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Season 3, Episode 5
Richard Ayoade investigates whether he can make himself a brighter, better man with the aid of gadgetry. First, he tests his reactions against TV anchorman Eamonn Holmes, before taking on actor Richard E Grant in a series of concentration challenges that involve controlling a Scalextric model car and flying a drone simply with mind power. The presenter also realises that to prosper in a battle with memory champion Dominic O'Brien he must resort to cheating
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Education/Science/Factual Topics
Technology
Cast & Crew
Richard Ayoade
(Presenter)
Eamonn Holmes
(Guest)
Richard E Grant
(Guest)
Dominic O'Brien
(Guest)
Colin Byrne
(Producer)
Dionne South
(Producer)
Dom Bowles
(Series producer)
Leo McCrea
(Series director)
More Information
Did You Know..
Richard Ayoade
(Presenter)
Best Known For:
The IT Crowd.
Early-life:
Born Richard Ellef Ayoade on June 12, 1977, in London. His mother is Norwegian, his father Nigerian, and Richard is their only child. The family left the capital when he was young and settled in Ipswich. He was interested in film from an early age, and wrote plays and sketches while still at school before landing a place at Cambridge to study law, where he met David Mitchell and joined the famous Footlights group. On leaving university he spent two years writing for TV sketch shows and attempting to become a stand-up comedian.
Career:
Ayoade's breakthrough came when he and Matthew Holness created fictional horror author Garth Merenghi; a stage show featuring the character won the Perrier Award, which was followed by the Channel 4 series Garth Merenghi's Darkplace. Ayoade went on to appear in The Mighty Boosh, Nathan Barley, Bunny and the Bull, and The IT Crowd. He made his big-screen directorial debut with the acclaimed Submarine (which he also wrote, adapting it from the novel by Joe Dunthorne), and has since directed The Double as well as numerous music videos for acts such as the Arctic Monkeys, Super Furry Animals, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kasabian. He's was a team captain on Channel 4 panel show Was It Something I Said? and took over as host of Gadget Man from Stephen Fry.
Quote:
"I find performing very difficult. It's difficult to be a good actor. I get very nervous, even though it sounds disingenuous, because you could legitimately go, 'Well, why do it?'"
Trivia:
Here's Ayoade's tips for aspiring directors: "Try not to get depressed. You need to be healthy so don't get a cold. Get comfortable shoes because you don't sit down for two months."
Eamonn Holmes
(Guest)
Born:
December 03, 1959
in
Belfast
Best Known For:
His time as a host on GMTV
Early-life:
Born December 3, 1959, in Belfast. He grew up during the height of The Troubles with his father, Leonard, a master carpet-fitter, and his mother Josephine, who stayed at home to look after Eamonn and his four brothers. He was a TV addict as a child and at grammar school his ambition to be a TV journalist was seen as unconventional. Instead, he was urged to go for medicine, law, or the church.
Career:
After attending St Malachy's College in Northern Ireland, his first job was on a building magazine. He got his break at 21 on an Ulster news programme - as the youngest-ever anchorman. BBC One phone-in show Open Air followed in 1986, and from there he moved to GMTV, where he spent 12 years. He now hosts Sky News's Sunrise four days a week, and presents This Morning with his wife Ruth Langsford on Fridays; they also co-present the game show Gift Wrapped. Has also hosted the National Lottery, The Feelgood Factor, Sporting Greats, Pass the Buck, Hard Spell and Sudo-Q, as well as numerous sports-related shows.
Quote:
'I have learned the most important thing you can give people in life is time.'
Trivia:
Away from work, he is a dedicated supporter of Manchester United.
Richard E Grant
(Guest)
Born:
May 02, 1957
in
Mbabane, Swaziland
Best Known For:
Withnail and I.
Early-life:
Born Richard Esterhuysen on May 2, 1957, in Mbabane, Swaziland. His mother left home when he was 11, leaving him and his brother Stuart to be raised by their father, the country's director of education. He attended school with Nelson Mandela's daughter. Grant knew from an early age he wanted to act after becoming infatuated with Barbra Streisand. He studied English and drama at university in Cape Town, South Africa, then settled in London, but struggled to make a name for himself.
Career:
Grant gained good reviews for a performance in short film Honest, Decent and True in 1985, alongside Gary Oldman and Arabella Weir. His big break came when Daniel Day-Lewis dropped out of Withnail and I, and Grant took his place. The film was a cult smash. Since then, he's appeared in various films and TV shows, including Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Age of Innocence, LA Story, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Gosford Park, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. His film diary, With Nails, was a best-seller, but a novel, By Design, was disappointing. In 2005, he made his directing debut with the critically acclaimed, semi-autobiographical Wah-Wah. His recent work includes roles in Colour Me Kubrick, Penelope, Cuckoo and The Iron Lady, in which he played Tory politician Michael Heseltine.
Quote:
'Sometimes Hollywood doesn't seem a million miles from a Miss World contest. I just don't have strong enough mental furniture to withstand it.'
Trivia:
In 2006, he helped to expose a $98million scam to sell a bogus AIDS cure.
Dominic O'Brien
(Guest)
Colin Byrne
(Producer)
Dionne South
(Producer)
Dom Bowles
(Series producer)
Leo McCrea
(Series director)
