Editing Ben Elton (section)

==Early life and education==
Benjamin Charles Elton<ref name=am>{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2013445 |title=Mr Benjamin Charles ELTON: Member of the Order of Australia| website=Australian Honours Search Facility|date=12 June 2023 |publisher=[[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)]] |access-date= 20 Nov 2024| quote=For significant service to the entertainment industry as a comedian, actor, writer and director.}}</ref> was born at [[University College Hospital]] in [[Fitzrovia]], London,<ref>{{cite news | title = Private Ben | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/private-ben-743480.html | date = 3 October 1999 | access-date = 23 April 2015 | work = [[The Independent]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ben Elton|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/ben_elton/|access-date=2020-11-13|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB}}</ref> the son of Mary (née Foster), an English teacher from [[Cheshire]],<ref>{{cite news | title = Relative Values: Ben Elton and his father | url = https://www.thetimes.com/article/relative-values-ben-elton-and-his-father-wplvb3xxm2p | date = 15 March 2009 | access-date = 1 August 2024 | work = [[The Sunday Times]] | publisher = [[News UK]] }}</ref> and physicist and educational researcher [[Lewis Elton]]. He is a nephew of the historian [[Geoffrey Elton|Sir Geoffrey Elton]] and a third cousin of singer [[Olivia Newton-John]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jan/10/picasso-lightbox-woking-exhibition | location=London |work= [[The Guardian]] | first=Maev | last=Kennedy | title=Picasso, Cocteau and Chagall paintings to be exhibited at Lightbox in Woking | date=10 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Rich|first1=Mari|last2=Smith|first2=Olivia J.|last3=Thompson|first3=Clifford|title=World Authors, 1995–2000|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4qojAQAAIAAJ|year=2003|publisher=H.W. Wilson|isbn=9780824210328}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=The wide–ranging family history of Max Born|author=G. V. R. Born|journal=Notes and Records|year=2002 |volume=56|issue=2|pages=219–262|url=https://doi.org/10.1098/rsnr.2002.0180|publisher=The Royal Society|doi=10.1098/rsnr.2002.0180 |s2cid=72026412 }}</ref> Elton's father is from a [[History of the Jews in Germany|German-Jewish]] family and Elton's mother, who was raised in the [[Church of England]], is of British background.<ref>{{cite web |work=Star Times |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4289797a4501.html |title=Elton sees stupid future |access-date=1 November 2009 |archive-date=30 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130180655/http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4289797a4501.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-21030291_ITM |title=Asia Africa Intelligence Wire (2004) |website=Accessmylibrary.com |date=17 April 2004 |access-date=1 November 2009}}</ref>

Elton grew up in [[Catford]], [[South London]], before moving with his family to [[Guildford]], Surrey in 1968, where he became involved in [[Amateur theatre|amateur dramatics]] groups.<ref name=":0">{{cite news | title = Ben Elton Recounts His Guildford Childhood As He Helps Celebrate Institute's Refurbishment | url = http://www.guildford-dragon.com/2013/10/24/ben-elton-recounts-guildford-childhood-helps-celebrate-institutes-refurbishment/ | date = 24 October 2013 | access-date = 23 April 2015 | work = The Guildford Dragon }}</ref> Reflecting on those times at an event in Guildford in 2013, Elton said: 
{{blockquote|I started with the Curtain Raisers in Onslow Village. Yes, we did Peter Pan in 1969 and mum persuaded me to go along to the audition. For me it was literally an Epiphany. My road to Damascus was Friar’s Gate. I had an absolute revelation. I loved the theatre and I knew I wanted to be involved in story telling and the public arts. From that moment onwards I was completely hooked.<ref name=":0" />}}Raised in a loving<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashe |first=Eliza |date=2012-12-01 |title=What I know about women |url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/what-i-know-about-women-20121127-2a5e2.html |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref> non-religious home,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Brothers-divided-extreme-reasons/story-17454959-detail/story.html |title=Brothers divided for the most extreme reasons |publisher=This is Lincolnshire |date=29 November 2012 |access-date=2 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928010824/http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Brothers-divided-extreme-reasons/story-17454959-detail/story.html |archive-date=28 September 2013 }}</ref> he is an [[Atheism|atheist]].<ref>{{cite news | last = Tryhorn | first = Chris |title=BBC 'scared' of Islam jokes, says Elton|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/apr/02/bbc.television3 | work = [[The Guardian]] |access-date=5 March 2014|date=2 April 2008|quote=Elton described himself as an atheist but said he was in favour of God defined as "the mystery of the universe".}}</ref> Elton studied at Stillness Junior School and [[Godalming Grammar School]] in Surrey, before leaving home at age 16 to study theatre at [[Stratford-upon-Avon College|South Warwickshire College]] in [[Stratford-upon-Avon]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-02|title=Ben Elton: I was never able to say goodbye to Rik|url=https://www.bigissue.com/interviews/ben-elton-i-was-never-able-to-say-goodbye-to-rik-mayall/|access-date=2020-11-14|website=The Big Issue|language=en}}</ref> where he took and passed [[GCE Advanced Level|A-levels]] in English, History and Theatre Studies. In 1977 he went to study drama at the [[Victoria University of Manchester|University of Manchester]], where he met [[Rik Mayall]] and [[Ade Edmondson]], and in 1980 he graduated with [[upper second-class honours]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2002-04-17|title=Ben Elton: You ask the questions|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/ben-elton-you-ask-questions-9137664.html|access-date=2020-11-14|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Funny Business|last=Housham|first=David|publisher=Boxtree|year=1992|isbn=9781852837921|pages=80}}</ref>