Career: While still presenting, Brydon ventured into comedy, and made ends meet by providing voices for adverts and animations. A small role in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels inspired him to make a short film of his comic characters; series of Marion & Geoff, A Small Summer Party and The Keith Barret Show followed. Other credits include Director's Commentary, Human Remains, Supernova, A Cock and Bull Story, Little Britain, Annually Retentive and Gavin & Stacey. He's also hosted his own BBC chat show and has chaired the comedy panel show Would I Lie to You? since 2009. In 2010, he starred alongside Steve Coogan in the partially improvised BBC Two sitcom The Trip and has since appeared in its follow-up.

Career: After graduating, Mitchell worked an usher at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. He and Webb took a number of shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival before being asked to write for Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller and for surreal comedy series Big Train. In 2001, they made their first sketch show, The Mitchell and Webb Situation, which ran for six episodes on the now-defunct cable channel Play UK. Their next project came in 2003, with the award-winning Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show. They've also worked together on That Mitchell and Webb Sound, That Mitchell and Webb Look and the film Magicians. Solo, Mitchell has appeared on 10 O'Clock Live and numerous panel shows, including Would I Lie to You?, where he's a regular team captain. His autobiography, Back Story: A Memoir, was published in 2012.

Career: His success as a stand-up was crowned when he won an award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He came to the attention of TV bosses after a stint on the radio. Lee was cast in The Sketch show alongside long-term collaborator Tim Vine. After a short-lived stint presenting They Think It's All Over, Mack and Vine began work on Not Going Out. The series revolves around two friends with opposite backgrounds and personalities, much like the two comics themselves. Mack has recently become a regular on comedy panel shows such as Would I Lie to You? and Have I Got News for You. He also has sell-out tours and best-selling DVDs to his name.

Career: History later repeated itself when Davis landed bit parts in Star Wars: Episode One, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Over the past 30 years he has become one of Britain's most in-demand actors, featuring in Jack the Giant Slayer; the Leprechaun movies; several Harry Potter films; Ricky Gervais projects Extras, Life's Too Short, and An Idiot Abroad, and Oscar-winning drama Ray. More recently he's been involved in ITV projects Perspectives: Warwick Davis - The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz, and Weekend Escapes with Warwick Davis. In 2014, he hosted a relaunched version of quiz show Celebrity Squares.

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.

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.

Career: Simpson rose through the ranks at the BBC and became its political editor in 1980. A year later he was the anchor on The Nine O'Clock News and became diplomatic editor in 1982. Simpson also worked as a correspondent in South Africa, Brussels and Dublin. In 1988 he became BBC world affairs editor, and has presented the occasional current affairs programme Simpson's World. John has reported on some of the most historic events of the past 30 years, including the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the fall of Ceausescu, the 1991 Gulf War and the Kosovo War. He also famously reported from Afghanistan disguised in a woman's burqa.