Who is Tony Robinson?
Sir Anthony Robinson is an actor, author, comedian and presenter best-known for playing Baldrick in BBC's instant classic, Blackadder.
The TV star, born in August 1946, studied at Wanstead County High grammar school before later enrolling at the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1963.
His Acting Career
He kicked off his acting career at the age of 13, appearing in a number of West End plays and musicals such as Oliver. Tony went on to win an Arts Council bursary to work as a director at the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham where he founded the Avon Touring Company.
In the early 1970s, Tony made his debut on the silver screen, appearing in Sam on Boffs' Island and Play Away. Clearly a natural, the comedian went on to star in Channel 4's series, Who Dares Wins.
Tony enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame in the 80s thanks to his memorable performance as bumbling servant Baldrick in Blackadder. As the series progressed, Tony quickly became associated with the catchphrase "I have a cunning plan."
He starred in the series alongside Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnery and Stephen Fry.
Beyond Blackadder, Tony starred as the Sheriff of Nottingham in children's series, Maid Marian and her Merry Men and one of the lead actors in an animated children's series called Nellie the Elephant.
Tony's impressive career has also seen him utilising his acting skills behind the camera. The actor did the voiceover for TV series Airline, narrated the audiobooks for Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels and voiced television advertisements for the likes of Honda and Vanish.
His Presenting Career
Tony started presenting Time Team in 1994. The British programme, which originally aired on Channel 4, saw the author chart the progress of archaeological digs over the course of three days. Tony was frequently joined by regular archaeologists including Mick Aston, Carenza Lewis, Francis Pryor and Phil Harding.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Exeter in 2005 in recognition for his work in promoting the importance and understanding of archaeology.
Tony has since gone on to present a plethora of history documentaries such as Britain's Ancient Tracks with Tony Robinson and Tony Robinson's Wild West.
Personal Life
Tony has been married on three occasions. He wed Barbara Henshall in 1969 before divorcing four years later. He subsequently walked down the aisle with Mary Shepherd before their separation in 1992.
During their marriage, Tony and Mary welcomed two children: a daughter called Laura and a son called Luke. In 2011, meanwhile, Tony exchanged vows with his current wife Louise Hobbs. The duo wed in a secret ceremony on the stunning Amalfi coast.
At the time, their romance set tongues wagging, with many drawing attention to their 35-year age gap. Tony was nonetheless quick to defend their age difference during several TV appearances.
Speaking to Stacey Solomon on Loose Women, the presenter said: "We've been married a long time. It is just not an issue for us," before later revealing that his daughter, who is two years older than Louise, was "absolutely cool" about their relationship.
