Would I Lie to You? - More Unseen Bits - Series 17 - 01:45 am Wednesday, January 21 on U&Dave ja vu

Rob Brydon (Host)

Born: May 03, 1965 in Swansea

Best Known For: His chat show and Gavin & Stacey.

Early-life: Born Robert Brydon Jones in Swansea, South Wales, on May 3, 1965. His early years were spent in Baglan near Port Talbot before he and his family moved to Porthcawl. He attended two secondary schools, one alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones, the other with Ruth Jones. Under the guidance of his drama teacher at the local comprehensive school, his interest in acting grew, leading to him attending The Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. During the second year of his course, he quit to work for BBC Wales and enjoyed six years of presenting work on local TV and radio stations.

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.

Quote: "I was always very good with girls, I could talk to them no problem at all. But I could never close the deal. You need Dutch courage to do that, to kiss them."

Trivia: He released an autobiography, Small Man in a Book, in 2011.

David Mitchell (Team captain)

Born: July 14, 1974 in Salisbury

Best Known For: Being one half of hysterical duo Mitchell and Webb.

Early-life: Born David James Stuart Mitchell in Salisbury on July 14, 1974. He has a younger brother called Daniel. His parents were hotel managers who later moved to Oxford, where they became lecturers in hotel management. He claims he always wanted to be an actor or comedian, but told people he planned to become a barrister to please his parents. In 1993 David went to Peterhouse College, Cambridge, to study history. He performed with the famous Cambridge Footlights, eventually becoming the society president. It was in his first year at university that he met Robert Webb at an audition for a student pantomime production of Cinderella.

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.

Quote: "I think, fundamentally, the people I want to make laugh are British. I can't ever imagine living abroad."

Trivia: He writes columns for The Observer and The Guardian.

Lee Mack (Team captain)

Born: August 04, 1968 in Southport

Best Known For: His role as namesake Lee in BBC comedy Not Going Out.

Early-life: Born Lee Gordon McKillop in Southport, Manchester. He lived with his parents above a pub before their divorce and he relocated to Blackburn. He left school at sixteen and worked as a stable boy and a bingo caller before his talent for performing was realised. He joined Pontin's as a Bluecoat but was sacked for shouting profanities at the audience and going on stage drunk. He entered an open-mike competition in 1994 and his talent was so obvious that he was to become a full-time comic within 18 months.

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.

Quote: "I'm not as bothered about being as cool as I was 10 years ago. I quite like the idea of being phenomenally uncool."

Trivia: In June 2012, Mack was one of the comperes at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace.

Charlie Brooker (Panellist)

Born: March 03, 1971 in Reading

Best Known For: Screen Wipe and News Wipe.

Early-life: Born Charlton Brooker in Reading on March 3, 1971, but grew up in Oxfordshire. He studied for a BA in media studies from the Polytechnic of Central London (now the University of Westminster), but never graduated. He began writing for PC Zone magazine and gained a reputation for his acerbic style - one of his cartoons caused the mag to be pulled from shelves.

Career: From 1999 to 2003, Brooker penned the satirical TVGoHome website, a regular series of mock TV schedules; a TV sketch show based on the site was broadcast on UK digital station E4 the same year. Brooker wrote Screen Burn, a TV review column for The Guardian newspaper's Saturday entertainment supplement The Guide, from 2000 to 2010. Brooker was one of the writers of Channel 4's The Eleven O'Clock Show and a co-host (with Gia Milinovich) on BBC Knowledge's The Kit. Together with Brass Eye's Chris Morris, Brooker co-wrote the sitcom Nathan Barley, before launching his signature show, Screen Wipe, in 2006; News Wipe followed in 2009. He also wrote zombie satire Dead Set and many episodes of acclaimed drama Black Mirror.

Quote: "'Proper work' usually involves performing a task you hate on behalf of people you'd gleefully club to death with a bull's knee if only it were legal to do so".

Trivia: Brooker has written a number of books, including I Can Make You Hate.

Johnny Marr (Panellist)

Craig Charles (Panellist)

Born: July 11, 1964 in Liverpool

Best Known For: Playing Lister in Red Dwarf and Lloyd in Coronation Street.

Early-life: Craig Joseph Charles was born in Liverpool on July 11, 1964. His father was a lorry driver and his Irish mother was a teacher. He grew up in Liverpool with three brothers, one of whom, Emile, is also an actor. As the only mixed race student in his class he turned to comedy to stop being bullied. He showed a talent for literature, winning The Guardian's poetry award at the age of 12, but dreamed of being a professional footballer. He played for Liverpool's youth team and had a spell at Tranmere Rovers.

Career: Charles started in showbusiness as a stand-up comedian and performance poet; he also wrote lyrics for various songs and played keyboard in the band Watt 4. In 1988, he landed the role of Lister in cult BBC sitcom Red Dwarf. He's also appeared in The Governor, EastEnders, The Bill, Doctors, and Captain Butler. Charles has hosted chat show Craig's Funky Bunker, presented game shows Robot Wars, Jailbreak, and Takeshi's Castle, and has published several books, including an autobiography. He joined Coronation Street in 2005, playing taxi driver Lloyd Mullaney. He also presents radio shows on the BBC network. In November 2014, he entered the jungle as a contestant on I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Quote: "There's nothing like a bit of jail to change your outlook. It puts weird things inside your head - my perspective is very different now. I'm much more suspicious."

Trivia: Charles regularly performs DJ sets at clubs and festivals.

Kimberley Walsh (Panellist)

Born: November 20, 1981 in Bradford

Best Known For: Girls Aloud.

Early-life: Born Kimberley Jane Walsh in Bradford on November 20, 1981. She went to Beckfoot Grammar School near Bingley and made her TV debut as a child in an advert with her sister for ASDA. She attended the Bradford-based theatre school Stage 84.

Career: In 2002, Walsh landed her big break on talent show Popstars The Rivals when she was selected to appear in the line-up for new girl group Girls Aloud, alongside Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Cheryl Cole. The group topped the charts with their debut single, Sound of the Underground, and they have had continued success with singles, albums and tours. After a three-year break, the girls reunited in 2012 to perform the official charity single for Children in Need. Away from performing with Girls Aloud, Walsh made her West End debut playing Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical, and partnered with professional dancer Pasha Kovalev on Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: 'I'm constantly on a diet. I'm not confident or comfortable with my body."

Trivia: Walsh publicly apologised for smoking cannabis after being caught on camera smoking a spliff in June 2006.

Frankie Boyle (Panellist)

Born: August 16, 1972 in Glasgow

Best Known For: His Mock The Week appearances.

Early-life: Francis Martin Patrick Boyle was born August 16, 1972, in Pollokshaws on the south side of Glasgow. His parents came from Co Donegal in Ireland. After leaving school he studied urban planning at Aston University for a year before dropping out to do an English literature degree at the University of Sussex. In 1995, while on a teacher-training course in Edinburgh, he started doing stand-up comedy. He got his big break at Edinburgh's The Stand Comedy Club. However, it was his appearances on BBC comedy news review show Mock the Week that helped turn him into a household name.

Career: Boyle was dubbed 'The dark heart of Mock the Week' by host Dara O Briain, and enjoyed massive success with a series of stand-up shows around the UK. However, Boyle has also courted plenty of controversy with his comments on a range of subjects. He left Mock the Week in 2009; he released his autobiography the same year and in 2010 launched comedy show Tramadol Nights on C4. He also writes a weekly tabloid column, and his tours have gone down a storm in many parts of the UK. However, a pilot for a proposed talk show called Frankie Boyle's Rehabilitation Programme was described as 'non-transmittable'.

Quote: "As long as you're not trying to solicit murder, there's no line that you can't cross."

Trivia: Boyle has published an autobiography and two other books.

Will Mellor (Panellist)

Born: April 03, 1976 in Stockport

Best Known For: Hollyoaks and Casualty.

Early-life: Born April 3, 1976, in Stockport, Cheshire. He hated school, apart from playing football at lunchtime. Mellor hoped to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps by becoming a boxer, and even took part in amateur bouts, but decided to concentrate on showbusiness instead. At 11, he sang at his sister's wedding reception, where he was spotted by an agent who told him he should try performing professionally.

Career: Mellor's TV debut came in 1987 when he was cast as a young Clive Barker in a documentary. Three years later, he landed a regular role in Children's Ward, but didn't become well known until Hollyoaks began in 1995. He played the character Jambo for three years. A stint in musical Oh What a Night followed. Since then he's starred in Casualty, Is Harry on the Boat?, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and M.I.T: Murder Investigation Team, as well as having a stint in EastEnders. Mellor also had a short-lived pop career and won Celebrity Fame Academy in 2003. Projects since include In With the Flynns, White Van Man and Broadchurch.

Quote: "There's only so many times I can come in to work with hangovers. I'm trying to take everything a bit more seriously in life, especially my work, because now I've got something to work towards. I've got my children to look after."

Trivia: Mellor has modelled for Topman.

Jeremy Vine (Panellist)

Born: May 17, 1965 in Epsom, Surrey

Career: During a varied career at the BBC, Vine has been a researcher on Heart of the Matter, a reporter on the Today programme, a political and African correspondent, and an anchor on Newsnight. Since 2006, he has analysed the results on BBC's election night coverage. In 2007, he became the presenter of Panorama and a year later started hosting Points of View. Since October 2008, Vine has shared the hosting role of BBC Two quiz Eggheads with Dermot Murnaghan. He has presented the lunchtime show on Radio 2 since 2003. In August 2015, it was announced that he would be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: On playing in a punk band: "We wore enormous flared trousers and kipper ties and it started to take off and we were on Radio 1. But it was a catastrophic musical enterprise."

Trivia: In July 2013, Vine's Radio 2 show became the most popular news programme on UK radio with 7.3 million listeners a week. He played in a punk band in the early 1980s with his brother and a friend.

Best Known For: His work at the BBC.

Early-life: Jeremy Guy Vine was born in Epsom, Surrey, on May 17, 1965. His younger brother is comedian Tim Vine. Jeremy was educated at Durham University. After a period working on Metro Radio, he took a journalism training course with the Coventry Evening Telegraph before joining the BBC in 1987.

Danny Jones (Panellist)

Charlene White (Panellist)

Amy Gledhill (Panellist)

Jessica Knappett (Panellist)

Sam Campbell (Panellist)

Mo Gilligan (Panellist)

Zoe Waterman (Producer)

Jake Graham (Producer)

Liz Clare (Director)

Barbara Wiltshire (Director)

Adam Copeland (Series producer)

Peter Holmes (Executive producer)

Rachel Ablett (Executive producer)

Would I Lie to You?: More Unseen Bits - Series 17

01:45 am - 02:25 am, Wednesday, January 21 on U&Dave ja vu (74)

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More Unseen Bits - Series 17
Season 17, Episode 11

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