Rob Beckett, one of the contestants on this year's Celebrity Traitors, has roots in south-east London. The broadcaster and comedian grew up in Mottingham and attended school in nearby Chislehurst before becoming a familiar face on television, radio and podcasts.
Beckett is competing against Richard E Grant, Miranda Hart and Michael Sheen on the show. He is best known for appearing on programmes including Rob & Romesh Vs, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Celebs Go Dating.
Comedy Inspired by Upbringing
Speaking to News Shopper in 2013, Beckett said much of his stand-up material was inspired by his upbringing in the area. He said: "It is basically about me and my family and growing up in south east London and stories and observations and stuff."
Reflecting on his childhood, Beckett described Mottingham as a community that sat somewhere between London and Kent. He said: "It was alright. It's weird because it's not really Kent and it's not really London. We're just stuck in the middle in our own little world."
School Days and Early Jobs
The comic attended Edgebury Primary School and Coopers School in Chislehurst before taking a series of jobs that would later inspire stories in his stand-up routines. Among them was a stint at Sainsbury's in Chislehurst.
In a previous interview with News Shopper, he said: "I worked at markets and supermarkets – Sainsbury's Chislehurst, I used to work there." His memories of the area also included childhood expeditions with his brother to a furniture store near the Orpington bypass.
Beckett said: "I used to go down to Furniture Village by the Orpington bypass because they used to give you free cookies and squash." He added: "Me and my brother used to get on the bus and go in there pretending we were looking at sofas when we were about 13 so we could get squash and cookies."
Local Links and Career Launch
The comedian also highlighted some of his favourite local spots, including a sandwich shop in Chislehurst. One of Beckett's strongest local links is Greenwich, where regular visits to the Up the Creek comedy club helped inspire his career.
A visit to an open-mic night at the venue in 2009 convinced him to try stand-up himself, beginning a comedy journey that would later lead to television appearances, arena tours and award-winning shows. Since then, Beckett has become known for television, radio and podcasting success, including the popular Parenting Hell podcast with Josh Widdicombe.
Celebrity Traitors airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer weekly on Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm.
