ANGUS DEAYTON

According to Wikipedia, Angus Deayton is best known as the controversial former host of satirical panel show “Have I Got News for You”. Well, maybe for you, mister, but for some of us, Angus Deayton will always be Victor Meldrew’s increasingly agitated and paranoid neighbour, Patrick Trench, in the classic “One Foot In The Grave”, who always seemed to catch Victor in the middle of some out of context incomprehensible behaviour, and who became convinced that his elderly neighbour was clinically insane.

Anyhow, Deayton first came to attention as the writer and performer of a parody of British radio, “Radio Active”, before transferring the format to television as “KYTV” in the late 80s and early 90s. 1990 was also the year he won the now classic role in “One Foot in the Grave” and began hosting the aforementioned satirical panel show “Have I Got News for You”.

Deayton enjoyed great success and popularity as the host of that show (even being nicknamed “TV’s Mr Sex” (!) at one point) until 2002, when continued newspaper allegations of drug abuse and use of a prostitute saw him fired from the show – though not before being mercilessly ridiculed on the show itself by fellow presenters Paul Merton and Ian Hislop in behaviour that can itself only be described as “questionable”.

Despite this setbac, Deayton continues to enjoy a healthy career, appearing in such shows as “Absolute Power” (with Stephen Fry), “Nighty Night”, “Casualty” (playing himself) and returning to host a new comedy panel series “Would I Lie to You?” in 2007.