland'', plus an annual New Year's Eve "Hootenanny".

In 1996 Holland signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records and his records are now marketed through Rhino Records.

Holland has a touring band, The Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, which often includes singers Sam Brown and Ruby Turner. In January 2005 Holland and his band performed with Eric Clapton as the headline act of the Tsunami Relief Cardiff. He also headlined the Skegness SO Festival in July 2010.

Personal

Holland lives in the Westcombe Park area of Blackheath in southeast London, where he had his studio, Helicon Mountain, built to his design, heavily inspired by Portmeirion, the setting for the 1960s TV series ''The Prisoner''. Holland owns costumes and props from the series and occasionally appears wearing the trademark brown-with-white-pipe blazer featured in the series. In 1987, Holland demonstrated his love of the series and starred in a spoof documentary, ''The Laughing Prisoner'', with Stephen Fry, Terence Alexander and Hugh Laurie. Much of it was shot on location in Portmeirion, with archive footage of Patrick McGoohan, and featuring musical numbers from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magnum and XTC. Holland performed a number towards the end of the program. Holland is also a Millwall FC fan. His younger brother Christopher also plays organ in the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra as well as being a successful singer/songwriter in his own right.

Holland was an interviewer for The Beatles Anthology TV project, and appeared in the 1997 film ''Spiceworld'' as a musical director.

He received an OBE in 2003 in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, for services to the British music industry as a television presenter and musician. In September 2006 Holland was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent. He is also known for his charity work: in June 2006 he performed in Southend for HIV/AIDS charity Mildmay, and in early 2007 he performed at Wells and Rochester Cathedrals to raise money for maintaining cathedral buildings. He is also patron of the Drake Music Project and has raised many thousands of pounds for the charity.

Jools Holland was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University at a ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral on 30 January 2009.

On 29 August 2005 Holland married Christabel McEwen, his girlfriend of 15 years (between 1983 and 1995 she had been married to Edward Lambton, 7th Earl of Durham, but they divorced). The wedding, at St James's Church, Cooling near Rochester, was attended by many celebrities, including Ringo Starr, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, Noel Gallagher, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Holland is also a patron for The Milton Rooms, a new Arts centre in Malton, North Yorkshire, along with Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Kathy Burke.

Writing

His 2007 biography, ''Barefaced Lies and Boogie Woogie Boasts'' was BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" in the week beginning 8 October 2007 and was read by Holland. He is the author or joint author of four other books.

Discography

Albums that have charted and gained Certifications

Year	Album	Peak chart positions		!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1996	Jazz & Rock & Roll''
1998	''Best Of''				UK">Music recording sales certifications
!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"	!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1996	Jazz & Rock & Roll''
1998	''Best Of''				UK: Silver
2000	''Hop The Wag''				* UK: Silver
2001	''Small World Big Band''				* UK: 2× Platinum
2002	''SWBB Volume Two: More Friends''				* UK: Platinum
2003	''Jack O The Green (SWBB Friends 3)''				* UK: Silver
2005	''Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska''
2007	''Best of Friends''				* UK: Silver
2011	''Finding The Keys - The Best of''

Releases

1978 "Boogie Woogie '78" (EP)

1981 ''Jools Holland and His Millionaires''

1984 ''Jools Holland Meets Rock 'A' Boogie Billy'' (U.S. release only)

1990 ''World Of His Own''

1991 ''The Full Complement''

1992 "Together Again" (single with Sam Brown)

1992 ''The A-Z Geographer's Guide To The Piano''

1994 ''Solo Piano''

1994 ''Live Performance''

1996 " Jazz & Rock & Roll''

1997 ''Lift The Lid''

1998 ''Best Of''

1999 ''Sunset Over London''

2000 ''Hop The Wag''

2001 ''Small World Big Band''

2002 ''SWBB Volume Two: More Friends''

2003 ''Jack O The Green (SWBB Friends 3)''

2004 ''Tom Jones & Jools Holland''

2005 ''Beatroute''

2005 ''Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska''

2006 ''Moving Out To The Country''

2007 ''Best of Friends''

2008 ''The Collection''

2008 ''The Informer (With Ruby Turner)''

2008 ''"The Informer" (single with Ruby Turner)''

2009 ''"I Went By" (single with Louise Marshall)''

2010 ''Rockinghorse''

Film and television

1981 ''Urgh! A Music War''

1982 ''Police: Around the World''

1982 - 1987 ''The Tube'' (Host for 121 editions)

1983 ''Rebellious Jukebox'': Compere

1984 ''The Young Ones'': Punk (Episode entitled "Summer Holiday")

1985 ''Walking To New Orleans'' (Jools Holland in New Orleans)

1987 ''Eat the Rich'': Sun Reporter

1987 ''Filthy Rich & Catflap'': Strip Show Pianist (Episode #1.3)

1987 ''The Laughing Prisoner'': No. 7

1987 ''French and Saunders'' (Episode 1.5)

1988 ''Sunday Night'': Host (unknown episodes)

1989 ''Juke Box Jury'': Host (unknown episodes)

1989 ''The Groovy Fellers'' Himself, 6 episodes

1991 ''Mr Roadrunner'' (Jools Holland in Memphis)

1994 ''There's No Business'': Pianist

1994 - 1995 ''Don't Forget Your Toothbrush''

1995 ''The Beatles Anthology''

1997 ''Spice World'': Musical Director

1997 ''Name That Tune'': Host and Pianist

2003 ''Jool's History of the Piano'' : Presenter

2006 ''Top Gear: Star in a reasonably priced car.

2007 ''Fairport@Forty'': Interview

2009 ''Chop Shop Rover Concept: The Jet 1 Car'' : Customer

Current television programmes

1992–present ''Later... with Jools Holland''

1993–present ''Jools' Annual Hootenanny''

Books

''"Rolling Stones": A Life on the Road'', (with Dora Loewenstein), Viking/Allen Lane (1998), (ISBN 0-670-88051-5)

''Beat Route: Journeys Through Six Counties'', Weidenfeld & Nicholson (1998), (ISBN 0-575-06700-4)

''Ray Charles: Man and Music'', (with Michael Lydon), Payback Press (1999), (ISBN 0-86241-929-8)

''Hand That Changed Its Mind '', International Music Publications (2007), (ISBN 1-84328-645-9)

''Barefaced Lies and Boogie-woogie Boasts '', Michael Joseph Ltd (2007), (ISBN 0-7181-4915-7)

References

External links

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Boogie-woogie pianists Category:English rock pianists Category:English television presenters Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Bandleaders Category:Squeeze (band) members Category:I.R.S. Records artists Category:People from Blackheath, London Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Kent Category:British people of Irish descent Category:English people of Irish descent

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