Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English-Australian comedian, author, playwright, actor and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on series such as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as continuing as a stand-up comedian on stage and television. His style in the 1980s was left-wing political satire. Since then he has published 15 novels and written the musicals We Will Rock You (2002) and Love Never Dies (2010), the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.

Biography

Elton married Australian bass guitar player Sophia Gare, whom he met in 1987, in 1994 and has three children, twins Lottie and Bert, who were born in 1999 and younger son Fred, who was born in 2001. He has lived in Fremantle, Australia; in East Sussex, England; and London, England. Since 2009, Elton and his family have lived in Fremantle. Elton has held dual British/Australian citizenship since 2004. He said he would like to move back to London when his children have finished school.

Elton has psoriasis and his wife has undergone IVF treatments.

Elton is also third cousin once removed to female motorcycle adventurer Lois Pryce.


Politics
Elton champions left wing opinions. Prior to the 1987 UK general election, Elton supported Red Wedge by participating in a comedy tour organised by the campaign.

He was a Labour Party supporter and was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the party.
However, Elton distanced himself with the Party under Tony Blair and New Labour, instead donating and voting for the Green Party, although in April 2015 he stated that he was "back with Labour" for the 2015 General Election.