Gratuitous Brunette: David Walliams

In addition to talents for acting and writing, David Walliams recently rediscovered an affinity for swimming, which he first took up as a youth to combat a weight problem; since July 2006 he's made charity swims of the English Channel (which raised £1,000,000 for Sport Relief) and a similar crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar alongside James Cracknell in March 2008.

Born on this day in 1971, David Walliams has been very busy indeed since he made his TV debut (as 'Lesley Luncheonmeat') on Sky1's Games World; not only have he and comedy partner Matt Lucas appeared on Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer (starring Vic and Bob) they wrote and co-starred in Rock Profile.

It was their hugely popular gallery of grotesquerie Little Britain, though, that made them household names in Britain and cult favourites elsewhere in the English-speaking world following its debut in September 2003. Little Britain was followed by a concert tour (appropriately called Little Britain Live) and in Little Britain Abroad; going from success to success, Walliams and Lucas took things up a notch for Little Britain USA - which aired on HBO in September 2008.

Walliams' first children's book The Boy In The Dress (illustrated by Quentin Blake) was released the following month, and was reviewed positively for its themes if somewhat less so for its writing; another, Mr Stink, was published in November 2009 with the same illustrator.  He's also continued making forays onto the silver screen - having appeared in such films as Plunkett & Macleane, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, and Run Fat Boy Run among others - voicing the character of Bulgy Bear, in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.  He's also a popular addition to that perennial British telly fave, the panel show...

Then this year the world's most effeminate womanizer did the unexpected thing and got married - to a lady! (Dutch model Lara Stone) - in a swanky affair at Claridge's...
*