Edd China

Edward John China (born 9 May 1971) is an English television presenter, mechanic, motor specialist and inventor, best known as being presenter and mechanic on Discovery Channel's television show Wheeler Dealers. He has also appeared on Top Gear, Auto Trader, Scrapheap Challenge and Fifth Gear.

Edd China
Edd China with the "Casual Lofa" at SEMA 2019.
Born
Edward John China

(1971-05-09) 9 May 1971
London, England
EducationKing Edward's School, Witley
Alma materLondon South Bank University
OccupationTelevision presenter, inventor, mechanic
Known forWheeler Dealers
Height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Spouse(s)Imogen China
Website

Early life

China had an interest in cars and mechanics from an early age. He was educated at King Edward's School, Witley in Surrey, and he holds a degree in engineering product design from London South Bank University. While at university, China created the Casual Lofa (driving sofa), which was his first major project of note. It was built to raise money for a Raleigh International expedition to Belize.

Television career

Following the success of his creation of the Casual Lofa, China's first job in television was as a special effects technician for Father Ted in 1994. In 1998, China appeared as a guest on Top Gear Live, driving the Casual Lofa at the Silverstone 'Live Arena'.

The same year, China and the Casual Lofa were also featured on Jeremy Clarkson's DVD The Most Outrageous Jeremy Clarkson Video In The World.... Ever!, where the Casual Lofa was raced at the Thruxton Circuit, in a manner similar to Wacky Races. China was also featured on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast three times over the years, driving the Casual Lofa, Bog Standard and Street Sleeper.

China was a guest on Scrapheap Challenge (known as Junkyard Wars in the United States) in an episode featuring driving beds and sofa cars. In the same year, China was featured in an episode of the television show This Is Your Life featuring Madness front man Suggs. China drove presenter Michael Aspel around old haunts, and delivered Aspel to the television studios on the Casual Lofa.

China was resident designer on the BBC series Panic Mechanic a year later, and was also a guest on Top Gear feature "Build a Bond Car On A Budget", where he showcased a Rover 800 (purchased for £200) that had been modified with budget Bond esque gadgets, such as an ejection seat, for just £100.[1]

In 2005, China was a celebrity guest on BBC's Ready Steady Cook, for a Children in Need Special. He also co hosted the short lived Auto Trader television series alongside Brewer. The series was screened by Discovery Channel.

China was a guest in 2007 on The Culture Show, being interviewed and driving Arthur Smith and various other performers around the Edinburgh Festival.

He, along with Penny Mallory, Tony Mason and Alex Riley, presented a television miniseries for the United Kingdom that examined the history and culture of classic cars, geared toward classic car enthusiasts called Classic Car Club for Discovery Channel, which premiered in 2005.

Wheeler Dealers

China was hired by Discovery Channel and paired with television presenter Mike Brewer in 2003 specifically to make a new car programme: Wheeler Dealers. It became both China's and Brewer's most famous television work to date, and they presented the show together for 13 series, from 2003 to 2017.

On 21 March 2017, China announced on his YouTube channel that he was departing Wheeler Dealers due to disagreements over the direction of the programme.[2] Six days later, in another video, China described how Brewer had telephoned him over the weekend saying that he, his wife and his daughter, were receiving significant online abuse, including death threats, because of China's leaving the show.[3]

Business career

Cummfy Banana

Following the success of his creations as a special effects technician on the comedy television programme Father Ted, China set up Cummfy Banana Limited, in March 1999, as an outlet for his extreme creations. In 2001, China was interviewed about Cummfy Banana's vehicles on ITV's Pulling Power. In 2006, he was interviewed on ITV's This Morning about his Cummfy Banana vehicles.

Grease Junkie

In 2009, China incorporated Grease Junkie Limited (whose website sells Wheeler Dealers and Grease Junkie merchandise) and became managing director. China owned an MOT and servicing garage in Bracknell, Berkshire, called Grease Junkie, which was voluntarily wound up in August 2016, due to his prolonged absence from the business while working in America.[4]

Internet presence

On 1 May 2018, China premiered his new series, Edd China's Garage Revival, on his YouTube channel.[5] So far, only a pilot episode has been made.

China uploads more regularly to his Edd China YouTube channel, which has videos following his notable exploits post-Wheeler Dealers. He answers questions from fans on the channel in the AskEdd series.

World record attempts

China holds the Guinness World Record titles for the fastest shed, toilet, bed, milk float and the largest motorised shopping trolley,[6] among other things.

In 2007, owing to his record attempts, China was featured in a number of programmes, including Fifth Gear, Pulling Power and This Morning, showcasing his creations.

In 2012, China, and driver from the BTCC, Tom Onslow-Cole, were part of an eBay sponsored challenge, to convert a milk float into a drag racer, which then achieved a place in the Guinness World Records, for the world's fastest milk float.[7]

DateDescriptionRecordStatus
October 1998Fastest furniture.140 km/h; 87 mphBroken by China himself (11 May 2007)
9 November 2005Largest motorised shopping trolley, "Trolleyshoppus Rex"[8]2,99 × 1,80 × 3,47 m; 9,8 × 5,9 × 11,4 ft (l×w×h)Record
9 November 2006Fastest office, "Hot Desk"140 km/h; 87 mphRecord
11 May 2007Fastest furniture.[9]148 km/h; 92 mphBroken by Perry Watkins (5 September 2010)
7 November 2008Fastest mobile bed, "‘Street Sleeper"[10]111 km/h; 69 mphRecord
10 March 2011Fastest motorized bathroom, "Bog Standard"[11]68 km/h; 42.25 mphRecord
11 April 2011Fastest garden shed, "'Gone to Speed"[12]94 km/h; 58.41 mphBroken by Kevin Nicks in Fastest Shed, recording 129.831 km/h (80.673 mph) in Yorkshire on 16 September 2017[13]
March 2020Fastest electric Ice Cream Van [14]118.964 km/h; 73.921 mphRecord

Personal life

China is married to Norway-born Imogen.[15]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Channel
1994 Father Ted Special effects technician Channel 4
1998 Scrapheap Challenge Judge
2002 Fifth Gear Himself Channel 5
Top Gear BBC Two
2003–2017 Wheeler Dealers Presenter Discovery Channel
2009 Auto Trader

Bibliography
  • Wheeler Dealers Car Restoration Manual, Haynes Publishing UK, 2015, ISBN 9780857337986
  • Grease Junkie: Tall Stories and Wheel Adventures, Penguin Random House, 2019, ISBN 9780753553541
  • Grease Junkie: A Book of Moving Parts, Virgin Books, 2019, ISBN 9780753553541

References
  1. Top Gear series 1, episode 5. Retrieved 20 June 2008. Bbc.co.uk (1970-01-01). Retrieved on 26 May 2012.
  2. "Edd China on leaving Wheeler Dealers".
  3. "Edd China on Mike Brewer".
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. McKellar, Sean (14 April 2018). "Edd China returns with Garage Revival YouTube series". MotoringBox. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  6. "Cars - Fastest Furniture". 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 19 March 2010.
  7. "eBay Motors BTCC UK Milk Float Breaks World Record [video] | eBay Motors Blog". www.ebay.com.
  8. ABC News. "Going for the Guinness World Record".
  9. Guinness World Records.com. 11 May 2007. "Records -> Travel & Transport -> Cars -> Fastest Furniture" Archived 17 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Fastest mobile bed, guinnessworldrecords.com
  11. Guinness World record for the fastest bathroom |date=4 September 2020 }}, Guinness World Records.com, 10 March 2011.
  12. Guinness World record for the world fastest garden shed, Guinness World Records.com, 1 April 2011.
  13. "Fastest garden shed". Guinness World Records. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  14. World's fastest electric ice cream van created to combat carbon emissions, Guinness World Records.com, 20 August 2020.
  15. Briscoe, Neil. "Edd China and the joys of simple mechanics". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 May 2020.


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