Paul Merton in Galton & Simpson's...
| Paul Merton | |
|---|---|
Merton in 2010
|
|
| Birth name | Paul James Martin |
| Born |
9 July 1957 Parsons Green, London, England |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, radio |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Genres | Surreal humour, Observational comedy, Improvisational comedy, Physical comedy, Satire, Deadpan |
| Subject(s) | Politics, Everyday life, Celebrities, pop culture, World history, Marriage, Self-deprecation, Human interaction, Current events |
| Spouse |
Caroline Quentin (m. 1990; div. 1998) Sarah Parkinson (m. 2003; her death 2003) Suki Webster (m. 2009) |
| Notable works and roles |
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988–1993) Just a Minute (1989 onwards) Have I Got News for You (1990 onwards) Paul Merton: The Series (1991–1993) Room 101 (1999–2007) Paul Merton in China (2007) Paul Merton in India (2008) Paul Merton in Europe (2010) |
Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known professionally as Paul Merton, is an English writer, actor, comedian, radio and television presenter.
Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy. He has been ranked by critics, fellow comedians and viewers to be among Britain's greatest comedians. He is well known for his regular appearances as a team captain on the BBC panel game Have I Got News for You, and as the former host of Room 101, as well as for several appearances on the original British version of the improvisational comedy television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
He appears as a panellist regularly on Radio 4's Just a Minute. He has also appeared as one of the Comedy Store's Comedy Store Players.
Merton was born on 9 July 1957 in Parsons Green, London, to an English Anglican father, Albert Martin (a train driver on the London Underground) and an Irish Roman Catholic mother, Mary Ann Power.
He attended St Thomas's School, Fulham and St Teresa's, Morden. He then went to Wimbledon College, a Jesuit-run secondary school that was formerly a grammar school and had just become a comprehensive, in a stream for boys who had failed the 11-plus and he received A-levels in English and History. After leaving school, Merton worked at the Tooting employment office as a clerical officer for seven years.
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Wikipedia