Mock the Week

Dara O Briain (Host)

Born: February 04, 1972 in Bray, Co Wicklow, Ireland

Best Known For: Mock the Week.

Early-life: Born in Bray, Co Wicklow, on February 4, 1972, and attended a tough school on Dublin's southside. He studied maths and theoretical physics at University College, Dublin. While a student there, he was both the auditor of the Literary and Historical Society (the university's oldest debating society and the official College Debating Union) and the co-founder and co-editor of the University Observer college newspaper. In 1994, he won the Irish Times National Debating Championship and the Irish Times/Gael Linn National Irish language debating championship.

Career: O Briain's first post-uni job was as a children's TV presenter for RTE. He also began performing stand-up gigs on the Irish comedy circuit. He came to prominence as a team captain on the Irish topical panel show Don't Feed The Gondolas (1998-2000). He then toured heavily, performing across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. In 2002, O Briain began making appearances on British TV shows. He has hosted the comedy panel game Mock the Week since 2005, and continues to perform stand-up. He took over from Adrian Chiles as the host of The Apprentice: You're Fired! in 2010, but quit in 2014. He has also branched out into maths and science with the series School of Hard Sums and Stargazing Live.

Quote: On School of Hard Sums: 'I only did it to get the problems, because I quite like doing equations. There's a bit of me that just pined for a bit of maths.'

Trivia: O Briain was one of the six celebrities who took on the Zambezi River for Comic Relief's 2013 Through Hell and High Water challenge.

Hugh Dennis (Panellist)

Born: February 13, 1962 in Kettering

Best Known For: His regular slot on Mock the Week and The Now Show on Radio 4.

Early-life: Peter Hugh Dennis was born in Kettering on February 13, 1962. His father was Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich. Hugh read geography at Cambridge, where he joined the famous Footlights and met future comedy partner Steve Punt. After graduating, he worked at Unilever for six years. Hugh and Steve worked the comedy circuit, including London's Comedy Store. There, they were spotted by Jasper Carrott, who offered the pair a slot on his show Carrott Confidential.

Career: Punt and Dennis moved on to work on The Mary Whitehouse Experience, alongside Rob Newman and David Baddiel, before branching out into their own radio series, It's Been A Bad Week and the hugely popular The Now Show. Over the years, Dennis has appeared in a string of comedy shows, including The Imaginatively Titled Punt and Dennis Show, Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You. As well as keeping busy with plenty of voice-over work, Dennis is also an accomplished actor. His CV boasts roles in My Hero and the popular sitcom Outnumbered. He has been involved with The Now Show on Radio 4 since 1998.

Quote: 'Everyone's careers go at different paces; you need to forget what other people are doing and concentrate on your own progress.'

Trivia: Away from performing, in 2007, Dennis took part in a mountain stage of the Tour de France.

Andy Parsons (Panellist)

Best Known For: Mock the Week

Early-life: Born in 1967, Parsons attended the prestigious Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Devon before going to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he met Henry Naylor and formed a double-act which twice toured with the National Student Theatre Company and once with Footlights. After studying law, he established, with Naylor, London's first sketch comedy club. His first TV writing job was for Spitting Image and he went on to become one of the show's main writers.

Career: Parsons has gradually built up a following among comedy fans, thanks to his inspired live performances and more mainstream exposure. He has appeared as a guest on They Think It's All Over, QI, and BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk. He became a regular panellist on Mock the Week at the beginning of series three. He also performs regularly across the UK and has become a stalwart of the world's major comedy festivals. He's regularly performed solo shows at the Edinburgh, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide Comedy Festivals. His first live DVD, Britain's Got Idiots, was a big hit in 2009.

Quote: On the British: 'What do we want?' ‘A pie and a kip!' ‘When do we want it?' ‘Ooh, we don't want to make a fuss'.'

Trivia: In 2010, Parsons took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala benefit show in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

Katherine Ryan (Panellist)

Born: June 30, 1983 in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

Best Known For: Being a comedian.

Early-life: Katherine was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on June 30, 1983. During her childhood, Katherine and her two younger sisters spent most summers in Cork visiting their paternal grandparents. She went on to study city planning at university and ended up training waitresses at Hooters. In her spare time, she attended open mic comedy nights.

Career: Ryan moved to the UK to work for a fashion magazine and began finding stand-up work. She is now a regular guest on Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. She has also starred in the sitcoms Campus, Episodes and Badults.

Quote: 'In the UK, people will go out and see music and comedy every night of the week, but that just doesn't happen in Canada and America.'

Trivia: Ryan has battled two bouts of skin cancer.

Ed Byrne (Panellist)

Born: April 16, 1972 in Dublin

Best Known For: His stand-up tours.

Early-life: Ed Byrne was born on April 16, 1972, in Swords, Dublin. He was interested in comedy from an early age - he credits his brother's Billy Connolly albums as an early inspiration - but initially seemed to be set on a very different career path when he left Ireland at the age of 18 to study horticulture at the University of Strathclyde. He dropped out of the course after a friend encouraged him to concentrate on comedy - Ed says that every time he said something funny, his mate would tell him to write it down.

Career: Byrne's career initially got off to a flying start. His first solo show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1996 was a huge success, and two years later he was nominated for a prestigious Perrier Award, while also making well-received appearances on TV. By Ed's own admission, he experienced a slump in the early to mid-noughties - he blames it on a combination of being burnt out and making some bad decisions in regard to his TV work. However, in 2006, he proved he'd got his mojo back with the shows Standing Up, Falling Down and Different Class. Away from stand-up, he's also acted in the drama Reunited and the film Round Ireland with a Fridge, and is a regular on Mock the Week.

Quote: 'As I've got older and have more stories to tell, and I guess a more interesting view of the world, my material just got a bit better.'

Trivia: In 2010, he signed a letter with other public figures opposing Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.

Stewart Francis (Panellist)

Best Known For: Being a stand-up comedian.

Early-life: Stewart was born in Toronto to British parents.

Career: Francis was a season regular on Canadian sitcom An American in Canada, which ran for two seasons from 2003 to 2004. He has written for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Gemini Awards and Puppets Who Kill, but he is best known as a stand-up comedian. Thought of as the king of the one-liner, he took part in his first solo tour at the age of 51 as the support for Ricky Gervais. Since then, he has embarked on several headlining national tours in the UK and is a regular on TV panel shows, including Mock the Week and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He has also performed stand-up on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Live at the Apollo.

Quote: 'If I only made my wife chuckle, that would suit me fine.'

Trivia: Francis supports the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Rob Beckett (Panellist)

Geraldine Dowd (Director)

Ewan Phillips (Producer)

11:40 pm - 12:20 am, Sunday, March 15 on U&Dave ja vu (74)

About this Broadcast

Season 12, Episode 7

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