Kelly Norton Monteith (October 17, 1942 – January 1, 2023) was an American comedian, actor, writer and producer. He was best known for writing and starring in the BBC comedy show Kelly Monteith.
Early life Kelly Norton Monteith was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 17, 1942.
Career During the early 1970s, Monteith performed as a guest comedian on various talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show and The Mike Douglas Show.
In 1976, Monteith had a short-lived variety show on CBS, The Kelly Monteith Show. After successful guest appearances on British talk shows, he was offered his own series by the BBC. Montieth was given his break in the UK by Des O'Connor in 1977 on his show Des O'Connor Tonight and featured as regular guest comedian thereafter. In 1979, Kelly Monteith was broadcast, and ran for six seasons. It was noted for often breaking the fourth wall by showing Monteith in his dressing room before and after a scene. Kelly Monteith won the Silver Rose for the BBC at the Montreux Television Festival in Switzerland during the series' run. In the United States the BBC series was rerun on the fledgling Arts and Entertainment Network.
In 1983, Monteith performed at the Royal Variety Performance, before a nation-wide tour.
From 2014 to 2020, Monteith co-hosted Brit Flix with Kelly, Paul and Two-Buck Chuck.
In 2015, Monteith and Paul Bland were awarded the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award for Best Television Anchor/Host by the Los Angeles Press Club.
From 2019 to 2020, Monteith worked again with The Anglophile Channel in Kelly Monteith's BBC Memories. The series looked back at Monteith's groundbreaking BBC series, Kelly Monteith.
Personal life Monteith resided in Los Angeles, California.
In February 2021, Monteith suffered two strokes that left him with aphasia. He was hospitalized for two months at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
On January 1, 2023, Monteith died at his home in Los Angeles, at the age of 80. His death was announced on January 2 in a social media statement by The Anglophile Channel, a LA-based production company he worked with in later years. He is survived by his two children with Caroline Alexander. Monteith's Kelly Monteith co-star Lisa Vanderpump led tributes on social media. Many comedians, including Bennett Arron, Al Murray and John Wing Jr. also paid tribute.
Filmography
Film and television YearTitleNotes1976The Kelly Monteith Show1980No Holds BarredHost1979–1982The Love Boat3 episodes1979–1984Kelly Monteith36 episodes1985Kelly Monteith in One1985New Love, American Style1 episode1987Isabel's Honeymoon Hotel1 episode1988Screwball HotelMr. Ebbel1990Hollywood Boulevard IIZwing Zwiner1991Out of this World1 episode1991The Joe Longthorne Show4 episodes2004A Lousy 10 GrandTed2009FuelScout2015Too Hip for the RoomJake201964th ManPodcast series; Old Michael2019The Real Geezers of Beverly Hills, Adjacent6 episodes
As writer YearTitleNotes1976The Kelly Monteith Show1 episode1980No Holds Barred1 episode1979–1984Kelly Monteith36 episodes1985Kelly Monteith in One2 episodes1990Out of this World1 episode2004A Lousy 10 Grand2015Too Hip for the RoomCo-writer2019The Real Geezers of Beverly Hills, Adjacent6 episodes2019–2020Kelly Monteith's BBC Memories20 episodes
As producer YearTitleNotes2015Too Hip for the Room2019The Real Geezers of Beverly Hills, Adjacent6 episodes2014–2020Brit Flix with Kelly, Paul and (Two Buck) Chuck23 episodes2019–2020Kelly Monteith's BBC Memories21 episodes Source:
Discography In 1984, Lettuce Be Cool, a non-music comedy album by Monteith was released in the United Kingdom by Chrysalis Records — CHR 1436. The album is available to purchase on Vinyl.
References