John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd CBE (born 30 September 1951) is a British comedy writer and television producer. He is the great nephew of John Hardress Lloyd.^[1]

Early life and career[link]

Lloyd was born in Dover and educated at West Hill Park School in Titchfield, Hampshire and The King's School, Canterbury. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge where he was a member of the Footlights. There he befriended, and later shared a flat with, Douglas Adams. He worked as a radio producer at the BBC 1974–1978 and created The News Quiz, The News Huddlines, To The Manor Born (with Peter Spence) and Quote... Unquote (with Nigel Rees). He wrote Hordes of the Things (as J. H. W. Lloyd) with Andrew ("A. P. R.") Marshall, co-authored two episodes of Doctor Snuggles with Douglas Adams and then went on to co-write the fifth and sixth episodes of the first radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with him. (Douglas Adams wrote all the other previous and subsequent episodes solo, as well as the television adaptation – though Lloyd was involved in the TV series as Associate Producer.) Lloyd then worked as a TV producer at both the BBC and ITV 1979–1989 where he created Not the Nine O'Clock News (with Sean Hardie) and Spitting Image (with Peter Fluck and Roger Law). He also produced all four Blackadder series. Lloyd was originally to have been the host of BBC topical news quiz Have I Got News For You, with the programme initially intended to be called John Lloyd's Newsround. A pilot episode of the show was recorded under this name in mid-1990, with Lloyd hosting alongside team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton. Lloyd subsequently decided to pull out of hosting the programme full-time and as a consequence the pilot episode was never broadcast. Lloyd was replaced by Angus Deayton as host and the show was renamed Have I Got News for You in time for its debut on BBC2 later that year.

Recent work[link]

Lloyd has worked as a TV commercials director on and off since 1987. He is married with three children and lives in the UK. His first new TV series for 14 years, QI (short for Quite Interesting, and a deliberate reversal of IQ), starring Stephen Fry and Alan Davies, began on 11 September 2003 at 10pm on BBC2 for a run of 12 episodes. In its eighth series, which started on BBC One in September 2010, Lloyd appeared as a panelist in one of the episodes. All the episodes of QI (including the pilot) have been directed by Ian Lorimer. Lloyd currently presents the radio series, The Museum of Curiosity (2011), which he co-created with producers Richard Turner and Dan Schreiber and former co-host Bill Bailey.

Lloyd was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting.^[2]

Books[link]

He co-authored the books:

• Not! The Nine O'Clock News
• Not 1982 (Calendar)
• Not 1983 (Calendar)
• Not the Royal Wedding
• Not the General Election
• The Meaning of Liff (1983, with Douglas Adams)
• The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990, with Douglas Adams)
• The Appallingly Disrespectful Spitting Image Book
• Spitting Image
• Blackadder: The Whole Damn Dynasty 1485-1917 (2000, with Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson)
• The Book of General Ignorance (2006, with John Mitchinson and the QI Elves)
• The Book of Animal Ignorance (2007, with John Mitchinson and the QI Elves)
• Advanced Banter (2008, with John Mitchinson and the QI Elves)
• The QI Book of the Dead (2009, with John Mitchinson and the QI Elves)
• The QI Annual E [editor] (2007, with various authors)
• The QI Annual F [co-editor] (2008, with John Mitchinson [co-editor] and various authors)
• The QI Annual G [editor] (2009, with various authors)

References[link]

External links[link]

• John Lloyd at the Internet Movie Database
• Guide to Comedy entry from the BBC
• The People Behind QI
• The Idler Archives — Conversations: John Lloyd
• John Lloyd (with John Mitchinson) discussing The Book of General Ignorance

John Lloyd may refer to:

• John Lloyd (graphic designer) (born 1944), co-founder of design consultancy Lloyd Northover
• John Lloyd (tennis) (born 1954), British tennis player
• John Lloyd (rugby coach) (born 1943), former head coach to Wales national rugby union team
• John Lloyd (writer) (born 1951), British comedy writer and television producer
• John Lloyd (journalist) (born 1946), Scottish-born writer, journalist and publicist
• John Lloyd (governor), Governor of the Isle of Man
• John W. Lloyd (1831–?), Medal of Honor recipient
• John Lloyd (judge) (died 1607), one of the founding fellows of Jesus College, Oxford and judge of the High Court of Admiralty
• John Lloyd (bishop) (1638–1687), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1682–85
• John Lloyd (Cardiganshire) (c. 1717–1755), Welsh Member of Parliament for Ceredigion
• John Lloyd (political reformer) (1833–1915), Welsh-born member of the London County Council
• John Lloyd (scholar) (1750–1815), Welsh scholar, Fellow of the Royal Society and Member of Parliament for Flintshire
• Sir John Lloyd, 1st Baronet (died 1664), British Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire
• Sir John Edward Lloyd (1861–1947), Welsh historian
• John Emrys Lloyd (1905–1987), British Olympic fencer
• John Henry Lloyd (1884–1964), Negro Leagues baseball player "Pop" Lloyd
• Selwyn Lloyd (John Selwyn Brooke Lloyd, 1904–1978), foreign secretary of the United Kingdom
• John William Lloyd (died 1940), American individualist anarchist
• Saint John Lloyd (died 1679), one of the Catholic Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
• John Lloyd (Canadian politician) (1908–1985), member of Canadian House of Commons for Halifax electoral district
• John Uri Lloyd (1849–1936), American pharmacist
• John Hardress Lloyd (1874–1952), soldier and polo player
• John Lloyd (antiquary) (1733–1793), Welsh cleric and antiquarian
• John Lloyd (civil servant), formerly Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales
• John Lloyd (clergyman) (1754–c. 1807), Welsh clergyman and academic
• John Lloyd (referee) (born 1948), former football referee
• John M. Lloyd (died 1892), former Washington, D.C. policeman
• John Lloyd (Irish politician)
• John Horatio Lloyd, British Member of Parliament for Stockport

See also[link]

• John Lloyd Cruz (born 1983), Filipino actor

This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Richard Thomas Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English television presenter, producer and director. He is creative director for the television production company, Endemol UK (previously Hat Trick), but is best known on-screen as the co-presenter of the quiz show Pointless.^[1]

Early life[link]

Osman was born in Billericay, Essex. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge together with Pointless co-presenter Alexander Armstrong.^[2]

Television work[link]

Since 2009, Osman has worked on the BBC Two quiz show Pointless (later BBC One) as assistant to host Alexander Armstrong, where he is punningly known as Armstrong's "pointless friend". Osman said in a blog that he got the job as co-presenter/assistant when he pitched the idea for the show to a panel of BBC daytime heads, taking the role of the assistant in the demonstration. Bosses were impressed and decided to offer Osman the job. Obscurely, as he revealed on his Twitter account on 9 April 2012, he appeared in the last-ever scene of Drop the Dead Donkey "carrying a table".^[3][4]

Osman has also worked as executive producer on numerous other shows, including Deal or No Deal, Channel 4 comedy panel game 8 out of 10 Cats and satirical comedy 10 O'Clock Live. His other credits include Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Total Wipeout.^[5][6][7]

Writing[link]

Osman acts as script editor for BBC One's Total Wipeout and in 1999, created and wrote the Channel 4 sitcom Boyz Unlimited with David Walliams and Matt Lucas. In 2005, Osman co-created and co-wrote the animated Channel 4 sitcom, Bromwell High.^[8][9][10]

Personal life[link]

He is a season ticket holder at Fulham Football Club, and has two children. Osman's brother Mat is a founder member and bassist of the band Suede, and produced music for 8 Out of 10 Cats and You Have Been Watching!. On 6 December 2011, Osman became an "unlikely heartthrob" after winning Heat's Weirdest Crush Award.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Richard Osman is also 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m).

References[link]

External links[link]

• Richard Osman at the Internet Movie Database.
• Richard Osman on Twitter.
• Richard Osman on Facebook

Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Geronimo performing on 2011
Background information
Birth name	Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo
Also known as	Sarah Geronimo
Born	(1988-07-25) July 25, 1988 (age 23)
Origin	Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines
Genres	Pop, R&B, Dance
Occupations	actress, recording artist, singer, dancer, host, model, product indorser, rapper, song writer, total performer
Instruments	Vocals, Piano
Years active	2002–present
Labels	VIVA Records, Star Records
Website	www.sarahgeronimo.ph www.sarahgeronimo.com 100px Sarah Geronimo's signature

Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a Filipino recording artist and actress. Geronimo started her official debut in show business after having won the Star for a Night singing competition. In 2003, after winning the contest, she released her first album entitled Popstar: A Dream Come True under Viva Records. It is considered as Geronimo's most successful album which sold more than 210,000 copies nationwide.^[1][2]

She is the first Filipino artist to receive a platinum award for a DVD copy of her concert The Other Side in 2005 and is currently the only artist who has a platinum record for 4 DVDs of her concert. Her fourth one was awarded with triple platinum status in December of 2010.^[3]

Moreover, Geronimo received from the Aliw Awards the "Best Female Major Concert" award for Record Breaker and the "Entertainer of the Year" award, making her the youngest artist to receive it in history. ^[4][5]

Geronimo was crowned as the Philippines' Box-Office Queen in 2008 and 2009 for her movies, A Very Special Love and You Changed My Life.

Life and Career[link]

Childhood and early beginnings[link]

Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo was born on July 25, 1988 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines, to Delfin Geronimo, a retired Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) employee, and Divina Geronimo, who ran a beauty parlor from the family home. She studied at Dominican School Manila. Geronimo’s first performance was in a mall show when she was two years old.^[6] At the age of four, she made her first appearance on national television and was a member of the children's television show Pen-Pen de Sarapen for two years.^[7][8] At six, she performed at a short concert at Isetann Cinema Complex on Recto Avenue in Manila.^[8] She sang for Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines in 1995, when she was six.^[6] At the age of eight, her father enrolled Geronimo at the Center for Pop Music Philippines, where she received her first formal music and voice lessons.^[8] Geronimo performed in hotel lounges, on campuses, in shopping malls, and on a few TV shows. Around this time, she was part of the cast of the ABS-CBN children's show Ang TV.^[7][8] At the age of nine, she joined the cast of the TV show NEXT.^[6] She also played a cameo role in Star Cinema’s Sarah, Ang Munting Prinsesa.^[8]

2002–2003: Debut[link]

In 2002, Geronimo competed in the Star for a Night competition, hosted by Filipino pop singer Regine Velasquez. At the age of fourteen, Geronimo won the competition, which included a ₱1 million cash prize and a managerial contract to Vicente Del Rosario, owner of Viva Artists Agency. She was given the title of Pop Star Princess.^[6][8] Her mother said, "Her cash prize in Star For a Night was a big help, This school year, we don't need to borrow money from other people because of my children's tuition fees."^[9]

Geronimo became the featured artist in MTV's Rising Star in September 2002,^[7] and she released her first album Popstar: A Dream Come True, in late 2002.^[9][10] Her first concerts, in conjunction with her first album, were staged in October 2003.^[11]

Geronimo's first movie role was in Filipinas, released in late 2003.^[8] According to the Philippine Star, Geronimo's co-star in the film, Maricel Soriano, "predict[ed] a bright future" for her and stated, "That girl will go far. She’s only 14, right? For someone like Sarah, for the first time she appears and acts in a film, she's good. Maybe some people have high expectation on her but for me she's good."^[12]

2004–2007: Career Expansion[link]

The Manila Bulletin states that 2004 was the year that Geronimo's career "boomed".^[13] Geronimo signed a contract with the ABS-CBN network, which aired her first television series, Sarah the Teen Princess.^[14] Later that year, she became a regular host and performer on the variety show ASAP.^[15][16] She sang the Philippine National Anthem at the pre-inaugural ceremonies of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 30, 2004. In November 2004, Geronimo released her second album, Sweet Sixteen, with "How Could You Say You Love Me" as its first single. After a week of its release, the album was certified gold and quickly achieved triple platinum status when it sold more than 90,000 copies nationwide.^[6] Geronimo performed in the Night of the Champions concert at the Araneta Coliseum ("the Dome") with other singing competition winners Rachelle Ann Go and Erik Santos, followed by a tour in the U.S.^[17]

In 2005, Geronimo recorded the theme song of the Star Cinema movie, Can This Be Love.^[18] She joined the fourth-season cast of the teen-oriented television program SCQ Reload: Kilig Ako and appeared in the fantasy movie Lastikman, produced by VIVA Films. She hosted three talent competitions: Search For Star in a Million, Little Big Star and Little Big Superstar.^[15][6]

On September 30, 2005, Geronimo performed a solo concert, The Other Side. The Manila Bulletin reported that, "The Dome became one huge oven."^[19] Viva Records released a live DVD album of her concert at Araneta Coliseum titled The Other Side: Live Album. In the summer of 2005, a repeat of Night of the Champions toured the U.S. for two months.^[20]

In 2006, Geronimo starred in ABS-CBN's primetime soap opera, Bituing Walang Ningning, a remake of the 1985 movie. She played the role of an aspiring singer named Dorina Pineda, originally played by Sharon Cuneta in the movie,^[6][21] and released a soundtrack of the series.

In the summer of 2006, Geronimo's third studio album, Becoming, was released in the international market. Produced by Christian De Walden, the album went platinum a month after its release. De Walden said that Geronimo was "definitely the biggest talent I have come across...the last ten years." He was particularly astounded by Geronimo's ability to not only learn a song quickly but to give it her own distinctive style.^[22] The album yielded three singles: "I Still Believe In Loving You", "Carry My Love" and "Iingatan Ko Ang Pag-ibig Mo." One critic said, "The album isn't completely successful. It's nevertheless heartening to hear Sarah spreading her musical wings by trying new types of songs that wouldn't have been considered in the lineup of her showy first albums."^[23]

Geronimo continued to perform in concerts throughout the world, in places like Taiwan, Canada, the U.S., and Dubai.^[24][25] Philstar News reported that Geronimo was the first Filipino to perform at the Harris Theater in Chicago.^[25] On November 18, 2006, Manny Pacquiao chose Geronimo to sing Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem, before his match against Mexico's Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.^[24][26]

Geronimo's second major solo concert In Motion, took place on July 14, 2007, at the Araneta Coliseum. Unlike her first solo concert at the Dome, this concert went off with no technical glitches.^[27] She spent the rest of 2007 performing concerts in the Philippines and the U.S.^[15][28] and recording her fourth studio album, Taking Flight,^[29] which sold more than 60,000 units and achieved double platinum status. In the latter half of 2007, Geronimo appeared in her third television series for ABS-CBN, Pangarap Na Bituin.^[15]

2008–2010: The Next One and Record Breaker[link]

In early 2008, Geronimo reunited with Erik Santos, Rachelle Ann Go, and Christian Bautista in a Valentine's Day concert at the Araneta Coliseum, entitled "OL4LUV".^[30] Before Geronimo released her fifth studio album, she released I'll Be There as the fourth single from Taking Flight. On July 30, 2008, Geronimo starred with Filipino actor John Lloyd Cruz in A Very Special Love which was produced by Star Cinema and VIVA films and grossed almost ₱180 million.^{[31][32][32][33]} The movie opened with ₱ 14 million pesos and Isah V. Red of The Manila Standard Today quoted

Geronimo included a track from the movie, "A Very Special Love", on her album Taking Flight.

Geronimo's fifth studio album, Just Me, included a duet with Backstreet Boys member Howie Dorough entitled, "I'll Be There". De Walden again produced this album.^[35][36] Like her previous albums, Just Me achieved platinum status in December 2008. She was recognized for this accomplishment on the 2008 ASAP Platinum Circle Awards show.^[37] On November 8, 2008, Geronimo staged her third major solo concert in Araneta Coliseum, entitled The Next One, which marked the first time she accompanied herself on the piano while on stage.^[38] Geronimo’s Just Me album, was re-released, adding You Changed My Life.^[32] She was also recognized by ASAP for attaining platinum status for her albums Taking Flight and Just Me and for her two concert DVDs (The Other Side and Sarah In Motion).^[37]

In February 2009, Geronimo made a movie again with John Lloyd Cruz in You Changed My Life, the sequel of A Very Special Love .^[39] The film’s total theatrical earnings earned over ₱240 million, and holds the record for the highest grossing Filipino movie made.^[40] Geronimo traveled to the US in March–April 2009 for her The Next One tour, where she received positive reviews about her performances.^[41] In June 2009, she re-staged the Sarah Geronimo: The Next One Philippine concert tour.^[42][43] On August 5, 2009 Geronimo was given the honor to sing the Virna Lisa's 1986 People Power anthem, “Magkaisa” during the funeral of former President Corazon Aquino.^[44] Geronimo released a solo Christmas album, Your Christmas Girl in October 2009. In November 2009, she staged her fourth solo sold-out concert, Record Breaker, in the Araneta Coliseum.^[45][46] The Philippine Daily Inquirer called the concert "a qualified success".^[40] During the concert, Geronimo became emotional while talking about her struggles trying to succeed in a music industry inundated by aspiring singers.^[45] At the same day of her concert, she released her sixth studio album, Music and Me. ^[47][48][49] In December 2009, Your Christmas Girl and Music and Me both reached platinum status after a month of their release.^[50]

On December 1, 2009, Sarah Geronimo received a star on the Philippines Walk of Fame at Libis, Eastwood.^[51] Geronimo released the DVD Record Breaker, filmed at the Araneta Coliseum, on March 16, 2010 and eventually achieve Triple Platinum status in December 2010.

In April 2010, Sarah Geronimo was chosen to endorse an online game called Superstar which was launched by X-Play as an online singing star search. Geronimo also lent her voice in singing its theme song "This Is My Dream."^[52]

In September 2010 a Music-Serye was aired in ABS-CBN entitled 1DOL and she appeared in the film Hating Kapatid under Viva Films.

2011–present: Sarah G. Live![link]

In 2011, she had a Valentine concert with Martin Nievera titled "What Love Is" at the Araneta Coliseum.^[53] Geronimo worked with Gerald Anderson in the film collaboration of Star Cinema and Viva Films titled Catch Me, I'm in Love which was shown on March 23, 2011 in theaters nationwide and shown as a summer release in the Philippines. Raymond Lo, U.S. correspondent for The Philippine Star said:

In November of 2011, Geronimo made a movie again with Gerald Anderson in Won't Last A Day Without You which earned ₱20 Million on its opening day. Geronimo signed an exclusive one-year contract with ABS-CBN, it states her future projects and commitments such as having a weekly solo show, an extension as a performer in ASAP Rocks, and a movie with John Lloyd Cruz for the third time. ^[55]

Also this year, Geronimo is declared as the Princess of Philippine Movies by the Guillermo Mendoza Box Office Awards for her movie, Catch Me, I'm In Love together with Gerald Anderson.

Geronimo is having her solo weekly musical-variety show every Sunday night titled Sarah G. Live! and her movie with John Lloyd Cruz is in production. Geronimo is set to have her big birthday concert at the Araneta Coliseum. This is also her big comeback in the concert scene after her last major concert, Record Breaker in 2009.^[56]

Artistry[link]

Music and voice[link]

Geronimo's music is generally pop and sings songs mostly about love. Geronimo's voice is premier and her music encompasses all genres.^[57] International producer Christian de Walden praised Geronimo's voice and said "The personality of her voice is phenomenally distinct. Many have great voices but they tend to imitate foreign divas like Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston. She definitely is the biggest talent I have come across with in the last ten years...".^[58]

Influences[link]

Geronimo has cited Michael Jackson as her major influence and she grew up singing and dancing to his music.^[59] Geronimo said “As a child my dream was to be hugely popular like Michael Jackson. I wanted to have that kind of worldwide fame,” added, “I want to be like him, while performing, everyone gets so wild and emotional. Besides that, I see him as not only a performer, he’s an inspiration to many people, and that’s what I also want to become.”

Camille Bersola of The Philippine Star described Geronimo as more than just a pop icon for being an inspiration especially to today's youth. She quoted "In amateur singing competitions, there will be at least three contestants that will have their own rendition of "To Love You More" or "Forever's Not Enough". When these little girls are asked who their favorite singer is, and whose path they’d like to follow someday, you can bet more or less 75 percent of them will have the same answer: Sarah Geronimo."^[60]

Stage[link]

Geronimo has received praised for her live stage performances.^[61] After Geronimo's concert in Araneta Coliseum dubbed as "The Other Side", The Manila Bulletin said:

"Sarah’s very successful concert showcased the various facets of her personality. She’s an old soul who can sing Celine Dion’s "If I Could" and Mariah Carey’s "Through the Rain" with such emotion. She’s an 80’s baby who can moonwalk to "Billie Jean" ala Michael Jackson. She’s a budding belter who can hit the high notes of Whitney Houston’s "The Greatest Love of All" with the Asia's Songbird - Regine Velasquez."

In 2009, Geronimo said in a press conference for her concert "Record Breaker" that she hopes to break new records as a concert artist and quoted “This is to showcase my new standards as a total performer. Hopefully I’ll give this show justice, entertain my audience and even make them dance with my performances all throughout the night.”

Geronimo's participation in the "What Love Is..." with Martin Nievera concert was described by Baby A. Gil of the Philippine Star with the comment, "Who needs a dancing Martin anyway when you have the long-limbed Sarah there, who is a daring, enthusiastic dancer? I like watching her dance and finding her moving even better now than the last time is a treat. Of course, she has also become an even better singer. To those who are wont to ask, has she gotten rid of her Celine Dion tendencies? Well, she still sings a good To Love You More, but she has obviously come to her own with fuller tones, nice, sexy low notes."^[53]

Public image[link]

Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte described Geronimo in The Philippine Star “She’s wholesome on and off camera, untainted by unsavory rumors. She’s an ideal daughter and that makes her a good role model for the youth.”^[62] Wilson Lee Flores of The Philippine Star quoted "She is a breath of fresh air in terms of wholesome image, humility, real talent and source of good news for the Philippine entertainment industry".^[63] In 2005, Geronimo was awarded with "Pinoy Wannabe Awardee", a prestigious Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards given to a celebrity whom kids consider as their role model.^[64]

Geronimo however admitted it’s not always easy protecting that image especially since everyone looks up to her as a role model for young people. She said “It’s a bit hard although I’d like to become a role model. I rather take it as a big challenge because it is probably my purpose being here in this industry. This may also be the reason why I’m being trusted by companies to promote their products.”^[60]

Discography[link]

Concerts & Tours[link]

Filmography[link]

Movies[link]

Television[link]

Awards and recognitions[link]

References[link]

Notes[link]