Latest news with #JohnHannah
Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Race Across The World narrator is huge nineties movie star with famous actress wife
Viewers may love the action of Race Across The World but the BBC show's "gentle commentary" has also received praise by fans who have discovered the very famous face behind the voice With no flights and no phones, five duos are attempting Race Across The World 's ultimate challenge as they embark on a 14,000km trek across Asia. Now in its fifth series, the latest line-up of contestants includes a teenage couple as well as a pair who were formerly married – and the show has already brought us plenty of dramatic moments. But while viewers may be caught up with the teams' triumphs and travel disasters, the narrator of Race Across The World has got people at home talking after realising he's a huge nineties movie star. Narrated by actor John Hannah, film fans will be familiar with the 63-year-old's extensive career on our screens having racked up an impressive career. Born in East Kilbride to a cleaner mother and toolmaker father, John has previously opened up about his childhood during an interview with The Guardian in 2014. 'My family lived in a little terraced council house in East Kilbride, Scotland 's first new town, and it was a brilliant place to grow up. The street was full of parents with young children the same age,' he said. 'My childhood memories are like everyone else's in the late 60s and early 70s – endlessly playing football in the street and being at each other's houses. I don't remember school at all – I remember summer holidays and endless sunshine. There probably wasn't any sunshine, but it feels like there was.' Although he initially trained as an electrician, John embarked on a very different path when he later studied acting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Since then he hasn't looked back. In 1994, the Scottish actor secured his breakthrough role in Richard Curtis ' iconic romcom Four Weddings and a Funeral where he played the role of Matthew. The role even saw John nominated for Best Actor In A Supporting Role at the BAFTAs. After being catapulted into the spotlight, four years later John played Gwyneth Paltrow 's love interest in Sliding Doors. As well as this, John's other big screen credits include The Mummy, Damaged and Overboard. On our TV screens, John has starred in many high profile shows including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Frasier and Black Mirror. He also appeared in the 2021 New Year 's Day special of Taskmaster alongside Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Nicola Coughlan, Rylan Clark-Neal and Shirley Ballas. However, it's Race Across The World that many fans adore him for. '#RaceAcrossTheWorld it's great listening to John Hannah's gentle commentary again,' wrote one person on X. 'The John Hannah voice over really adds to Race Across The World,' added another. Away from his glistening career, John is married to actress Joanna Roth after meeting her at the National Theatre when they played opposite each other in Measure For Measure. Having been 'enormously attracted' to her, John invited Jonna for a picnic in Battersea Park, though things didn't go as planned. 'I was leading the way. Then, at a set of traffic lights, I put on the brakes without enough warning and Joanna ran right into the back of me,' he told MailOnline. 'I looked in my mirror and she was slumped over her steering wheel – in embarrassment, as it turned out. But I didn't know that. I scrambled out of my car, raced over to hers, gently eased her out and started comforting her.' Despite the rocky start, the pair's relationship has stood the test of time and they are parents to twins. During lockdown John discussed his life with Joanna, telling The Telegraph about his dreams to give up acting for a year. 'I dream about taking a year my wife Joanna and living somewhere like Buenos Aires in Argentina – and we think about that even more, now that we can't travel,' he said. 'We'd like to rent our house out to give us a bit of income, then spend all our time flamenco dancing and drinking caipirinhas. I like the idea of escaping being an actor for a year and working in a café somewhere very far away.'
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Race Across The World fans are only just realising the show's narrator is a huge nineties movie star - as they gush over 'dulcet tones they will never tire of'
Race Across The World fans have just realised the show's narrator is a huge nineties movie star. The BBC adventure show sees five sets of contestants go head-to-head in a 14,000 kilometers race across China, Nepal and India for a huge cash prize. On Wednesday, a new season of Race Across The World kicked off and was narrated by John Hannah, 63. It saw sisters, Elizabeth and Letitia; former married couple, Yin and Gaz, brothers, Brian and Melvyn; teenage couple, Fin and Sioned and mother and son, Caroline and Tom, all begin their long journeys. Though there's no need for narrator John to play a character in this BBC reality show, he has an impressive acting portfolio. John previously starred in the 1994 film Four Weddings And A Funeral, which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor In A Supporting Role. He also featured in 1998 hit Sliding Doors, amongst many other TV appearances. Some viewers recognised the Scottish actor's voice and took to social media to share their thoughts. Many posted on X: '#RaceAcrossTheWorld it's great listening to John Hannah's gentle commentary again.' 'So glad #RaceAcrossTheWorld is back. A reminder that everyone's life would be better if narrated by John Hannah.' 'The John Hannah voice over really adds to Race Across The World.' In previous years, fans of the show have gushed over John's narration too and posted: 'All caught up on #RaceAcrosstheWorld. Good to hear the dulcet tones of John Hannah narrating the series.' 'I will never tire of hearing John Hannah's voice #RaceAcrossTheWorld.' 'Can we have some appreciation for John Hannah's narration on #raceacrosstheworld - three series in and every word is pitch perfect.' Some viewers recognised the Scottish actor's voice and took to social media to share their thoughts John has provided a voice over for the series since it began back in 2019. The actor has also appeared in an episode of Black Mirror as Richard King, owner of the Lochside Inn. He starred in 27 episodes of TV series Transplant as Chief Of Emergency Medicine Jed Bishop.
Wales Online
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Race Across The World's famous narrator who's been in loads of huge movies and TV shows
Race Across The World's famous narrator who's been in loads of huge movies and TV shows Race Across the World is back on our screens, and that means so is a very famous voice, but who is the show's narrator? Race Across the World is back on our screens, but who is the famous narrator behind the series? (Image: BBC ) Race Across the World is soon to be back on our screens and there are five new couples competing to win the cash prize of £20,000. With no smartphones or bank cards at their disposal they must strategize their way using only the cash equivalent of an airfare to travel from their starting point of The Great Wall of China to Kanniyakumari, which is India's southernmost point. The new series starts back on BBC One tonight, Wednesday, April 23 and despite new teams and new locations one thing remains the same, the narrator. The Scottish voice that narrates the show may sound familiar, and that's because he's a respected actor in both TV and film and has been for the last three decades. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Article continues below Actor John Hannah has provided the narration for every series of Race Across the World including its celebrity spin-off editions since it first began in 2019. Although, many viewers may not just recognised his voice, but also his face as he notably played the bumbling Jonathan Carnahan from The Mummy trilogy alongside Brendan Fraser. He first stepped in to the spotlight when he played Matthew from Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994, for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. John Hannah has featured in several famous film and TV series over the last three decades. (Image: PA ) In 1998, he acted alongside Gwyneth Paltrow in the award nominated film Sliding Doors, where he played Monty Python-quoting love interest. More recently, he has appeared in several TV shows adored by fans across the world including Black Mirror, Silent Witness and the Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Born in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, the 63 year old John Hannah developed a passion for acting and participated in the East Kilbride Rep Theatre Club. After completing his electrician apprenticeship, he attended the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. John Hannah was the original DI John Rebus, in the TV adaptation of the Ian Rankin novels Rebus, but only portrayed the detective character from 2000 to 2001 before the show was taken over by STV Productions. Despite this, he went on to have a successful career, appearing in ITV's crime drama Blood, as Jack Roper in New Street Law, Quintus Lentulus Batiatus in Spartacus, Jack Cloth in A Touch of Cloth, and Jason's father (Aeson) in the BBC series Atlantis. Not only has he narrated Race Across the World, but he also lent his smooth Scottish tones to Roald and Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse and is the voice of the Co-operative Group adverts in Europe. Outside of his acting career, John has been happily married to actress Joanna Roth since 1996. She has appeared alongside her husband in Rebus, the BBC One drama series New Street Law, and the film Sliding now reside in Richmond, London with their two children. This year's series of Race Across the World will feature five new teams including childhood sweethearts from Carmarthen Fin and Sioned; siblings Elizabeth and Letitia; ex-spouses Yin and Gaz; brothers Brian and Melvyn; and mother-son pair Caroline and Tom. Article continues below The new series starts back on BBC One and BBC iPlayer tonight, Wednesday, April 23 at 9pm.
Wales Online
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Race Across The World narrator is a famous movie star who was in the biggest films of the '90s
Race Across The World narrator is a famous movie star who was in the biggest films of the '90s Race Across The World is back on BBC One for a new series this week with a famous name voicing the show once again Polular TV series Race Across The World is back for its fifth series this week with two competitors from Wales and a well-known actor narrating the show once more. This year's thrilling race kicks off at the Great Wall of China. Five teams will traverse three of Asia's most diverse nations - China, Nepal, and India. They'll cover over 14,000km to reach the finish line at Kanniyakumari, the southernmost point of India. The teams are: sisters Elizabeth and Letitia; ex-married couple Yin and Gaz; brothers Brian and Melvyn; teenage couple Fin and Sioned from Wales; and mother-son duo Caroline and Tom. With no smartphones or bank cards, just cash equivalent to the cost of flying the route, the teams will be pushed to their limits in the race for the £20k prize, reports the Daily Record. Race Across The World's contestants for series 5 (Image: BBC/Studio Lambert ) Article continues below While the teams are out exploring, one man is back in the studio facing his own challenge - narrating the popular series. The voice adding depth and detail to the clips belongs to Scottish actor John Hannah, known for his roles in two of the '90s biggest films - Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors. Many Race Across The World fans didn't initially realise it was John behind the narration, with some mistaking his Scottish accent for Ewan McGregor's. However, they soon rushed to X to praise him. John Hannah starred in Spartacus and got his big break in Four Weddings and a Funeral One fan tweeted: "Good to hear the dulcet tones of John Hannah narrating the series. #TopTelly." Another added their praise, saying: "Can we have some appreciation for John Hannah's narration on #raceacrosstheworld - every word is pitch perfect." Further comments from fans included: "I will never tire of hearing John Hannah's voice #RaceAcrossTheWorld." And: "John Hannah makes this commentary #RaceAcrossTheWorld." Hailing from East Kilbride, the 62-year-old actor was catapulted into the limelight following his Bafta-nominated performance as Matthew in the 1994 romantic comedy hit Four Weddings and a Funeral alongside Hugh Grant. He continued his rise to fame with a role opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in the 1998 film Sliding Doors, which also enjoyed box office success. John has since built an impressive portfolio of work, including TV appearances in Spartacus, Cold Blood, Trust Me, and The Last Of Us, as well as films like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Damaged. Married to actress Joanna Roth and a father of two, John has been delighting audiences with his voiceover work on Race Across The World since its inception in 2019. Scott Mills and husband Sam Vaughan won the last series of Celebrity Race Across The World (Image: BBC ) The show has featured two celebrity editions to date, with the most recent being clinched by Radio 2 Breakfast show host Scott Mills and his husband Sam Vaughan, who is from Bridgend. They triumphed over other celebrities such as Jeff Brazier and Kelly Brook, racing through Brazil, leading Scott to express he was "speechless" following their victory. He said: "I can confirm it's the best feeling ever. It's been exhilarating, it's been tough, it's been so frustrating at times, but we've been there for each other, the good, the bad, the ups and downs. It just proves we're a great team – a winning team." Article continues below Race Across The World returns to BBC One on Wednesday, April 23 at 9pm
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Race Across The World fans only just realising it's narrated by a famous '90s movie star
Race Across The World is back for a new series on BBC One with five more pairings trying to make it to the finish line It's become one of the most popular shows on TV and now travel challenge Race Across The World is back for a fifth series - but did you realise it's narrated by a very famous actor. The Great Wall of China is the starting point of this year's epic race when five teams must navigate three of Asia's most diverse nations, China, Nepal and India, in a race of over 14,000km to reach the finish line, Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India. The teams include: sisters, Elizabeth and Letitia; former married couple, Yin and Gaz; brothers, Brian and Melvyn; teenage couple, Fin and Sioned and mother and son, Caroline and Tom. Racing across vast distances without smartphones or bank cards, and armed only with cash amounting to the cost of flying the route, the teams will be pushed to their absolute limits as they race to the finish line to claim the £20k prize. While the teams are busy pushing the travel boundaries, one man is back in the studio facing his own challenge - narrating the popular series. The voice adding colour and detail to the clips is none other than Scottish actor John Hannah who starred in two of the biggest movies of the '90s - Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors. While many Race Across The World fans didn't realise it was the actor at first, with some thinking the Scottish tones belonged to Ewan McGregor, they soon rushed to X to praise him. One said: "Good to hear the dulcet tones of John Hannah narrating the series. #TopTelly." While a second added: "Can we have some appreciation for John Hannah's narration on #raceacrosstheworld - every word is pitch perfect." Another fan commented: "I will never tire of hearing John Hannah's voice #RaceAcrossTheWorld." And: "John Hannah makes this commentary #RaceAcrossTheWorld." Born in East Kilbride, John, now 62, was nominated for a Bafta for playing Matthew in the Hugh Grant movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral, which became a 1994 box office hit and shot him to stardom. He went on to play Gwyneth Paltrow's love interest in the 1998 movie Sliding Doors, which was also a huge success. Since then he's enjoyed an impressive career with TV roles in Spartacus, Cold Blood, Trust Me and The Last Of Us and films like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Damaged. Married to actress Joanna Roth with two children, John has been entertaining Race Across The World viewers with his narration since the series started back in 2019. Since the series launch there has been two celebrity editions with last year's being won by Radio 2 Breakfast show host Scott Mills and his husband Sam Vaughan who managed to out-wit other famous faces like Jeff Brazier and Kelly Brook. After their win, which saw them racing through Brazil, Scott said he was "speechless". He said: 'I can confirm it's the best feeling ever. It's been exhilarating, it's been tough, it's been so frustrating at times, but we've been there for each other, the good, the bad, the ups and downs. It just proves we're a great team – a winning team.'
