Jonathan Wilkes

Infobox_Celebrity
name = Jonathan Wilkes
Background =


imagesize = 200px
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birth_date = Birth date and age|1978|8|1|df=yes
birth_place = Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, England
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Actor, Singer and Television Presenter.
salary =
networth =
partner = Nikki Wheeler
children = Mickey (born 2006)
website = [http://www.jonathanwilkes.com Official Website]
footnotes =

Jonathan Wilkes (born August 1, 1978 in Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent) is an English television presenter, actor and musician. Wilkes is also as an entertainer and presenter, in addition to being best-known as the best friend of singer Robbie Williams. Jonathan married Nikki Wheeler, a dancer, in January 2004 in Los Angeles. They have one child, Mickey, born in 2006.

Footballing Exploits

Wilkes had ambitions to become a footballer in his teenage years, and was a part of Everton F.C.'s youth set-up in 1993. He went on to trials at Crewe and Chester as well as playing for Silverstone FC. He then gave up football to pursue a career in showbusiness.

Wilkes appeared in Sky One's "The Match" where he played a football match against a team of legends, including Paul Gascoigne. Jonathan was made captain by the old England manager Graham Taylor. With Robbie Williams, Wilkes also fronted "Soccer Aid", a celebrity football match in the run up to the 2006 World Cup, with the proceeds going to UNICEF.

Television

After winning the Cameron Mackintosh Young Entertainer of the Year award in 1996, Wilkes headed to Blackpool Pleasure Beach to become the youngest person to star in their own end-of-pier-style show. This led to television work on the BBC Choice (now BBC Three) programme "Hype". He soon signed a three-year contract with ITV, fronting "You've Been Framed", "Love on a Saturday Night", and SMTV. His television work was short-lived though; Love on a Saturday Night was axed after just a series and a half after poor reception and Wilkes' involvement with SMTV coincided with it being ended. Other TV credits include "The Match", "Soccer Aid", and "All Star Cup".

Music career

In 2001, Wilkes signed to Innocent Records and released "Just Another Day, reaching #24 in the UK charts. Despite being disillusioned by the music industry, Wilkes performed "Me and My Shadow" with Robbie Williams at the Royal Albert Hall and also featured on Williams' swing album "Swing When You're Winning".

In 2006, he joined Robbie Williams on his 2006 Close Encounters Tour, singing two songs ("Me and My Shadow" and "Strong"), as well as playing a game of football with Williams on stage.

Performing Arts

Wilkes first took to the stage in Feb 2002, touring up and down the country for 4 months with the musical "Godspell" from February until June 2002, swapping the roles of Jesus and Judas with Daniel MacPherson.

Taking on the role of "Frank-N-Furter" in the 30th Anniversary Tour of "The Rocky Horror Show". The tour ran from October 2002 through 2003.

Wilkes then took on the role of "Danny Zuko" in "Grease", then in May 2004 he joined the touring cast until August 2004 starring opposite Hayley Evetts as "Sandy".

From February 2005 until June 2005, Jonathan starred as the "Pinball Wizard" in the Who's famous rock opera " Tommy".

"“Normally I can come on stage, and I know more than anybody that a cheeky grin and a cheeky smile will get me away with murder. I can't do that on Tommy.”" - Jonathan Wilkes.

The role required a greater depth of acting beyond the rather 2D characters Wilkes had previously played and it is clear from reviews that he struggled with this.

“The real problem is the casting of Jonathan Wilkes in the title role. A consummate performer who can lift a crowd, he might be but despite his ability to engage as a nervy Christ-figure, his creation of the catatonic Tommy pre-pinball lacks any edge.” - (The Stage) [cite web |url = http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/7257/tommy |title = Press Quotes |publisher = www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/7257/tommy ]

Stoke-on-Trent 'welcomed' Wilkes home over Christmas 2005 where he performed at the Regent Theatre as "Billy Goose" in the pantomime "Mother Goose". He starred alongside Eric Potts with whom he took credit for casting and co-writing the script. Wilkes returned to The Regent Theatre the following year to appear in Aladdin clearly finding his niche in Pantomine.

Wilkes next took to the stage as "Sky Masterson" in musical "Guys and Dolls" for an incredibly short period, during April and May of 2007.

Following on from Mother Goose and Aladdin, Wilkes once again returned to his comfort zone playing "Buttons" in Cinderella during Christmas 2007.

Jonathan is currently on tour with The Wedding Singer playing the lead role of "Robbie Hart". This is a relatively new musical, originally opening in Broadway in 2006 (without Wilkes).

Personal life

Jonathan met wife Nikki in 1999 when asked to interview her girl band toutes les filles for BBC choice. He proposed to her in a hotel in Bath on a weekend away on 31st August 2001. But it took them over 2 years to finally tie the knot due to work commitments. They married in 2004 and went on to have a son in April 2006 who was named Mickey.

References

External links

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