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.

Olivia Colman (Panellist)

Born: January 30, 1974 in Norfolk

Best Known For: Rev, Peep Show and Broadchurch.

Early-life: Born Sarah Caroline Colman on January 30, 1974, in Norfolk. She claims she relied on making her fellow pupils laugh at school because she wasn't very academic, but went on to study at Cambridge, where she met future collaborators David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Colman initially intended to become a primary school teacher, but switched to drama and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She hasn't looked back since.

Career: Colman's first TV work came in the series Bruiser in 2000, and was followed by appearances alongside her old friends David and Robert in The Mitchell and Webb Situation sketch show. She had a brief role in The Office, but it wasn't until Peep Show, Look Around You and Green Wing came along that people started to sit up and take notice. Since then she's featured in Hot Fuzz, That Mitchell and Webb Look, Beautiful People, Doctor Who, Twenty Twelve and Rev. More recently she made the move from comedy to drama in The Iron Lady, the hugely acclaimed Tyrannosaur and Hyde Park on Hudson. In 2013, she starred in the acclaimed ITV drama Broadchurch, which won her a Bafta TV award for Best Actress.

Quote: 'If a script is good, you are 10 steps into the part just reading it. But my choices are not all down to my taste. It is about people you have worked with before.'

Trivia: She has voiced a number of TV commercials.

Aston Merrygold (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.

Michaela Strachan (Panellist)

Born: April 07, 1966 in Ewell, Surrey

Best Known For: The Really Wild Show.

Early-life: Born Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan in Surrey on April 7, 1966. Her father was a building society manager who lost his job when she was in her teens - she claims the event has since shaped her approach to finance and has made her an avid saver. Strachan attended Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, a Christian Science school. Later, while at college, she briefly had jobs as an Avon lady and as a kissogram. After studying at ArtsEd London, Michaela performed in theatre before moving into children's TV.

Career: Strachan was a prominent personality on British Saturday morning TV in the 1980s thanks to such programmes as TV-am and Wide Awake Club with Timmy Mallett. In 1988 she hosted the pan-European show Boogie Box on the channel Music Box. In 1993, she joined the team of presenters of The Really Wild Show, and stayed with the series until its cancellation in 2006. Strachan starred as 'Her' in the music show The Hitman and Her alongside Pete Waterman. She has also featured in a small acting role in the BBC sitcom Game On. Since the 1990s, Strachan has been involved in a number of wildlife programmes, including Michaela's Wild Challenge, Springwatch and Autumnwatch. She is also a regular on the pantomime circuit. In January 2014, she was a contestant on ITV reality series Splash!

Quote: 'I once dreamt I was being chased by giant guinea pigs, who were skinning humans for coats. They caught me and I struck a deal, that I would help them capture people.'

Trivia: Strachan supports the World Vision charity. She lives in South Africa.

Barbara Wiltshire (Director)

Rachel Ablett (Executive producer)

Peter Holmes (Executive producer)

Ruth Phillips (Executive producer)

Adam Copeland (Series producer)

Mia Cross (Producer)

Juliet Redden (Producer)

Rob Colley (Writer)

Ali Crockatt (Writer)

David Scott (Writer)

Steve Nayler (Editor)

12:20 am - 01:00 am, Tuesday, May 19 on U&Dave (19)

About this Broadcast

Season 12, Episode 3

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