Malcolm Hardee

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Malcolm Hardee (5 January 1950 – 31 January 2005) was an English comedian and owner of several comedy clubs. He was famous for outrageous publicity stunts and for helping many new British comedians early in their careers. Colleagues described him as fearless, funny, and a bit anarchic.

Early life
He was born in Lewisham, London, into a family who worked on tugboats. He spent his early years in an orphanage, was expelled from several schools, and got involved in petty crime. He served prison sentences for offences including theft and burglary, and once escaped from borstal dressed as a monk. He later turned to show business to stay out of trouble.

Career
In the late 1970s, Hardee joined The Greatest Show on Legs, a surreal act that grew into a group. They performed in small venues and then at The Comedy Store in Soho. Their big break came in 1982 with the Naked Balloon Dance on a late-night TV show.

Stunts and fame
Hardee was known for wild stunts. In 1983, at the Edinburgh Fringe, he drove a naked tractor across a neighboring performer’s stage. He claimed to have “the biggest bollocks in show business” and did a famous act using his spectacles on his genitals to resemble Charles de Gaulle. He wrote about his life in the autobiography I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake (1996), co-written with John Fleming, which covered many of his antics, including the 1986 Freddie Mercury cake incident.

Clubs and mentoring
Hardee ran The Tunnel Club in Greenwich, opened in 1984, which gave early chances to many comedians such as Charlie Chuck, Alan Davies, Harry Enfield, Harry Hill, Paul Merton, Vic Reeves, Frank Skinner, Jo Brand, and others. He later started Up The Creek in 1991 and, in 2001, ran a floating pub, The Wibbley Wobbley, on the River Thames.

Death and legacy
Hardee disappeared from his boat in January 2005. His body was found in Greenland Dock, and the coroner ruled accidental drowning. Thousands attended his funeral. The Edinburgh Fringe now honors him with the Malcolm Hardee Awards for comic originality and for impressive publicity stunts, among other categories, continuing his tradition of celebrating bold, original comedy.