John Bowler was born in London to a Cockney father and an Anglo-Indian mother, moving with his family at a very young age to Newcastle-on-Tyne where he grew up in the Gosforth area. In fact many people assume he is a Geordie after convincing portrayals in the likes of 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'. He won a scholarship to a school in Yorkshire, where he first got the acting bug and trained in drama school in Glasgow. As well as acting he has written comedy sketches with director Rick Platt, chiefly for corporate videos. He is married with two children.