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Vic Reeves

Date of birth: 24-01-1959

Born in Leeds and raisied in Darlington, Jim Moir undertook an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering after leaving school, eventually moving to London and becoming a factory inspector.There he formed a band and began a part-time course at art college, as well as performing on the comedy circuit as various characters - including the 'North-East’s Top Light Entertainer', Vic Reeves.

His stage show Vic Reeves Big Night Out began life as a regular Thursday night gig at Goldsmith’s Tavern, New Cross. Here he met Bob Mortimer, a solicitor who jumped up on stage one night and ended up becoming a regular, starting an enduring comic partnership.

The pair were championed by Jonathan Ross, who gave them a break on his TV show, and Big Night Out was made into a Channel 4 show in 1990, where it became an instant cult hit.

The pair followed it up with the sketch shows The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, and Bang Bang, It's Reeves aAnd Mortimer, quirky sitcom Catterick and he game show Shooting Stars.

They moved to prime-time Saturday night with the BBC One show Families At War, which ran from 1998 to 1999, and starred in a remake of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) the following year, but they never quite made the transition to mainstream entertainers.

He also had a No 1 hit with a cover version of Dizzy, recorded with The Wonder Stuff, and released hit versions of Born Free and I'm A Believer, a collaboration with EMF.

In 2004 he and was a contestant in the fourth series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! with his wife Nancy Sorrell.

His other credit include the Discovery Channel's history series Rogues Gallery, Sky's Brainiac: Science Abuse and Radio 2 panel game Does the Team Think... - and he continues to work on his art, occasionally hosting exhibitions of his work.

Comics' brushes with Royal Academy greatness

Harry Hill, Vic Reeves and Joe Lycett in the Summer Exhibition

Harry Hill, Vic Reeves and Joe Lycett have all had artworks accepted into the Royal Academy of Arts’ prestigious Summer Exhibition.

The show opened last month, and Hill has already sold his oil painting, Celine’s House, for £1,200.

Celine's House picture

It is based on an aerial view of the Florida mansion that Canadian singer Celine Dion sold for $24 million in 2017, with the words ‘This is all mine’ written on it.

Jim Moir Antony Cleopatra

Submitting under his real name, Jim Moir, the comedian behind Vic Reeves has sold his acrylic Antony and Cleopatra, above, for £5,400. He also sold 25 limited edition prints of his Bird Colour Wheel, below, for £1,000 each.

Jim Moir Bird Colour Wheel

And Lycett exhibited a glazed ceramic called Gary Clam, top picture, - but it is not for sale.

It is the third time he has been accepted into the exhibition. In 2018 the comic successfully submitted a bust called Chris, made out of clay and a Pringles can – which he put on sale for £12.5million. There we no takers.

Every year since his artwork has been rejected by the committee – until last year when his painting I Drink A Crisp, Cold Beer In A Pool In Los Angeles While Gary Lineker Looks On In Disgust was accepted.

Moir previously exhibited at the summer show in 2018, while Hill had a picture of Damien Hirst accepted in 2015 and two works accepted in both 2018, and 2021.

Around 15,000 works are submitted each year, with more than 1,700 making it into the final show this year.

The Summer Exhibition is on at the Royal Academy in Piccadilly, Central London, until August 20.

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Published: 7 Jul 2024