Simon Fanshawe
Simon Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe OBE (born 26 December 1956, in Devizes, England) is a writer and broadcaster. He contributes frequently to British newspapers, TV and radio. He is also now a consultant and non-executive director of public and private organisations. Fanshawe was one of the founders of the LGBT charity Stonewall. He won the Perrier Comedy Award in 1989. Career. Fanshawe first came to public attention as a comedian in the early 1980s. In 1984, he appeared on the Channel 4 comedy sketch/stand-up show "The Entertainers", which showcased up-and-coming comedy talent, and later  that year appeared in his comedy act "Three of a Different Kind" at the Edinburgh Festival. Following a nomination in 1987, he later won the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award in 1989. He had a stint as a presenter on the BBC television programme "That's Life!" in 1990. Fanshawe was a co-founder of the LGBT charity Stonewall formed in 1989. Alongside working in comedy, Fanshawe has been a frequent contributor on a variety of subjects from arts to politics in newspapers and on many BBC radio and TV programmes. His BBC Radio 4 profile light-heartedly describes him as  a "media tart". Fanshawe has been involved in many community and campaigning groups and public bodies – often as a board member. He led the successful campaign to make Brighton and Hove a city in 2000. He was the chairman of the board for the Brighton Festival Fringe and is on the board of the Edinburgh Fringe. He founded and chaired the economic strategy body of his home town, The Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership. He was chairman of Brighton & Hove Local Radio Ltd from 1996 to 2000, when the company was acquired by Forever Broadcasting. In 2006, Fanshawe made the documentary  The Trouble with Gay Men, shown on BBC Three. In 2007, Fanshawe presented the first programme in the BBC's "Building Britain" series, concentrating his attentions on the key role of developers in making cities over the last two centuries. In 2017, Fanshawe presented the BBC documentary "Brighton: 50 Years of Gay" in which he examined the landmark Sexual Offences Act 1967, which legalised male homosexual acts in the UK, and its effect on the population of the City of Brighton. In 2019, he publicly broke with Stonewall due to their "intolerance of disagreement and discussion" and helped found the  LGB Alliance later that year. Simon has broadcast with the Headliners team on GB News, the London-based television channel begun in 2021. Personal life. Fanshawe was educated at two independent boarding schools: Chafyn Grove School in Salisbury in Wiltshire, and Marlborough College in Wiltshire, followed by the University of Sussex near Brighton, where he studied law. He is now chair of the university's governing council. He was appointed OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to higher education. Fanshawe lives in the Kemp Town area of Brighton. Newspapers and magazines. Fanshawe has contributed articles to the  following publications: Radio. Fanshawe has been a presenter or contributor on the following radio programmes: