Giles Watling


Giles Francis Watling is an English actor and British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Clacton since 2017.

Early life and education

Born in Chingford to actress Patricia Hicks and her husband actor Jack Watling, Giles Watling was educated at Forest School in Walthamstow. He is the younger brother of the actress Deborah Watling and the younger half-brother of actress Dilys Watling. The Watlings are all direct descendants of the 19th-century antiquarian/artist Hamlet Watling.

Career

Watling has worked extensively in the British theatre and on television, but is probably best known for the role of the vicar Oswald in Carla Lane's series Bread. He has also directed several UK touring theatre productions. He took on the role of Bob in the UK Tour of 'Priscilla Queen of the Desert' in 2013, and serves on the Board of Directors at the Royal Theatrical Fund, a charity in aid of any person in need who has professionally practised or contributed to the theatrical arts.
He was a Conservative councillor for Frinton ward on Tendring District Council, having been first elected in the 2007 United Kingdom local elections. On 10 September 2014 he was shortlisted in the Conservatives' Clacton open primary to decide the party's candidate against Douglas Carswell in the Clacton by-election and was adopted following a public meeting on 11 September 2014. He lost the by-election in 2014 and the general election in 2015, but was elected in the general election in 2017. Compared with a 24.6% share of the vote he took in the 2014 by-election, his vote share was 72.3% in the 2019 general election.

Filmography