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Where is Lee Evans now – retirement announcement, family life and mental struggles

Comedian Lee Evans shocked fans after turning his back on fame and retiring in 2014, but where is the legendary funnyman now? We take a look at what the comedian has been up to over recent years

• 13:04, 13 Jul 2023
• Updated 13:42, 13 Jul 2023

Lee Evans became a household name thanks to his energetic stand-up shows and hilarious impressions, which quickly made him one of Britain’s most-loved comedians.

The 59-year-old funnyman also gained worldwide success with his appearances in Hollywood movies Mousetrap, The Magic Roundabout and There's Something About Mary.

But, following his shock decision to retire in 2014, Lee stepped back from the spotlight and now devotes his time to family.

In July 2023, the star made a rare public appearance as he was seen in London with his wife Heather Nudds.

He was last seen two years prior.

Between being away from the limelight and his family life, here's everything we know about where he is now...

Retirement announcement

Lee, who moved from Bristol to Essex with his family aged 11, announced his decision to retire from comedy in November 2014 during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.

Speaking to host Jonathan, the comic explained that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and daughter.

When asked how long the “remarkable force of comedy” planned to carry on in his job, Lee responded: “I am frigging knackered. This is it. Finished. This is the end. I am not doing anything.”

He also credited his retirement to the death of manager Addison Creswell, who passed away from a heart attack in 2013.

“All I have ever done is work and Addison always used to put his arm around me and say, ‘Don’t worry, I will look after you. It is okay’,” Lee said. “My dad always said to me, ‘You have got to work’ so I constantly worked and did comedy tours.

“I think I have ignored for far too long my missus, and I want to spend a lot more time with her. I am going to go and see my wife, be home and say ‘I’m yours’.”

He joked: "And I know what'll happen, in a week it'll be, 'Get out!'"

Spending time with his family

Lee now lives a relatively quiet life in Billericay, Essex, with his wife Heather Nudds.

The pair met as teenagers and by the time they were both 22, they decided to tie the knot. They married on 22 September 1984.

Speaking about the day he laid eyes on his wife for the first time, Lee told The Guardian: “Her mum was dying, and I saw her go by on her way to the hospital.

"And I was talking to a mate in the street, and I said, 'Who's that?' And he went, 'I dunno.' She looked distraught.

"And about two weeks later, I met her coincidentally when I went to see this band play - and we got on really well. I made her laugh, I think.”

Lee and Heather have since gone on to welcome daughter Mollie, who was born in 1993.

Stepping back into public life

Despite keeping an extremely low profile since his retirement, Lee has made a few rare appearances over the years.

In 2017, the legendary funnyman attended the premiere of Kenny in Liverpool.

He also appeared in a charity production of Harold Pinter's Wither Would You Go alongside comedian Jack Whitehall.

The event took place in October 2017, which marked Lee’s last on-stage appearance.

Meanwhile, last year, Lee was spotted cycling through Essex on his electric bike .

Battling mental health

Whilst Lee appeared perfectly happy with his plans to retire, he did previously admit to feeling “very gloomy” when not performing.

“Not on the outside, but at home I do [feel depressed],” he told The Sun in 2014.

“I get very deep and depressed. Everyone does sometimes, don’t they? I can sit there for ages with my head in my hands. It’s mostly out of being criticised because then I don’t feel worthy and slope off on my own.”

Lee’s final mammoth arena tour, Monsters, featured 51 dates around the UK and Ireland.

Rare public appearance in 2023

In mid-July, Lee was spotted in London with his wife Heather as he enjoyed dinner at a lavish restaurant.

Nine years after quitting showbiz, he strolled around Covent Garden as excited onlookers stopped to acknowledge him.

He waved at those passing him as he rocked a grey suit and a baby blue shirt. Lee kept a low profile with a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap.

The star looked at ease as he took in the sights and sounds of the bustling area of central London.

Lee was last seen in public in 2021 during a solo bike ride in Essex.

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All Seasons

S01e01 live at her majesty's theatre.

• October 10, 1994

The audience at the renowned Her Majesty's Theatre in London was left in tears of laughter as the irrepressible Lee Evans lets fly with his frenzied one hundred smiles an hour magic. This was the final show of Lee’s 1994 nationwide sell-out tour and you’ll soon see why he had the critics raving and his fans in stiches. It’s fast, furious and unforgettable! So watch this sensational show and find out why Lee Evans is one of the most thrilling names in comedy today.

S01E02 Live From The West End

• October 30, 1995

The audience on this magical evening in 1995 witnessed a show by Lee Evans which had never been seen before and featured the award winning “Bohemian Rhapsody” finale. It’s impossible to resist the high speed sparkle and elastic talent of Lee Evans. This is the most frenzied and furious hour of comedy you will ever see.

S01E03 Different Planet Tour

• February 6, 1996

On the 6th February 1996 the lovable and breathtakingly brilliant physical comedian Lee Evans opened his Different Planet Tour at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End. The show sold out it's entire 8 week run. Following his West End run Lee took the show on a 114 date tour during which he played to over 200,000 people, covered 4,500 miles in 63 different towns, returning again to the West End for one more magical performance. This DVD is that spectacular evening.

S01E04 Live In Scotland

• November 16, 1998

This is the side-splitting grand finale at the Edinburgh Playhouse of Lee Evans' 100 date sell-out 1998 UK tour. Lee performed to over 150,000 people and shows us why he is described by the critics as "one of the finest living comedians". Against the backdrop of a giant kilt and sporran, Lee invites you to watch the 'Lee Evans Trio' where he attempts to play all the instruments at the same time. He then takes you on a hilarious journey from evolution, running in flip-flops, shopping, the difference between men and women, to Brits abroad and the joys of television.

S01E05 Wired & Wonderful Live At Wembley

• November 25, 2002

Lee Evans is one of the few comedians in the world who can play over 100 dates on a triumphant nationwide tour culminating in 2 sold out spectacular nights at Wembley Arena. Never before has one man made so many laugh in one place at one time at such speed. Lee Evans, 10,000 people, a film crew, almost 2 hours of sensational material and Wembley. This is no new rock 'n' roll, this is classic comedy.

S01E06 XL Tour Live

• November 28, 2005

In August 2005, Lee Evans set out on the UK's biggest ever comedy tour, taking in over 35 cities, and playing to over 250,000 fans. The record breaking Lee Evans XL Tour 2005 marks Lee's sensational return to stand-up with some of the strongest and most hilarious routines he's ever written. This is one of the best nights from the tour, as Lee performs to over 4,000 adoring fans in Cardiff, Wales, the land of his ancestors.

S01E07 Big Live At The O2

• November 24, 2008

Lee Evans Big UK Tour 2008 is just that, his biggest comedy tour ever, taking in over 59 dates in the UK's biggest arenas and playing to over 500,000 people. Three years on since his record breaking XL tour Lee has pulled out all the stops to make this his funniest, most spectacular, biggest performance to date.

S01E08 Roadrunner - Live at the O2

• November 21, 2011

Wired And Wonderful was huge... XL was big... Big was even bigger... now the legendary Lee Evans embarks on his most ambitious tour to date. Roadrunner is Lee's amazing new show with over 60 nights in the biggest arenas in the country. Lee will be playing to more fans than ever on this record- breaking tour of the UK and Ireland in 2011 with the show filmed for DVD during his 5 nights at the 02.

S01E09 Monsters

• September 20, 2014

The Monsters Tour was a comedy tour by British comedian Lee Evans, which was be his final tour before he announced his retirement immediately after the end of the tour. Evans has since returned to comedy. The tour visited: Bournemouth, Brighton, Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Aberdeen, Liverpool, Newcastle, Dublin, Belfast and Cardiff with tickets going on sale in late May 2013. The video was filmed at the National Indoor Arena (NIA), Birmingham, UK on Saturday, 14th September 2014. Evans received a standing ovation following the finale.

Additional Specials

Special 0x1 live at her majesty's theatre.

Lee Evans first DVD. While he is a bit nervous he is still hilarious.

SPECIAL 0x2 Live from the West End

SPECIAL 0x3 Different Planet Tour

• April 2, 1996

Yet again a very funny performance from the extremely energetic (and sweaty!) comedian Lee Evans. What you see is what you get when you watch this man live. He is always falling over and running around like a mad man but what is most important is he is very funny. There are some classic moments such as when he talks about the Supermarket toilet roll tester and when he wheels a piano on stage that seemingly is out of control and heads for the front row of the audience.

SPECIAL 0x4 Live in Scotland

SPECIAL 0x5 Wired & Wonderful Live At Wembley

SPECIAL 0x6 XL Tour Live

SPECIAL 0x7 Big Live at the O2

Lee Evans - Big - Live At The 02 was recorded at the world famous London 02 Arena in front of over 16,000 fans in October 2008. The five record breaking nights saw Lee perform to over 80,000 people. This DVD is the highlight of the record breaking Lee Evans - Big - UK Tour 2008 which took in over 59 dates in the UK's biggest arenas. The total ticket sales topped 500,000 which makes this the biggest ever comedy tour to date. Catch Lee at his peak with big stand-up, big effects and a big performance in what will be the biggest DVD of the year.

SPECIAL 0x8 Big Live

Lee Evans (I)

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Personal details

• Off The Kerb - Lee Evans
• Official Site
• 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
• February 25 , 1964
• Avonmouth, Bristol, England, UK
• Heather Patricia Nudds September 22, 1984 - present (1 child)
• Parents Shirley J. H. Hunt
• Other works Stand-up comedy
• 2 Interviews
• 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

• Trivia Married wife Heather at age 20.
• Quotes I started doing physical comedy, because I was like a moving target. You know what British audiences are like - 'he's shit, kill him!' My upbringing taught me to keep moving.
• Trademarks Sweat and energy - his stand-up routines are so manic that his suits last barely a couple of dates. Only stage props are a towel and occasionally a microphone stand.
• How old is Lee Evans?
• When was Lee Evans born?
• Where was Lee Evans born?

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Lee Evans to retire from comedy circuit to spend more time with family

Comedian says death of manager at 53 also influenced decision, and that last date on Monsters tour will be final performance

Brian Logan on Lee Evans: who else can do what he does?

Comedian Lee Evans is to retire from the comedy circuit when his present tour ends. The 50-year-old, who is one of Britain’s most successful standups, said he was leaving the world of comedy to spend more time with his wife and daughter.

Evans added his decision had been influenced by the death of his manager Addison Cresswell, who died unexpectedly, aged 53

Speaking on the Jonathan Ross show, which will air on Saturday, Evans said he was “knackered” and confirmed that once he had performed the last date on his Monsters arena tour, “this is it. Finished. This is the end. I am not doing anything”.

The comedian said he was “deadly serious” about the decision to leave the exhausting comedy circuit and dedicate his time to his family. “I started off cleaning toilets when I was a kid and I’ve had loads of jobs and I just kept working and working and working,” he said.

“My dad always said to us ‘you’ve got to work’ so I’ve just continuously worked, done comedy, toured, but I’ve ignored, I think for far too long, my missus and I want to spend a lot more time with her.

“I’m a nightmare to live with because I’m always working. I’ve come to a junction in my life where – please forgive me it sounds very narcissistic – I’ve done musicals and plays and films and standup and you sort of get to a point where you go ‘I don’t know what else to do next’.”

Evans rose to fame in the 1990s with his slapstick observational comedy. His 2011 Roadrunner world comedy tour grossed £12.9m, making him one of Britain’s highest earning standups. He broke into films, with roles in the comedy There’s Something About Mary and the sci-fi film The Fifth Element. However, his Monsters tour received mixed and often damning reviews, with the Guardian giving it two stars and saying the show had an air of “suppressed desperation and fatigue”.

The comedian also told Ross about how the death of Cresswell, who managed him throughout his career and was one of the most influential people in British comedy, had affected him.

“He was a great bloke,” said Evans. “All I have ever done is work and Addison always used to put his arm around me and say, ‘Don’t worry, I will look after you. It is OK ’… And at every gig I did he used to get me round the neck and he’d say ‘Lee, this is your Wembley!’.

“Then one day, we played Wembley and he knocked on my dressing room and he said ‘Lee, this is your Wembley’ and I went ‘Addison, this is Wembley!’ and he went ‘Oh yeah, we’re at Wembley, how about that!’ So I started off with him, I was just a kid … I’ve known him since I was a kid.”

The final show in his tour will be at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on Sunday 30 November.

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Kids and adults gathered at the Memorial Day parade to honor and celebrate veterans in South Portland. Sofia Aldinio/ Staff Photographer

BATH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at 200 Congress Ave. and concludes at Library Park and will be followed by a wreath-laying service at 11 a.m.

BERWICK 11 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at Berwick Town Hall/Sullivan Square and proceeds to Lord’s Cemetery by way of Wilson and Allen streets. After a ceremony there, the parade will continue down Saw Mill Hill Street with a pause at the Somersworth-Berwick Bridge for a brief memorial service for those lost at sea. The parade ends at Sullivan Square with a memorial service honoring area veterans.

BIDDEFORD-SACO Opening ceremony at 9:55 a.m. Monday at Saco City Hall. Parade starts at 10 a.m. from Saco City Hall and proceeds along Main Street and down York Hill into Biddeford, continues along Main Street, onto Alfred Street and finishes at Veteran’s Memorial Park with a closing ceremony at 10:45 a.m.

BRUNSWICK-TOPSHAM 9 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from Topsham Town Hall, pauses for observances while crossing the Brunswick-Topsham bridge and concludes at the Brunswick Mall.

CAPE ELIZABETH 9 a.m. Monday. Parade begins at the middle school parking lot, turns right on Scott Dyer Road, right onto Route 77 and ends at the village green adjacent to the town hall. A brief ceremony and laying of the wreath will be held at the Village Green after the parade.

CUMBERLAND 8 a.m. Monday. Kids run at Greely High School followed by 5K Run and Remember race at 8:30 a.m. Parade starts at 10 a.m. at Mabel I. Wilson School and ends at the veterans’ monument in Moss Side Cemetery in Cumberland Center, where a ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. Advertisement

FALMOUTH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from 65 Depot Road (Falmouth American Legion) to Pine Grove Park, where a ceremony will be held.

FREEPORT 9:30 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds from Holbrook Street, heads north on Main and makes a right onto School Street, then right onto Park Street, ending in Memorial Park. There will be a small ceremony in the Memorial Park starting at 10 a.m.

GORHAM 11 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Village School (12 Robie St.) and ends at Eastern Cemetery on Johnson Road.

GRAY 11:30 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves the Russell School (8 Gray Park), proceeds to Shaker Road and continues to the Soldiers Monument at the intersection of Routes 26 and 3 for a wreath-laying ceremony. Parade continues north to the American Legion Post (15 Lewiston Road) for a closing ceremony.

LYMAN 1 p.m. Monday. Parade starts at Waterhouse Road/Mill Pond in Goodwins Mills and ends at the Lyman Town Hall on South Waterboro Road.

NEW GLOUCESTER 9 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves from Memorial Elementary School (86 Intervale Road) and heads down Intervale Road to Route 100/202 to Veterans Park for a memorial service. The parade will reconvene and go down Peacock Hill Road, then take a left on Gilmore Road. Advertisement

OLD ORCHARD BEACH 1 p.m. Monday. Parade starts at the corner of Ballpark Way and E. Emerson Cumming Boulevard and proceeds down Saco Avenue, Old Orchard Beach Street to First Street and ends at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

PORTLAND 2 p.m. Monday. The procession starts at Longfellow School (432 Stevens Ave.) and ends at Evergreen Cemetery for a commemoration ceremony.

SANFORD 10 a.m. Monday. The parade starts at the Sanford Armory (88 William Oscar Emery Drive), proceeds up Gowen Park Drive and ends at Central Park.

SCARBOROUGH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Scarborough High School, turns onto Route 114 and then Route 1, past town offices to the Maine Veterans Home and concludes with a ceremony there.

SOUTH PORTLAND 10:30 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Southern Maine Community College parking lot, proceeds down Broadway to the Veterans Monument for a short Memorial Day recognition service.

WELLS 9 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Wells High School (200 Sanford Road) and proceeds to Ocean View Cemetery for a ceremony and musical performances. Advertisement

WESTBROOK 10 a.m. Monday. Parade proceeds down Main Street and will be followed by a ceremony in Riverbank Park.

WINDHAM 9 a.m. Monday. Parade starts at Windham Town Hall and proceeds onto Route 202 towards Windham High School. At 10 a.m., there will be a ceremony in front of Windham’s Veterans Memorial Flagpole at Windham High School.

YARMOUTH 10 a.m. Monday. Parade leaves from Yarmouth High School (286 West Elm St.) and proceeds to the Memorial Green at Town Hall for a ceremony.

YORK 10 a.m. Monday. Parade starts near St. Christopher’s Church (4 Barrell Lane) and proceeds down York Street to York Town Hall.

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