Simon Brodkin

Simon Benjamin Brodkin (born 29 September 1977) is an English comedian, performing both on the stand-up circuit and in comedy television series.

He is best known for playing a cheerful chav character called Lee Nelson, but also performs as other comedy characters, such as a Liverpudlian footballer called Jason Bent.

Brodkin was born in Camden Town, London on 29 September 1977.

Brodkin attended the independent University College School, Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden.

He was arrested and charged with pitch encroachment contrary to the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

When the case came to court, the judge agreed to the charge being withdrawn and Brodkin was given a six-month conditional caution for the incident.

Brodkin studied medicine at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2001.

Brodkin began appearing on television in 2003, in a series of shorts entitled From Baghdad To Balham on Channel 4, playing a recently arrived Iraqi asylum seeker, and twice on Absolutely Fabulous on BBC One.

Performing solo stand-up since 2004, he has also written for and appeared on the television shows Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder in 2009, Lee Nelson's Well Good Show in 2010 and Lee Nelson's Well Funny People in 2013.

Brodkin is known for taking part in pranks as his characters at public events, heckling public figures such as Sepp Blatter, Donald Trump and Theresa May.

In 2005, Brodkin appeared as Nelson in three episodes of Channel 4's The Morning After Show, alongside fellow guest Bob Mugabe.

Brodkin performed his first solo comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2006, titled Simon Brodkin: Everyone But Himself.

In his Lee Nelson stand-up routine, Brodkin's character typically interacts with his audience, telling them about his life, asking them questions, then replying with responses that reflect his world view, his own ignorance or his own stereotypically antisocial attitudes.

His act is peppered with slang words.

He practised medicine in Manchester city hospitals until 2007, when he began performing stand-up comedy full-time.

In 2007, Brodkin wrote for and appeared on Al Murray's ITV1 prime time sketch show Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder, where he appeared playing his characters of Jason Bent and Lee Nelson, as well as alongside Murray in sketches about mobile phone shop assistants.

In 2008, Brodkin appeared as Dr. Omprakash and Nelson in the BBC Three comedy show The Wall.

In 2009, Brodkin was commissioned by the BBC to write his own show for BBC Three.

In reviewing his Nelson stand-up character in 2009, James Kettle of The Guardian stated that, in comparison to Matt Lucas's aggressive Vicky Pollard, and Catherine Tate's Lauren Cooper, Brodkin's portrayal has "a three-dimensional personality" and is a "gentler, more likeable soul, with a dopily comprehensive lack of self-awareness", and that in playing the 'chav', "no one's done it quite like Simon Brodkin".

Titled Lee Nelson's Well Good Show, it was broadcast from 10 June 2010 on BBC Three in the 10.30pm slot.

It features Brodkin in character in a studio setting, but also features television sketches of his other characters.

In 2011, Brodkin appeared as Lee Nelson in 28 January episode of ITV's Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford and in Heat 3 of Let's Dance for Comic Relief on BBC One.

In 2011, Brodkin starred as Clinton Faberge in Channel 4's short-lived comedy strand Another One Bites the Crust.

Also in 2011, on 11 November, he appeared as Lee Nelson in BBC One's Live at the Apollo Series seven, episode two, alongside Sean Lock and Ed Byrne.

The show was commissioned for a second series, which aired on 25 August 2011.

Brodkin has won several competitions and awards for his work, including Brighton's Komedia comedy competition and The Writers' Guild Award for Best Newcomer in Edinburgh for his show Everyone But Himself.

In 2012, Brodkin returned as Nelson on the judging panel in Heat 4 of Let's Dance for Sport Relief on BBC One, along with Russell Kane and Jo Brand.

In character as Lee Nelson, he briefly stood as a candidate in the 2013 South Shields by-election.

He withdrew because the BBC would not have been able to broadcast his shows during the electoral campaign due to their code of impartiality.

Brodkin also performs a selection of other characters, including Jason Bent, an unintelligent Premiership footballer with a Merseyside accent.

Other characters have included the sleazy and incompetent Dr. Bob.

Brodkin has performed stand-up as himself, touring Troublemaker in 2021 and 2022.

In 2013, Brodkin again returned as Nelson in Heat 3 of Let's Dance for Comic Relief on BBC One, dancing with street dance duo Twist and Pulse.

He won the "judges' vote", thus performing again in the final.

However, he did not win.

In December 2013 Brodkin performed stand-up on John Bishop's Christmas Show on BBC One.

On 16 March 2013, Brodkin, in character as Jason Bent, ran onto the pitch at Goodison Park and attempted to warm up with the Manchester City team ahead of their Premier League match with Everton.

In 2014, dressed as Jason Bent in a smart suit, he briefly mixed in with the England World Cup squad at Luton Airport before being removed by police.

On 20 July 2015, Brodkin gatecrashed a press conference at the headquarters of the football governing body FIFA in Zürich, Switzerland amidst the organisation's corruption scandal.

Many of Brodkin's pranks were featured in a TV programme Britain's Greatest Hoaxer which was shown on Channel 4 on 7 February 2017.