8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
12:00 am - 01:00 am, Monday, January 19 on Channel 4 (4)
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About this Broadcast
Season 29, Episode 1
Jimmy Carr hosts the comedy words-and-numbers quiz, with panellists putting their mental agility to the test. Jon Richardson and Judi Love take on Rob Beckett and Katherine Parkinson. Spencer Jones joins Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner, while maths whizz Rachel Riley looks after the numbers
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Comedy
Game Show/Quiz/Contest
Movie/Drama
Show/Game Show
Cast & Crew
Jimmy Carr
(Host)
Susie Dent
(Contributor)
Rachel Riley
(Contributor)
Joe Wilkinson
(Panellist)
Jon Richardson
(Panellist)
Judi Love
(Panellist)
Rob Beckett
(Panellist)
Katherine Parkinson
(Panellist)
Spencer Jones
(Contributor)
More Information
Did You Know..
Jimmy Carr
(Host)
Born:
September 15, 1972
in
Slough
Best Known For:
His stand-up comedy
Early-life:
James Anthony Patrick Carr was born in Slough on September 15, 1972, one of three sons of Irish immigrants. His parents split in 1994, though the marriage didn't end until the death of his mother in 2001. Jimmy did well at school and studied political science at Cambridge before moving into advertising. He landed a job in the marketing department of Shell Oil, but felt unfulfilled. When the company offered him voluntary redundancy, he took it, and decided to pursue a career in comedy.
Career:
Carr began performing on the stand-up circuit, doing up to 300 shows a year for three years, before taking his act to the Edinburgh festival in 2002. This brought him to the attention of TV bosses, and before long he was presenting series such as Your Face or Mine and Distraction. Since then, he's rarely been off TVscreens, hosting the first run of the Friday Night Project, 8 Out of 10 Cats and numerous Channel 4 list shows. He's also made a move into acting, appearing in Alien Autopsy, Confetti, Stormbreaker and Telstar. He is one of Britain's busiest comics and his DVDs are big sellers.
Quote:
"I'm not being condescending, I'm too busy thinking about far more important things you wouldn't understand."
Trivia:
In February 2007, Carr was the first major comedian to perform in the virtual reality world Second Life.
Susie Dent
(Contributor)
Rachel Riley
(Contributor)
Born:
January 11, 1986
in
Rochford, Essex
Best Known For:
Countdown.
Early-life:
Rachel Annabelle Riley was born in Rochford, Essex, on January 11, 1986. She studied mathematics at Oriel College, Oxford.
Career:
Riley's big break came in 2008 when she was chosen from more than 1,000 applicants to replace Carol Vorderman on Countdown. She presented her first show alongside Jeff Stelling in January 2009, and reached her 1,000th episode in June 2013. Away from the numbers and letters on Countdown, she began co-hosting The Gadget Show alongside Jason Bradbury in June 2013. She was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated.
Quote:
"I don't want girls to aspire to being famous for the sake of being famous. If I was only known for wearing a dress, that wouldn't have any value for me."
Trivia:
Riley won £36,000 for charity on a celebrity edition of The Bank Job. She supports Manchester United.
Joe Wilkinson
(Panellist)
Jon Richardson
(Panellist)
Born:
September 26, 1982
in
Lancaster
Best Known For:
8 Out of 10 Cats.
Early-life:
Jon Joel Richardson was born on September 26, 1982, in Lancaster. He has a sister. His parents split up when he was very young, and he was raised by his mother and her long-term partner; he also maintained a relationship with his father. Jon's teachers often noted what a good sense of humour he had on his school reports, and although he dreamed of being a comedian, didn't think it would be possible. He studied Spanish and Portuguese at university but dropped out, became a chef, then decided to give stand-up a go.
Career:
In 2003, Richardson won his heat of the BBC New Talent Comedy Search, and a year later did well in the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition and J20 Last Laugh Comedy Search. Encouraged by these successes and kind words from Jasper Carrott and Dave Spikey for a performance at the Criterion Theatre in London, his confidence grew. More stand-up followed, including appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He went on to feature on numerous radio shows before moving into TV. Richardson appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Have I Got News For You before becoming a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats. He's since published his first book, It's Not Me, It's You! and taken part in various documentaries.
Quote:
"My big thing is that you should be comfortable on your own in the dark. There's nothing eating away at you."
Trivia:
Richardson fronted the documentary A Little Bit OCD in which he examined the lives of OCD sufferers while trying to work out if he also had the condition. It won a Mind Award for best documentary in 2013.
Judi Love
(Panellist)
Rob Beckett
(Panellist)
Katherine Parkinson
(Panellist)
Born:
March 09, 1978
in
Cambridge
Best Known For:
The IT Crowd.
Early-life:
Born in 1972, Katherine studied at Tiffin Girls' School in London and then read Classics at St Hilda's College, Oxford before moving to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art where she met Chris O'Dowd, her fellow lead in The IT Crowd lead, for the first time. During her studies she left the course to star in the play The Age of Consent.
Career:
While originally intending to pursue a career as a serious actress, her comic abilities saw her quickly noticed by talent scouts. She landed a role in ITV's Doc Marten before The IT Crowd came along. Other recent roles include hit movie The Boat That Rocked and sitcom The Old Guys. She also has several theatre credits.
Quote:
"I always say I owe Lamda so much. It's about 10 grand."
Trivia:
She was awarded the Best Television Comedy Actress award at the British Comedy Awards in December 2009.
Spencer Jones
(Contributor)
