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Season 62, Episode 4
Bill Bailey guest hosts the satirical quiz, with comedian Fin Taylor and Labour MP Dawn Butler joining team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop as they delve into the news
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16x9
Comedy
Game Show/Quiz/Contest
Movie/Drama
Show/Game Show
Cast & Crew
Paul Merton
(Panellist)
Ian Hislop
(Panellist)
Bill Bailey
(Host)
Fin Taylor
(Panellist)
Dawn Butler
(Panellist)
Danny Carr
(Series producer)
Jo Maney
(Producer)
Paul Wheeler
(Director)
More Information
Did You Know..
Paul Merton
(Panellist)
Born:
January 17, 1957
in
London
Best Known For:
Have I Got News For You.
Early-life:
Born Paul James Martin in Parsons Green, London, on January 17, 1957. He grew up in Merton, South London, and took his stage name from the district because somebody else called Paul Martin was registered with Equity when he tried to join. His father was a guard on the Underground in Fulham, his mother was a nurse and he has a sister, Angela. Paul was inspired to become a comedian at the age of three following a trip to the circus. After failing his 11-plus he went to a Catholic comprehensive school where he gained two A-levels but decided against going to university.
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.
Quote:
"I don't suffer from pre-show terror or anything like that. I assume if people have paid money to see me they already think I'm funny and that does give you confidence."
Trivia:
In 2014, he published his autobiography, Only When I Laugh.
Ian Hislop
(Panellist)
Born:
July 13, 1960
in
The Mumbles, Wales
Best Known For:
Being a team captain on Have I Got News For You.
Early-life:
Born July 13, 1960, in The Mumbles, Wales, but moved around a lot due to his father's job as a civil engineer. The family spent time in Nigeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. Hislop was educated at boarding school before studying English at Oxford, where he performed in revues and edited the magazine Passing Wind. During this time he met Peter Cook for the first time, who then owned satirical magazine Private Eye.
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.
Quote:
"It is no longer acceptable in British politics to be fat or eccentric or religious."
Trivia:
Hislop had a small role in the Greek TV series The Island, which was based on his wife's bestselling novel.
Bill Bailey
(Host)
Born:
January 13, 1964
in
Bath
Best Known For:
His role as team captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Early-life:
Born Mark Bailey in Bath on January 13, 1964, he gained the nickname Bill at King Edward's School in Bath, where he surprised his teachers by excelling at sport. In his youth, he spent a lot of time listening to Monty Python records, and formed a band called the Famous Five. After landing an associateship at the London College of Music, and working with a theatre troupe, he accidentally wandered into a John Hegley gig, where he decided to become a stand-up comedian.
Career:
Bill started touring with the likes of Phill Jupitus and Mark Lamarr, before forming a double-act in 1989 with Martin Stubbs. His big break came in 1995 with the show Bill Bailey's Cosmic Jam, a performance of which was filmed and broadcast on Channel 4. In 1998, he scooped his own comedy show on the BBC, Is It Bill Bailey?, and enjoyed a series of successful guest slots on shows such as Have I Got News for You. Bill also starred in Dylan Moran's Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, before taking over from Sean Hughes as a captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2002. He's a regular on quiz show QI, and has also enjoyed other acting roles in the likes of Jonathan Creek and Fifteen Storeys High. His big-screen CV includes the movies Saving Grace and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, while his cameo in Hot Fuzz was very well-received. He also continues to tour with his stand-up, selling out arenas all over the world, and has begun a separate career as a presenter of wildlife shows, including the ITV series Baboons with Bill Bailey.
Quote:
"I'm not a hardcore vegetarian. I'll eat fish. And duck. They're almost a fish."
Trivia:
Bailey supports Queens Park Rangers.
Fin Taylor
(Panellist)
Dawn Butler
(Panellist)
Danny Carr
(Series producer)
Jo Maney
(Producer)
Paul Wheeler
(Director)
