What Is Karl Pilkington’s Net Worth?
Karl Pilkington, an English television and radio personality, travel show presenter, writer, actor, and former radio producer, has a net worth of $3 million. He gained fame while producing and appearing on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s Xfm radio program in the early 2000s.
Pilkington has appeared on several television shows, including “The Ricky Gervais Show,” “An Idiot Abroad,” “Derek,” “The Moaning of Life,” and “Sick of It.” He, Gervais, and Merchant founded the television production company RiSK Productions, and Pilkington has published several books.
His books include “The World of Karl Pilkington,” “Happyslapped by a Jellyfish,” “An Idiot Abroad: The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington,” and “The Moaning of Life: The Worldly Wisdom of Karl Pilkington.”
Karl Pilkington’s Early Life and Education
Karl Pilkington was born in Sale, Greater Manchester, England, on September 23, 1972. He was raised with an older brother and an older sister in the Racecourse Estate neighbourhood and attended Ashton-on-Mersey School. Pilkington did not enjoy school and dropped out at the age of 15 to work as a disk and cassette printer as part of a Youth Training Scheme program. He only attended school to sell video games to other students.
Karl Pilkington’s Career Highlights
Karl Pilkington started as a producer at radio station Xfm and eventually became head of production. He gained popularity as a presenter on “The Ricky Gervais Show” and created features such as “Educating Ricky” and “Monkey News.” The show was later turned into an animated series that aired 39 episodes over three seasons. Karl also worked with Gervais and Stephen Merchant on “Extras” and “An Idiot Abroad,” and appeared as an extra in “Cemetery Junction.” He has acted in various television series and films, including playing Dougie on Gervais’ “Derek.” Karl also starred in the travel documentary series “The Moaning of Life” and co-created the Sky One comedy series “Sick of It.” He has done voice-over work for companies such as Vodafone, Unilever, and Sony PSP.
Karl Pilkington’s Personal Life and Hobbies
Karl has been in a relationship with Suzanne Whiston, a journalist and producer, since the ’90s. He used to support Manchester City, but switched to Manchester United in the ’90s, stating that supporting United is like having a tortoise as a pet – not entertaining to watch, but still a responsibility to show interest. In 2014, he designed a card for the Thomas Coram Foundation to be auctioned off on eBay.
Awards and Nominations
In 2010, Karl Pilkington received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program for “The Ricky Gervais Show.” He was also named Best Presenter for “An Idiot Abroad” at the Factual Entertainment Awards in 2011. “The Ricky Gervais Show” earned him a TV Quick Award nomination for Best Comedy Show in 2011. In 2012, Karl received a Broadcasting Press Guild Award nomination for Best Multichannel Programme and a National Television Award nomination for Most Popular Factual Programme for “An Idiot Abroad.”
Seaside Home Purchase
In 2015, Karl Pilkington bought a £2million seaside home in Sandbanks, Dorset, England. The property boasts four bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, a cinema room, and a roof terrace with views of Poole Harbour.
The photo of Karl Pilkington used on this page was taken by Rich Walker and was licensed via Flickr Creative Commons.
