Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, Michael Shipman in the BBC comedy series Gavin & Stacey and Ted Case in the final series of the BBC drama New Tricks. He also appeared on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2016.
Early life Lamb was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, to Jessie White and Ronald Douglas Lamb, the eldest of four including his brother, Wesley, and a sister Penelope. Lamb had a turbulent childhood; he was verbally abused by his father and often had to keep his parents from fighting.
In 2011, Lamb participated in the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? and discovered that he is descended from a line of proprietors of a well-known travelling menagerie, Day's Menagerie, and a lion tamer named Martini Bartlett.
Lamb attended Edmonton County School and on leaving school he worked as a lorry driver's mate (assistant) for, at that time, the UK's largest Waste Paper Merchant, J & J Maybank. Later, he worked as an encyclopaedia salesman, before joining the oil industry, which resulted in his working in Libya and Canada, where he attended St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. This developed his amateur interest in acting to a professional level, and he performed at Canada's Stratford Festival in 1975–1976. Lamb is distantly related to Edward Buckton Lamb (1806–1869), a Victorian architect who designed St Martin's Gospel Oak and St Mary Magdalene Church in Addiscombe.
Career
Acting After returning to Britain from Canada, Lamb became a regular cast member, along with Kate O'Mara, in the BBC's North Sea ferry-based soap Triangle (1981–83), in which he played Matt Taylor, the ship's chief engineer.
Other credits include The New Avengers, The Professionals, Fox, Minder, Lovejoy, Get Back, A Touch of Frost, Our Friends in the North, Taggart, Casualty, Kavanagh QC, Spooks, Midsomer Murders, and The Bill.
Between 2007 and 2010, Lamb appeared in Gavin & Stacey playing Gavin's father, Michael "Mick" Shipman. He returned to the role for a Christmas special in 2019 and again for the show finale in 2024.
In 2008, Lamb began playing Archie Mitchell, the father of Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders. He based his portrayal of Archie on his own father. He left the show in April 2009, but returned in July the same year, around the same time that Danniella Westbrook returned to her role of Archie's niece, Sam Mitchell. Archie was killed off in a murder story line at Christmas, 2009. In 2009, Lamb starred alongside Liam Cunningham in Blood: The Last Vampire, in the role of General McKee. On 19 February 2010, Lamb appeared with his son, George Lamb, in EastEnders Live: The Aftermath, after Stacey Slater was revealed to be Archie's killer in the closing moments of the 25th-anniversary live episode.
In April 2011, BBC Learning launched "Off By Heart Shakespeare", a school-recital contest for secondary school pupils. For the project, Larry took on the role of Jaques from the play As You Like It, and delivered the speech: "All the world's a stage".
It was announced that Lamb would join the cast of New Tricks as Ted Case in series 12.
Lamb's films include Buster and Essex Boys. In 1983, he had a small speaking role in Superman III.
In September 2023, Lamb appeared in the Channel 5 drama series The Inheritance, appearing alongside Samantha Bond, Jemima Rooper, Gaynor Faye, Robert James-Collier and Adil Ray.
Theatre Theatre work includes:
Other work In 2013, Lamb began presenting a regular Sunday morning show on LBC. He is an occasional reporter for the BBC programme The One Show. Lamb took part in Gareth's All Star Choir in 2014, as part of the BBC's Children in Need appeal.
In 2016, he appeared in the sixteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.Who is Larry Lamb? Everything you need to know about the I'm A Celebrity 2016 contestant He became the 6th celebrity to be voted out of the jungle in the 2016 series.
Personal life
Lamb's first marriage was to Anita Wisbey, with whom he had a daughter, Vanessa Lamb (born 1969). Lamb stated on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! that Vanessa has a daughter. Lamb's second marriage was to Linda Martin, with whom he has a son, radio DJ and television presenter George Lamb (born 1979).
Lamb was in a relationship with Clare Burt from 1996 to 2014. They had two daughters, Eloise Alexandra (born 1998), and Eva-Mathilde (born 2003). As of 2017, Lamb resided in Cornwall, and was in a relationship with artist Marie Hugo.
Lamb's autobiography Mummy's Boy was published in 2011. In 2025 he published his debut novel All Wrapped Up.
Awards and nominations Lamb won the award for Best Villain at the 2010 British Soap Awards.
Bibliography
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1978 Superman 1st Reporter 1983 Superman III 2nd Miner 1984 Flight to Berlin Specialist Dale Sizemore My Friend Washington Ben Carlson Original title: Mon ami Washington 1985 Shadey Dick Darnley Underworld Roy Bain 1986 Ubac Larry 1987 Hearts of Fire Jack Rosner 1988 Buster Bruce Reynolds 1998 Place Vendôme Christopher Makos 2000 Essex Boys Peter Chase One of the Hollywood Ten Will Geer 2001 Home Sweet Home (voice) Documentary film 2004 Deadlines Paul Baker Fakers Harvey Steed 2009 Blood: The Last Vampire General McKee 2011 Two Minutes William Short films 2013 Verona Capulet 2014 Rose, Mary and Time Barney's Dad Beachcomber Stephen 2015 Meet Pursuit Delange: The Movie Sam Walters The Briny Peter Short film 2017 The Hatton Garden Job Brian Reader Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate Story Mr. Harris 2019 Brighton Derek 2021 Me, Myself and Di Clifford 2022 Old Windows Harry Short film Hounded Gregory 2025 The 7th Man Narrator
Television Year Title Role Notes1977 The New Avengers Williams Series 2; episode 6: "Trap"1979 Hazell Ned Barrow Series 2; episode 12: "Hazell and the Public Enemy" The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game Steve Episode 5: "Horsenap"1980 Armchair Thriller CPO Chalky White Series 2; episodes 7–10: "Dead Man's Kit: Parts 1–4" Fox Joey Fox Episodes 1–13 The Professionals Jack Craine Series 4; episode 2: "Wild Justice"1981–1983 Triangle Matt Taylor Series 1–3; 78 episodes1982 Saturday Night Thriller Albert Episode 3: "A Gift of Tongues"1983 Jemima Shore Investigates Max Highams Episode 11: "The Damask Collection" 1984 Minder Greg Collins Series 4; episode 6: "If Money Be the Food of Love, Play On" The World Walk Watkins Television film1985 Christopher Columbus Don Castillo Mini-series; episodes 1–41986 Boon Alan Prendergast Series 1; episode 7: "Northwest Passage to Acock's Green" Slip-Up Ronald Arthur Biggs Television film. Alternative title: The Great Paper Chase1987 Theatre Night The Sergeant Series 2; episode 1: "The Devil's Disciple" Sunday Premiere Terry Stewart Episode: "Harry's Kingdom"1988 Due fratelli Mauro Barberi Mini-series; episodes 1–31989 Twist of Fate Davi Mini-series; Parts I & II. Original / UK title: Pursuit 1990 The Paradise Club James Dexter Series 2; episode 6: "Lord of the Files" A Little Piece of Sunshine Desmond Hannah Television film1991 ScreenPlay Ron Bannister Series 6; episode 2: "Broke"1992 Lovejoy Gerald Somers Series 3; episodes 12 & 13: "Highland Fling: Parts One & Two" Between the Lines Dennis Ralston Series 1; episode 12: "Nobody's Fireproof" Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery Kenneth Noye Television film 1992–1993 Get Back Albert Sweet Series 1 & 2; 15 episodes1994 In Suspicious Circumstances Weldon Atherstone Series 4; episodes 9 & 10: "Death Scene: Parts 1 & 2" White Goods Jonnie Dow Television film Screen One Ken Series 6; episode 7: "Doggin' Around" The Wimbledon Poisoner Dr. Donald Templeton Mini-series; episodes 1 & 2 1995 A Touch of Frost Mike Ross Series 3; episode 3: "Dead Male One" Class Act Jimmy Hunt Series 2; episode 21996 Our Friends in the North Alan Roe Mini-series; episodes 6 & 7: "1979" & "1984" Annie's Bar Terry Dunning Episodes 1–10 Strangers Leonard Episode 2: "The One You Love"1997 The Missing Postman Trevor Ramsay Television film1998 Supply & Demand Det. Supt. Simon Hughes Mini-series; episodes 1–61999 The Blonde Bombshell Will Humphreys Mini-series; episodes 1 & 2 Taggart Martin Strange Series 16; episode 3: "Fearful Lightning" Casualty Father Peter Harker Series 14; episode 7: "Everybody Hurts"2001 Kavanagh QC Alan Rainer Episode: "The End of Law" Midsomer Murders Melvyn Stockard Series 4; episode 4: "Who Killed Cock Robin?"2004–2005 The Bill Jonathan Fox Series 20 & 21; 20 episodes2005 Cathedral Thomas Becket Mini-series; episodes 1–5 Murphy's Law George Garvey Series 3; episodes 3–62006 Silent Witness Max Wheaton Series 10; episodes 5 & 6: "Body of Work: Parts 1 & 2" Spooks Iain Kallis Series 5; episode 3: "The Cell"2007–2010, 2019, 2024 Gavin & Stacey Mick Shipman All 22 episodes2008–2010 EastEnders Archie Mitchell 154 episodes2013 Love and Marriage Tommy Sutherland All 6 episodes2015 New Tricks Ted Case Series 12; episodes 2–102017 The Keith & Paddy Picture Show Dr. Houseman Series 1; episode 1: "Dirty Dancing" Mount Pleasant Callum Series 7; episode 1: "The Finale"2019 Pitching In Frank All 4 episodes Thunderbirds Are Go Gomez (voice) Series 3; episode 17: "Getaway"2023 The Inheritance Dennis All 4 episodes2024 Curfew Rhys All 6 episodes Whitstable Pearl Dickie Masters Series 3; episode 4: "Prisoners of the Past" Conflict Sir Martin Wright Mini-series; episodes 3 & 4: "Vastarinta" & "Petos"2025 The Feud Terry Dobson Episodes 1–6 Art Detectives Ron Palmer 4 episodes
References
External links
Larry Lamb at Biogs.com