Items20The creator’s order
  1. 1David Mitchell (comedian)David Mitchell (comedian)Born 14 Jul 1974Mitchell gives an implausible story something solid to push against. Start with Bob Mortimer’s dentistry claim on Would I Lie to You?: the increasingly exact questions are part of the entertainment, not merely a route to the verdict. His exasperated screen persona makes Mortimer’s calm elaboration…0i
  2. 2Lee MackLee MackBorn 4 Aug 1968The speed is obvious; the connection to somebody else’s last remark is what makes Mack valuable here. His keys story on Would I Lie to You?, from series eight, episode one, offers a compact introduction to a conversation becoming a game of follow-up questions. Notice how an objection supplies the…0i
  3. 3Rob BrydonRob BrydonBorn 3 May 1965A host belongs on this list when the conversation itself is the attraction. On Would I Lie to You?, Brydon participates in the sparring with David Mitchell and Lee Mack while keeping the guest’s story and the eventual decision in view. Start with an extended round, watching the transitions as…0i
  4. 4Bob MortimerBob MortimerBorn 23 May 1959Mortimer’s apparently untroubled storytelling gives other panellists wonderfully awkward problems to solve. His dentistry round on Would I Lie to You? is a useful starting point: treat it as a claim inside the game, then follow the questions it provokes. The attraction is the contrast between his…0i
  5. 5Claudia WinklemanClaudia WinklemanBorn 15 Jan 1972Winkleman brings a different kind of uncertainty to Would I Lie to You?: the account can seem as surprising to its teller as to the opposing team. Try the seesaw-and-potatoes story in the show’s compilation of her exchanges with Lee Mack. Her willingness to remain inside a peculiar premise gives…0i
  6. 6Sandi ToksvigSandi ToksvigBorn 3 May 1958Toksvig’s QI hosting works especially well when a demonstration becomes a small ensemble performance. In the series O maths sequence with Aisling Bea and Noel Fielding, the explanation gives the guests roles to play rather than just answers to supply. Watch how the question survives the comic…0i
  7. 7Aisling BeaAisling BeaBorn 16 Mar 1984Bea turns participation into performance without abandoning the shared activity. Her mock Carol Vorderman turn during QI’s series O maths trick is an accessible example: the role grows from Sandi Toksvig’s demonstration and gives the surrounding panel another comic layer to respond to. Choose this…0i
  8. 8Richard AyoadeRichard AyoadeBorn 23 May 1977The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2017 pairs Ayoade with Noel Fielding, making a useful introduction to their contrasting kinds of mischief. The biscuit-bringing episode rewards watching the team relationship as much as the quiz answers. Ayoade’s formal delivery gives Fielding’s playfulness a different…0i
  9. 9Joe WilkinsonJoe WilkinsonBorn 2 May 1975Wilkinson’s interruptions on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown turn the orderly quiz into an awkward social visit. The official collection of his rude-word attempts shows how the host, teammates and dictionary authority can all become part of a prolonged predicament. His apparent uncertainty gives…0i
  10. 10Sue PerkinsSue PerkinsBorn 22 Sept 1969Perkins is particularly enjoyable when the expected hierarchy of a panel briefly collapses. QI’s compilation includes Stephen Fry getting her name wrong, a modest mistake that becomes material for the exchange. It is a useful reminder to watch what happens between the formal questions. Her quick…0i