Vegard Ylvisåker Biography: Movies, Wife, Children, Age, Height, Net Worth, Songs, Instagram

Vegard Urheim Ylvisåker is a Norwegian Comedian, singer, musician, and pilot who rose to global prominence as one half of the comedic and musical duo Ylvis.

Alongside his brother, Bård Ylvisåker, he transitioned from a well-established career in Norwegian variety television and live stage revues to international stardom in 2013.

This surge in worldwide recognition was triggered by the release of their novelty electronic dance song, The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?), which was originally intended as a promotional tool for their talk show but evolved into a massive viral hit.

Beyond this specific musical success, he is recognized for his work as a television host, writer, and versatile multi-instrumentalist.

Profile

• Full Name: Vegard Urheim Ylvisåker
• Date of Birth: May 19, 1979
• Age: 46 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of Birth: Trondheim, Norway
• Nationality: Norwegian
• Profession: Comedian, singer, musician, and pilot
• Height: 1.74 m
• Eye color: Blue
• Hair color: Brown
• Parents: Hans Terje Ylvisåker and Helga Urheim
• Siblings: Bård Urheim Ylvisåker and Bjarte Urheim Ylvisåker
• Spouse: Helene Helgesen Ylvisåker
• Children: Emma Helgesen Ylvisåker, Madura Helgesen Ylvisåker
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Christian
• Ethnicity: Norwegian
• Net worth: $5 million

Early Life and education

Vegard Ylvisåker is now at the age of 46 and was born on May 19, 1979, in Trondheim.

His father, Hans Terje Ylvisåker, worked as an engineer, a profession that dictated the geography of Vegard’s younger years.

His mother, Helga Urheim, is from the Sogn district.

Because of his father’s international engineering assignments, the family moved frequently, leading Vegard and his younger brothers, Bård and Bjarte, to spend several years of their childhood in Africa.

Specifically, they lived in Mozambique from 1986 to 1989 and later in Angola from 1993 to 1995 during the civil wars in those regions.

This international upbringing provided a unique cultural backdrop before the family eventually settled back in Bergen, Norway.

During his school years in Bergen, he attended Fana Gymnas.

It was during this period that his trajectory toward the performing arts solidified, particularly through his involvement in school theater programs.

While he was classically trained on the viola, his professional path diverged into comedy and television.

In addition to his entertainment career, he pursued a rigorous technical education later in life to become a licensed commercial pilot, reflecting a long-standing interest in aviation.

Personal Life

Vegard Ylvisåker has maintained a stable personal life throughout his decades in the public eye.

He began a long-term relationship with Helene Helgesen many years before they officially wed.

The couple eventually married on July 2, 2011, in a ceremony held in their home city of Bergen.

Together, they have three children.

Their eldest daughter, Emma Helgesen Ylvisåker, has followed in her father’s musical footsteps, notably winning a major national youth singing competition in 2019.

Their second child is a daughter named Madura Helgesen Ylvisåker, and they welcomed a third child, a son, in the summer of 2015.

The family resides in Bergen, where Vegard balances his high-profile comedy career with his work as a pilot.

Career

Vegard Ylvisåker journey began in 2000 when he and his brother Bård were discovered by producer Peter Brandt.

They launched their first professional variety show, Ylvis en kabaret, which laid the groundwork for their signature style of blending absurd comedy with high-quality musical production.

Throughout the 2000s, they became staples of Norwegian television and theater, hosting programs such as Norges herligste and Ylvis møter veggen.

In 2011, they launched the talk show I kveld med YLVIS, which became a flagship program for TVNorge.

The show featured a mix of celebrity interviews and elaborate musical parodies.

The year 2013 served as a major turning point when their song The Fox reached the top of international charts and led to appearances on major American talk shows.

Following this global peak, they continued to innovate in Norway, creating the musical documentary series Stories from Norway in 2018.

In this series, they used elaborate musical numbers to tell the stories of real Norwegian news events.

In 2019, Vegard competed in the first season of the reality competition Kongen Befaler, the Norwegian version of Taskmaster, where he emerged as the overall winner.

In recent years, he has continued to produce content through his company, Concorde TV, and has appeared in series such as Ylvis i Sogn in 2022 and Ylvis mot Ylvis in 2024.

Awards

• Gullruten Award for Best Talk Show for I kveld med YLVIS (2012)
• Gullruten Award for Best Entertainment Program for I kveld med YLVIS (2013)
• Spellemannprisen Award for Hit of the Year for The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) (2013)
• Gullruten Award for Best TV Moment (2014)
• MGP Jr. (As a songwriter/father of winner Emma Ylvisåker) (2019)
• Nomination for Gullruten Award for Best Music – Original Score for Stories from Norway (2018)

Net worth

Vegard Ylvisåker has an estimated net worth of $5 million.

This wealth has been accumulated through his multifaceted career as a television creator, performer, and producer.

A significant portion of his earnings stems from the massive commercial success of The Fox, which garnered hundreds of millions of streams and significant royalty payments.

Social Media

• Instagram: @vegardylvisaker
• X: @YLVIS
• TikTok: @ylvis_official
• YouTube: Ylvis

Filmography

• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Norwegian Voice) (2002)
• Ylvis møter veggen (2008)
• Hvem kan slå Ylvis? (2009)
• Nordens herligste (2010)
• I kveld med YLVIS (2011–2016)
• Stories from Norway (2018)
• Kongen Befaler (2019)
• Ylvis på holmen med Calle og Magnus (2020)
• Ylvis i Sogn (2022)
• Takk for alt (2023)
• Ylvis mot Ylvis: Kampen om gullplaten (2024)

Discography

• Rumour Says (2001)
• Kjempeform (2004)
• Stonehenge (2011)
• Someone Like Me (2012)
• Jan Egeland (2012)
• The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) (2013)
• Massachusetts (2013)
• Trucker’s Hitch (2014)
• Mr. Toot (2014)
• I Will Never Be A Star (2014)
• Ytterst på tissen (2014)
• A Capella (2016)
• Engine For Gabriel (2016)
• Firkantfar (2022)
• Lunken Mat (2022)

Books

• Hva sier reven? (2013)