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About Chris

Chris Gidney comes from a show business family and at age nine formed a comedy magic double-act with his father. Since then he has spent a lifetime in the profession as entertainer, producer and author, working with numerous artistes from the legendary Frank Sinatra to Sir Cliff Richard. Joining London’s West-End in 1980 he enjoyed twelve consecutive productions before moving to BBC Television, working on such classic programmes as Blue Peter and That’s Life with Esther Rantzen.

Based on his extensive friendships within the profession, his first book, In the Limelight was published in 1993 by Harper Collins, and since then he has authored nearly thirty books covering various aspects of life in show business. Chris’s best-selling hardbacks include Celebrating Secombe for Sir Harry Secombe, Under No Illusion for Paul Daniels, Vicar to Dad’s Army with Frank Williams, Flying High and Closer To Heaven for Don Maclean, Little by Little with Syd Little, Tapestry Tales with Dora Bryan and Show Me The Way with Wendy Craig. Chris’s Long Hot Soak series was reprinted before arriving on the shelves, and has since been re-printed seven times, enjoying an eight-year shelf life. He has also written for BBC Radio and a number of newspapers and periodicals.

As a freelance Director and Producer he is responsible for a number of unique stage, television and radio productions, and in 2004 he co-founded That’s Entertainment Productions, which specialises in bringing high quality family entertainment to the commercial theatre. TEP has several productions on the road at any one time and has regularly provided the resident summer seasons for Blackpool, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Southsea and Teignmouth, alongside headliner tours and pantomime.

Chris formed the show business Charity CIE in 1982 which continues to provide backstage support for professionals in the entertainment industry, and he remains the Director of this organisation. Chris has a grown up family and enjoys living by the sea in Sussex.

Other Compilation Works include:

Sir Cliff Richard; Mary Millar; David Suchet; Eternal; Rick Wakeman; Kris Akabussi; Nina Carter; Johnny Cash; Jimmy Cricket; Paul Jones & Fiona Hendley; Roy Castle; Dana; Helen Shapiro; Rosemary Conley; Thora Hird; DANA; Ken Dodd; Janey Lee Grace and many others.

Serialisations & Articles include:

Daily Mail; Sunday Telegraph; News of the World; Woman Alive; IDEA; The Stage; Backstage Magazine, BBC Radio.