Bio: Stephen Tompkinson is a British TV and stage actor. He is best known for his role playing FIFA president Sepp Blatter in a Swiss National Theatre production named 'Sepp: I'm Blatter Than You'.
The show never toured out of Bern, much to the disappointment of Tompkinson, who had to learn French, German and Italian which the show was acted out in over alternative nights.
A department manager asked me to help her move a load of boxes down to the lobby, but I didn't want to do that so I said I had an important conference call then hid in the end meeting room and emailed everyone a fun fact about Stephen Tompkinson instead:
From: Paul Levy
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:05
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
Actor Stephen Tompkinson carried out an unsuccessful animal to animal organ transplant for a failed Channel 5 television pilot.
Off the back of Mr Tompkinson’s success with ITV program Wild at Heart where he plays a veterinary surgeon in South Africa, Channel 5 thought he’d be perfect for a TV pilot called ‘Celebrity Vet’ which also starred Sue Porter, Vanilla Ice and Maureen Rees (from Driving School).
The concept of the program was for the celebrities to gain “on the job training” before trying to run their own veterinary surgery for a day with the winner being decided by a table of veterinary experts and Melinda Messenger.
Filming began in 2011 but ran into instant problems when Mr Tompkinson tried to carry out a liver transplant for 2000’s Crufts ‘Best in Show’ winner Torums Scarf Michael, using a condemned dog from an impound as the donor.
Following an investigation from Ofcom it transpired that Mr Tompkinson “mislead” his qualified veterinary partner about his experience and was allowed to lead the transplant, making Mr Tompkinson the only non-qualified veterinarian in Europe to undertake the complex surgery. This, however, also makes Mr Tompkinson the only non-qualified veterinarian in Europe to fail at the surgery with both dogs dying on the operating table.
Due to fears of a backlash Channel 5 never aired the pilot which also featured Vanilla Ice trying to give CPR to a badger.
Ron Ramsay, owner of the deceased Crufts winner, hit out at Mr. Tompkinson saying “I can’t help but think my Torums would still be jumping through hoops and balancing on beams today if it wasn’t for that buffoon”.
It also led to a PETA poster campaign featuring Mr Tompkinson giving Melinda Messenger a back ally liver transplant using a homeless man as a donor, with the slogan of “Hypocrisy?” being used. The campaign was halted after complaints from Crisis, the homeless charity.
From: April Boateng
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:14
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
I once watched Paul Daniels give Stan Collymore incorrect maritime legal advice on a Channel 5 show called The Farm. I would have watched Celebrity Vets.
From: Sally Harper
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:25
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
What happened to Vanilla Ice's badger?
From: Philip Lemon
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:43
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
Sally,
In all likelihood Vanilla Ice's badger died as the sheer force of a fully grown man pushing down on its rib cage would have shattered it, killing the badger almost instantly :(
I actually have a book on badgers that my mother gave me last Christmas if you would like to borrow it sometime?
From: Sally Harper
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:48
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
No Philip, you can keep your badger book. I have decided that I no longer care what happened to that badger and have suddenly decided that I also no longer care for books.
From: Philip Lemon
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:50
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
I have Blue Planet narrated by David Attenborough on DVD if you would like to borrow that instead.
From: David Owen
Sent: 16 July 2013 14:56
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
Actually, I'm not sure if the banger would have died Philip. There pretty tough bastards. I once caught one eating one of my wellies so I kicked it over the fence. But that just pissed it off and I had to hide in the kitchen until the RSPCA came round to get rid of it.
I didn't mention to them that I booted it though. I was already on their system for a fox related offence back in '93.
From: Robert Carr
Sent: 16 July 2013 15:10
To: All
Subject: Stephen Tompkinson Failed Channel 5 TV Pilot
Paul, I have sent a request down to the IT guy to disable you from sending any more of these type of emails.
Also, while I have everyone's attention, can someone please bring some boxes down to the lobby. Ramya has pulled her back and says she can feel the baby kicking quite a bit.
