Career: Merton worked at the Tooting Employment Office while gaining experience at the London Comedy Store before moving onto the cabaret circuit. He made his TV debut in a small role in a 1984 episode of The Young Ones. After 10 years of performing, his TV career took off thanks to Whose Line Is It Anyway? He then wrote Paul Merton, the Series for Channel 4. Have I Got News For You made him a household name. He claims a highlight of his career was performing at the London Palladium. Merton also hosted Room 101 and is a regular on TV and radio. He has filmed travelogues to China and India for Channel 5 and presented various documentaries on the subject of comedy and silent film for the BBC.

Career: Hislop began submitting articles to Private Eye in 1980, eventually becoming deputy editor. When editor Richard Ingrams, one of the magazine's founders, quit in 1986, Cook offered him his job. Hislop has also regularly contributed to numerous publications, including The Listener, The Sunday Telegraph, The Spectator, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Literary Review and Time Out. Hislop's TV work began in 1983 with an appearance on Loose Talk and scripts for Spitting Image. He became a familiar face thanks to Have I Got News For You, which began its run in 1990. He also co-wrote family sitcom My Dad's the Prime Minister.

Career: In 1988, he was offered a job by BBC Radio Scotland, presenting No' The Archie Macpherson Show and Bite the Wax. Armando moved to London a year later after applying for a producer's job. He had already earned a reputation as an edgy performer, but On the Hour and Knowing Me, Knowing You brought him into the limelight as a writer and producer. Since then, Armando has written and produced extensively on TV and radio, including The News Quiz, Quote… Unquote, Brass Eye, The Day Today and The Thick of It. He has presented The Saturday Night Armistice and his own self-titled show. A move into cinema with The Thick of It spin-off In the Loop gained recognition at the 2010 Oscars. His US sitcom Veep has been well-received, and he was part of the writing team for big-screen spin-off Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.