ZERON GIBSON
To say Zeron Gibson has enjoyed a chequered and varied career en route to becoming one of the world's most loved and "respected" comedians is an understatement - and certainly not something you would expect from his comic alter-ego, the popular and unforgettable streetwise Valentine Flyguy. Born in Jamaica, Zeron came to the UK at a young age and grew up in Derby. Frustrated by a disruptive class and uncaring teachers at school and a bullying father at home, Zeron tried to overcome this by studying on his own to "satisfy a thirst for knowledge that needed to be quenched", spending all his dinner money each week on books - until his father burned them all that is. Leaving school with four GCSEs and the title of Midlands schoolboy judo champion, Zeron Gibson worked in a sports shop and a motor spares factory before following his first love to become a full-time martial arts instructor/coach and the All-British Martial Arts Champion in Kung Fu - impressive stuff. Zeron Gibson's next plan was to become a movie stuntman via, he hoped, a diploma course in acting at the Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama or MADD as it is more aptly known especially in Zeron Gibson's case. It was at MADD that he realised he could get paid for being funny and while the stunt world missed out on his talents, so was born Zeron Gibson stand-up comedian. An amazingly versatile comedian, Zeron Gibson is perhaps best known and loved for his comic creation - the outrageous, over the top, wise cracking 70s dude Valentine Flyguy or Valentine F - the man who "Blings the Yank into the UK". Think Shaft meets Austin Powers via Richard Pryor and you're in the right ballpark, but to see the man is to truly believe. The unique nature of Zeron's Flyguy act and its fresh take on bringing US style comedy to the UK and beyond has made Zeron Gibson a master in his field and taken him around the world and back as a regular highlight on the national and international comedy circuit. Zeron Gibson was particularly humbled and delighted to receive the accolade of being the first international black comedian to play South Africa after the fall of apartheid and have the honour of entertaining the ANC. Always keen to test himself, Zeron Gibson achieved another world first when he took part in television's first-ever live sperm race in a packed pub of cheering punters and screened on BBC3 as part of its Lab Rats series. As co-presenter, Zeron Gibson put both his body and humour to the test by watching his sperm race against those of fellow volunteer Dr Mike Leahy in a bid to see if men with the biggest tackle have the strongest, fittest and fastest sperm. The bizarre contest was filmed under a microscope inside two tiny glass capillary tubes, but screened in a pub in front of a cheering crowd and on television under the cracking banner Able-Bodied Semen aka The Great Sperm Race. Zeron Gibson won after a photo-finish and "coming from behind to win”. Zeron Gibson was also one of the stars of BBC 3's Mega Malai Presents and Malai Monologues where a bunch of stand-up comedians were given the task of performing stand-up comedy in different settings on the streets of London. In Sky TV's Secrets of the Sex Gods and UK's Sexiest Jobs he was given the task of investigating the pulling power of comedy. No stranger to such shenanighans, he was once involved in a pilot show called The Naked Chef, long before Jamie Oliver's programme of the same name - the difference being that Zeron Gibson's version actually had genuine nude cooks. When starting out as an actor/comedian he also got a part in a film called The Token King, which he lives in fear of it rearing its ugly head if he gets too famous. On the flipside, literally, he won rave reviews and "nuff respect" for writing and creating the six part hip-hop sitcom Trexx N’ Flipside for the BBC in 2008. Starring Pete Dalton, David Ajala and Rich Fulcher, aka The Mighty Boosh's Bob Fossil, it was first aired on BBC3 in 2008 and then on BBC2 in 2009. What lies next for top stand-up comedian Zeron Gibsonis anyone's guess but he lists his current passions as psychology, history and World War Two while keeping his hand in with the martial arts roller-blading, ice-skating, running and basketball so watch out for a new act or show that contains all or any of those subject matters and you might find Mr Gibson. WHAT THE CRITICS SAID "Zeron Gibson delivers his jokes with such exhilaration that the audience filed out in noisy joyousness” - The Scotsman "The most infectious comic I’ve seen in a long time" - Daily Telegraph "A fine OTT comic character.. outrageous.. hilarious." Chortle
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