Would I Lie to You?

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.

Danny Dyer (Guest)

Born: July 24, 1977 in London

Best Known For: Playing Mick Carter in EastEnders.

Early-life: Danny Dyer was born in Canning Town, London, on July 24, 1977 to Antony and Christine. He began a lifelong love of football as a boy and is an ardent West Ham United supporter. After being spotted by an agent while still at school he made his TV acting debut at the age of 16 in Prime Suspect 3. He went on to appear in episodes of Cadfael, A Touch of Frost, Ruth Rendell Mysteries, The Bill and Soldier Soldier.

Career: Dyer's first film was 1999's Human Traffic and he followed this up with roles in a number of low-budget movies, including Borstal Boy (2000), High Heels and Low Lifes (2001), Mean Machine (2001), The Football Factory (2004), Adulthood (2008) and Vendetta (2013). Dyer had a lead role in Run for Your Wife (2013), which was savaged by film critics and only took £602 during its opening weekend. He has also appeared in a number of stage productions, including Celebration and No Man's Land, and has presented documentaries about football and hardmen. In 2013, he joined the cast of EastEnders as Mick Carter.

Quote: His views on film critic Mark Kermode, who has made disparaging remarks about Dyer's work: "If I see him I don't know how I'm going to react. I'll probably just put the nut on him."

Trivia: In 2007, Dyer became the chairman of non-league football team Greenwich Borough.

Bob Mortimer (Guest)

Born: May 23, 1959 in Middlesbrough

Best Known For: Being Vic Reeves' comedy partner

Early-life: Born Robert Renwick Mortimer on May 23, 1959, in Middlesbrough. He was seven when his father was killed in a car crash. Mortimer and his three brothers were raised by their mother Eunice. He had a trial with Middlesbrough FC, but didn't make it as a professional. Mortimer later studied law and became a solicitor, but grew disillusioned with his career. His life changed when he and a friend went to see fellow northerner Jim Moir, performing as Vic Reeves, in a London nightclub.

Career: Mortimer became involved with the act, which gained a cult following among celebrities. This led to Channel 4 series Vic Reeves's Big Night Out. Its success prompted him to give up his law career. A move to the BBC in 1993 saw Mortimer get equal billing for the first time. Since then, their shows The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, Shooting Stars, Bang, Bang It's Reeves and Mortimer, and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) have been hits. They also penned and appeared in The All Star Comedy Show (with colleague Steve Coogan), and Vic and Bob in Catterick. For years he's claimed that he and Reeves are working on a sitcom about superheroes, but it's yet to see the light of day. Instead, their most recent project has been House of Fools for BBC Two.

Quote: "Whenever Vic and I do something, we like to get really involved and do a bit of everything, from the casting to the costumes. Any mistakes are our own, and you can't pass the buck."

Trivia: Mortimer supports Middlesbrough FC.

Nick Grimshaw (Guest)

Born: August 14, 1984 in Oldham

Best Known For: Being a Radio 1 DJ and a judge on The X Factor.

Early-life: Born Nicholas Peter Grimshaw in Oldham on August 14, 1984. He studied Communication and Media Studies at the University of Liverpool. In 2007 he joined Radio 1 to present the youth strand Switch. From August 2008 to May 2009, he hosted Radio 1's Weekend Breakfast Show, and went on to present the 10pm-midnight slot on the station from June 2009.

Career: Grimshaw's big break came in July 2012 when it was announced he would be replacing Chris Moyles as host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. On TV, Grimshaw has hosted Freshly Squeezed, Style the Nation and The Music Show on Channel 4. In 2013, he filmed cameo roles in EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Home and Away. He has appeared as a guest on 8 Out of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In 2015, he became a judge on The X Factor.

Quote: "I can't bear the early mornings."

Trivia: In 2014, Grimshaw completed a 12-hour bike ride to raise money for Sport Relief.

Clare Balding (Guest)

Born: January 29, 1971 in Kingsclere, Hampshire

Best Known For: Fronting the BBC's horse-racing coverage

Early-life: Clare Victoria Balding was born in Kingsclere, Hampshire, on January 29, 1971. Her father Ian and uncles Toby and William were horse trainers whose love of the sport was passed on to the young rider. She was a leading amateur flat jockey in 1989 and 1990, the same year which saw her crowned as Champion Lady Rider. She left the saddle behind in 1991 to study English at Cambridge, and in 1993 landed her first job in entertainment, presenting the racing bulletin on BBC Radio Five's Danny Baker's Morning Edition.

Career: From there, she progressed to the revamped Radio Five Live, joining the station at its launch in 1994. In that summer, thanks to a recommendation from commentator Julian Wilson, Clare made her TV debut at Royal Ascot, eventually taking over full-time in 1997 alongside former jockey Willie Carson. Since then, she's been a regular on the small screen presenting a wide range of sports, including Wimbledon, the Olympics, and rugby league. She's also branched out into non-sport programmes with the likes of Crufts, Have I Got News For You and Call My Bluff. She's a prolific radio presenter and in 2012 published her autobiography, entitled My Animals and Other Family.

Quote: On moving to London: "I missed the countryside, the village shop where people looked me in the eye and said hello."

Trivia: She received an OBE in 2013 for services to broadcasting and journalism.

Greg Davies (Guest)

Born: May 14, 1968 in St Asaph, Wales

Best Known For: The Inbetweeners, Man Down and his stand-up tours.

Early-life: Greg was born in St Asaph, Wales, on May 14, 1968 but his parents moved to Wem in Shropshire soon after his birth. Before embarking on a career in showbiz, Greg taught drama and English for 13 years at Sandhurst School in Berkshire and Orleans Park School in Twickenham.

Career: Davies started to get noticed for his comedy as one third of sketch comedy group We Are Klang. His big break came in 2008 when he began playing schoolteacher Mr Gilbert in E4's hugely popular sitcom The Inbetweeners. In 2010, Davies's debut solo stand-up show, Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog, was nominated for the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award, which led to a sell-out nationwide tour. His second solo tour, The Back of My Mum's Head, was another sell-out national tour. He plays the lead role in popular Channel 4 sitcom Man Down, a series he also co-writes.

Quote: "I think people find this schoolteacher thing hilarious," he says, "I always get asked if I was actually any good. Well, how do I answer that?"

Trivia: At 6ft 8, it is difficult for Davies to blend into a crowd.

Alex Jones (Guest)

Born: March 18, 1977 in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire

Best Known For: The One Show.

Early-life: Born Charlotte Alexandra Jones in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on March 18, 1977. After training as a ballet dancer as a child, Alex went on to study theatre, film and TV at the University of Aberystwyth.

Career: After graduating, Jones worked as a TV researcher before stepping in front of a camera. She went on to present a number of programmes on S4C, including Can i Gymru, Salon, and Tocyn. Her big break came in 2010 when she became the co-host of The One Show. Since then, she has co-presented Let's Dance for Comic Relief, and in 2011, she partnered with professional dancer James Jordan on Strictly Come Dancing - they were eliminated a week before the final. In August 2014, she began presenting BBC One celebrity gymnastics contest Tumble. Jones began presenting daytime BBC One series Close Calls: On Camera in 2015 and she started co-hosting BBC series Shop Well for Less? in 2016.

Quote: "I grew up on S4C and it doesn't matter whether there are 100 people watching or listening or five million, every single person in that audience is really important."

Trivia: Alex is fluent in English and Welsh.

Jermaine Jenas (Guest)

Richard Osman (Guest)

Born: November 28, 1970 in Billericay

Best Known For: Pointless.

Early-life: Richard Thomas Osman was born in Billericay on November 28, 1970, but grew up in West Sussex. He was raised by his single mum after his father left home - they didn't see each other for 20 years. Richard studied politics and sociology at Trinity College, Cambridge, where his future Pointless colleague Alexander Armstrong was reading English literature. He claims that one of his proudest moments came when his mum and grandfather watched his graduation.

Career: Osman has worked behind the scenes as an executive producer on a number of TV programmes, including Deal or No Deal, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and 10 O'Clock Live. As the UK creative director of TV production company Endemol, he pitched the quiz Pointless to the BBC. As a way of explaining the rules, he played the co-host during a run-through. He was asked to do the role for real when the show was commissioned. Pointless started on BBC Two in 2009 and was an immediate hit. It quickly made the switch to BBC One. Since being in the spotlight on Pointless, he has made guest appearances on QI, Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie to You? He also guest presented an episode of The One Show alongside Alex Jones.

Quote: "Whenever I turn up to pub quizzes now, I see people going: ‘Urgh, that's the guy who knows everything.'"

Trivia: He is the younger brother of Mat Osman, bassist with Suede, and suffers from nystagmus, a condition that results in uncontrolled movement of the eyes.

John Cooper Clarke (Guest)

Professor Germaine Greer (Guest)

Rhod Gilbert (Guest)

Born: October 18, 1968 in Carmarthen

Best Known For: His brilliant performances on Live at the Apollo

Early-life: Born Rhodri Paul Gilbert in Carmarthen, Wales, on October 18, 1968. He has two siblings; their parents were both teachers. Rhod studied languages at Exeter University. On graduation he spent 18 months travelling around Australia before working as a qualitative researcher for various market research agencies in London. He got into professional comedy in 2002, after being nagged into taking a comedy course by his girlfriend. Within 18 months, he had won several different talent competitions.

Career: Gilbert was nominated for the Perrier Newcomer award for his first solo show in 2005 at Edinburgh entitled 1984. He has since performed worldwide, and was the first Western comedian to appear in Taiwan. He has featured several times on shows such as Mock the Week, Have I Got News for You, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Other TV projects include Live at the Apollo, Ask Rhod Gilbert and Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience. He also presents a weekly show on BBC Radio Wales and became the presenter of Never Mind the Buzzcocks in September 2014.

Quote: "In the Bible, God made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights. That's a pretty good summer for us in Wales. That's a hosepipe ban waiting to happen. I was eight before I realised you could take a cagoule off."

Trivia: Gilbert claims to have been so shy during his early days at university that he felt unable to eat in the students' canteen or befriend the guy living in the room next door.

Steve Backshall (Guest)

Born: April 21, 1973 in Bagshot, Surrey

Best Known For: The BBC's Deadly 60 series.

Early-life: Stephen James Backshall was born in Bagshot, Surrey, on April 21, 1973. His parents both worked for British Airways, so he spent a lot of time travelling around the world. He backpacked solo around Asia and Africa before studying English and theatre studies at the University of Exeter. He then studied biology at the Open University. After university, he spent a year in Japan learning about marital arts. Upon his return to the UK, he wrote the Rough Guides to Indonesia and South East Asia.

Career: Backshall's first taste of TV came in 1998 when he filmed a pilot in the jungles of Colombia for the National Geographic channel. He spent five years making programmes for the channel before landing a role on the BBC's Really Wild Show in 2003. He is best known as the presenter of BBC children's series Deadly 60, which required him to travel around the world to find deadly creatures in their natural habitat. In 2014, he was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: On signing up for Strictly Come Dancing: "It's going to be my wildest challenge yet!"

Trivia: He is the patron of a number of wildlife charities, including Sharktrust and Manta trust.

Katherine Parkinson (Guest)

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.

Gabby Logan (Guest)

Born: April 24, 1973 in Leeds

Best Known For: Being the glamorous face of sport.

Early-life: Born Gabrielle Nicole Yorath on April 24, 1973, to former Leeds United and Welsh international footballer Terry. The family moved around a lot when she was younger due to her father's job. Although Gabby initially dreamed of being a tennis player, she decided to concentrate on gymnastics from the age of 10, and took part in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990. However, she was eventually forced to quit the sport due to back problems. She studied law at Durham University, but at the same time worked in radio and wrote for magazines.

Career: After graduating, Gabby worked for a series of local radio stations before landing a job at Sky Sports in 1996. She covered a variety of events before she was head-hunted by ITV two years later to front the programme On the Ball. She became a regular fixture on the ITV sporting schedule, and was part of the team responsible for covering the 2002 World Cup. While at ITV she also hosted game show The Vault. She moved to the BBC in 2007, where she is one of the channel's senior sports presenters. She also hosts Splash! and Flockstars on ITV.

Quote: 'If you come across as someone who is knowledgeable and passionate then the fans will respect you.'

Trivia: Gabby took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 and she was eliminated in the fourth week.

Alan Davies (Guest)

Born: March 06, 1966 in Loughton, Essex

Best Known For: Jonathan Creek and being the permanent panellist on QI.

Early-life: Alan Roger Davies was born in Loughton, Essex, on March 6, 1966. Together with his older brother and younger sister, Alan was raised by his accountant father, following the death of his mother from leukaemia when he was six. Despite disliking school, he was a bright child and passed 12 O-Levels and two A-Levels before studying drama at the University of Kent. On graduating, he signed on for an Enterprise Allowance Scheme to help fund his assault on the London comedy circuit.

Career: Davies performed his first stand-up gig in 1988, and by the early 1990s was a rising star, picking up rave reviews at Edinburgh. He later gave up playing clubs to concentrate on radio. His Radio 1 series, Alan's Big One FM, led to TV appearances on shows such as One Foot in the Grave, before he was cast as the lead in Jonathan Creek, the light-hearted mystery drama that made him a household name. Other acting work includes Bob and Rose, A Many Splintered Thing, The Brief, Marple, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (2008), Lewis and Whites. He presented the three-part documentary Alan Davies' Teenage Revolution for Channel 4 in 2010 and was a judge in 2011 on ITV talent show Show Me the Funny. He's also appeared in West End hit Auntie and Me. He has been a permanent panellist on irreverent quiz QI since the show began in 2003.

Quote: "I'm like a fine wine. I'm maturing."

Trivia: In early 2012, he announced his first UK stand-up tour in 12 years.

Moira Stuart (Guest)

Jon Richardson (Guest)

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.

Joe Lycett (Guest)

Rick Edwards (Guest)

Rob Delaney (Guest)

Born: January 19, 1977 in Boston, Massachusetts

Best Known For: Being a comedian and actor.

Early-life: Rob was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1977. He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in musical theatre. During this time, he was an alcoholic. In 2002, he blacked out while driving and drove his car into a building. He broke his left wrist and right arm.

Career: Delaney went on to work on the LA comedy circuit for a few years and landed a couple of minor TV and movie roles. He raised his public profile when he started publishing material on Twitter. This led to him becoming the first comedian to win the Funniest Person on Twitter Award at a ceremony hosted by Comedy Central in 2012. He has more than 1.3 million Twitter followers. In 2015, he co-created the Channel 4 sitcom Catastrophe with Sharon Horgan. They also star in the show. He moved to London in 2014 and since then he has appeared on a number of panel shows, including Have I Got News for You and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. His memoir Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. was published in 2013.

Quote: On his stand-up: "I hope when I talk about something awful that I'm enjoying myself enough and appear to be coming at it from reasonable mental health, so you don't feel like you're watching someone unravel in a dangerous way onstage."

Trivia: Delaney supports the Boston Red Sox.

Peter Holmes (Executive producer)

Ruth Phillips (Executive producer)

Rachel Ablett (Executive producer)

Richard Cohen (Series producer)

7:05 pm - 7:45 pm, Thursday, February 12 on U&Dave (19)

About this Broadcast

Season 9, Episode 9

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