Paul Merton: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|English comedian (born 1957)}}

{| class="infobox biography" style="width: 16em; text-align: center;"

{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}

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{{distinguish|Paul Murton|Paul Merson}}

! style="font-size: 16px;" | Paul Merton

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}

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{{Infobox comedian

| style="font-size: 11px; padding: 0 10px; line-height: 12px;" |[[Image:Paul Merton.jpg|220px]]<br />Merton presenting ''[[Room 101 (TV series)|Room 101]]''

| name = Paul Merton

|-

| image = Paul Merton R4.jpg

| style="font-size: 12px;" | '''Born'''

| caption = Merton in 2010

|-

| pseudonym =

| style="font-size: 12px;" | {{euro birth date and age|1957|7|9}}<br />[[Parsons Green]], [[London]]

| birth_name = Paul James Martin

|-

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|7|9|df=yes}}

| style="font-size: 12px;" | '''Occupation'''

| birth_place = [[Parsons Green]], [[London]], England

|-

| style="font-size:medium 12px;" | = [[ActorStand up comedy|Stand-up]], [[writertelevision]], [[comedianradio]]

| nationality = [[British nationality law|British]]

|-

| genre = [[Surreal humour]], [[observational comedy]], [[Improvisational theatre|improvisational comedy]], [[physical comedy]], [[satire]], [[deadpan]]

| style="font-size: 12px;" | '''Career milestones'''

| subject = [[Politics]], [[everyday life]], [[Celebrity|celebrities]], [[Popular culture|pop culture]], [[Major depressive disorder|depression]], [[marriage]], [[self-deprecation]], [[human interaction]], [[World news|current events]]

|-

| years_active = 1982–present

| style="font-size: 12px;" | ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' (1988–1993)<br />''[[Just a Minute]]'' (1989–present)<br />''[[Have I Got News for You]]'' (1990–present)<br />''[[Paul Merton: The Series]]'' (1991–1993)<br />''[[Room 101 (TV series)|Room 101]]'' (1999–2007) <br />

| notable_works = ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (British TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' (1988–1993)<br />''[[Just a Minute]]'' (1989 onwards)<br />''[[Have I Got News for You]]'' (1990–1995, 1996 onwards)<br />''[[Paul Merton: The Series]]'' (1991–1993)<br />''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101 (TV)]]'' (1999–2007) <br />''[[Paul Merton in China]]'' (2007)<br />''[[Paul Merton in India]]'' (2008)<br />''[[Paul Merton in Europe]]'' (2010)<br />''[[Room 101 (radio series)|Room 101 (radio)]]'' (2023 onwards)

|-

| spouse = {{plainlist|

|}

* {{marriage|[[Caroline Quentin]]<br />|1990|1998|end=divorced}}

* {{marriage|[[Sarah Parkinson]]<br />|2003|2003|end=died}}

* {{marriage|Suki Webster<br />|2009}}

}}

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

'''Paul James Martin''' (born 9 July 1957), known by the stage name '''Paul Merton''', is an English comedian who is best known as one of the two regular panellists on the television show ''[[Have I Got News for You]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Paul Merton|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/paul_merton/|access-date=2021-01-28|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128003725/https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/paul_merton/|url-status=live}}</ref>

'''Paul Martin''' (born [[9 July]] [[1957]]) is an [[England|English]] [[actor]], [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] award-winning [[comedian]] and [[writer]]. He is more commonly known by the [[stage name]] '''Paul Merton''', and is best known as a panellist on the [[BBC]] television show ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'' and [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]]'s ''[[Just a Minute]]'', as well as [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' in the first five series, and as the host of the BBC TV show ''[[Room 101 (TV series)|Room 101]]''.

His style is characterised by describing extremely improbable scenarios with a straight — even mournful-looking — face. He rapidly grabs hold of any chance to expand on a subject and stretch its credibility to snapping point. In 2003, he was listed in ''[[The Observer]]'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1101525,00.html | title=The A-Z of laughter | publisher=The Guardian | work=Guardian Unlimited | accessdate=2006-09-10}}</ref> In ''[[The Comedian's Comedian]]'', a 2005 Channel 4 poll of fellow comedians, he was voted the 20th funniest comedian in the universe.

Known for his [[improvisation]] skill,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/27/itv.broadcasting|title=Merton plans ITV improv show|work=[[The Guardian]]|author=Tara Conlan|access-date=9 December 2009|___location=London|date=27 July 2007|archive-date=19 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919130217/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jul/27/itv.broadcasting|url-status=live}}</ref> Merton's humour is rooted in [[deadpan]], [[surreal humour|surreal]] and sometimes [[Black comedy|dark]] comedy. He has been ranked by critics, fellow comedians and viewers to be among Britain's greatest comedians.<ref name="observer" /><ref name="channel4" /><ref name="guardian" /> He made his breakthrough in the late 1980s as a regular performer on the original British version of the comedy improvisation show ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (British TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'', and has been a team captain on ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'' since it began in 1990. He was also the host of ''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101]]'' from 1999 to 2007, replacing original host [[Nick Hancock]].

==Personal life==

Merton was born on [[9 July]] [[1957]] <ref>Many sources give a birthdate of [[17 January]] [[1957]]. The date given above is in ''[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]]'' and [[Internet Movie Database]].</ref>in [[Parsons Green]], [[London]] to an English father (a [[train]] driver on the [[London Underground]]) and a mother of [[Irish Catholic]] extraction.{{Fact|date=May 2007}} When his mother returned to work as a nurse, Merton and his younger sister were looked after by their grandfather, who lived with them in their [[council flat]].

Merton appears as a panellist regularly on [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]]'s ''[[Just a Minute]]'', first appearing in 1989, and became the only remaining regular panellist in 2009 following the death of [[Clement Freud]]. He has also appeared as one of the [[The Comedy Store, London|Comedy Store]]'s [[The Comedy Store Players|Comedy Store Players]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comedy Store Players|url=https://comedystoreplayers.com/|access-date=2021-01-28|website=Comedy Store Players|language=en-US|archive-date=10 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210222011/https://comedystoreplayers.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

He failed his [[eleven plus]], and famously received an unclassified grade for metalwork at [[Certificate of Secondary Education|CSE]] before moving on to [[Wimbledon College]] just as it became comprehensive. His experience of victimisation there as a working-class boy became a frequent subject of his comedy. After leaving Catholic school, Merton worked at the [[Tooting]] Employment Office for ten years.

== Early life ==

Merton married the actress [[Caroline Quentin]] in 1990, but they divorced in 1998. Merton subsequently had a relationship with comedian [[Sarah Parkinson]]; they married shortly before her death from [[breast cancer]] on [[23 September]] [[2003]].

Paul James Martin was born on 9 July 1957<ref>{{cite web|title=Merton, Paul (1957–)|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/499514/|work=[[Screenonline]]|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=2 September 2011|archive-date=4 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004235716/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/499514/|url-status=live}}</ref> in [[Parsons Green]], west London,<ref>{{cite news|title=Paul Merton: My family values|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/17/paul-merton-my-family-values|newspaper=The Guardian|date=17 October 2014|author=Angela Wintle|access-date=24 February 2016|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829105345/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/oct/17/paul-merton-my-family-values|url-status=live}}</ref> to an English Anglican father, Albert Martin (a [[train driver]] on the [[London Underground]]), and an Irish Catholic mother, Mary Ann Power (a medical nurse).<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|author=Barratt, Nick|title=Family detective|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/familyhistory/3354759/Family-detective.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126083235/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/familyhistory/3354759/Family-detective.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 January 2009|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=2 September 2011|___location=London|date=6 October 2007}}</ref> It was revealed on ''[[Who Do You Think You Are? (British TV series)|Who Do You Think You Are?]]'' that Merton's maternal grandfather, James Power, was from [[Passage East]] in [[County Waterford]] and served in the [[British Army]] in the [[World War I|First World War]]. His father then left to join the [[Irish Republican Army]] during the [[Irish War of Independence]], serving as an IRA volunteer with the rank of 1st lieutenant in the East Waterford Brigade.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://timeline.ie/who-do-you-think-you-are-paul-merton/|title = Who do You Think You Are? Paul Merton -|date = 29 August 2019|access-date = 25 February 2021|archive-date = 26 February 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210226194128/https://timeline.ie/who-do-you-think-you-are-paul-merton/|url-status = live}}</ref>

Merton lived in the [[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]] until 8 years old. Merton attended St Thomas's School, [[Fulham]] and St Teresa's, [[Morden]] ("being [[sent to Coventry]] at school"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/may/27/foodanddrink.features12|title='I didn't go to a dinner party until I was in my thirties'|first1=Vincent|last1=Graff|first2=Interview by Vincent|last2=Graff|newspaper=The Observer |date=27 May 2007|via=The Guardian}}</ref>). He then went to [[Wimbledon College]], a [[Jesuit]]-run secondary school that was formerly a [[grammar school]] and had just become a [[comprehensive school|comprehensive]], in a stream for boys who had failed the [[11-plus]],<ref name="Autobiography">{{cite book|date=25 September 2015|author=Paul Merton|isbn=978-0-09-194935-8|title= Only When I Laugh: My Autobiography |publisher=Ebury Press}}</ref> and he passed [[GCE Advanced Level|A-levels]] in English and History.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/tell-us-another-one-or-just-tell-us-the-same-one-all-over-again-paul-merton-the-comedian-with-the-dry-south-circular-delivery-is-probably-the-funniest-man-on-television-where-did-he-come-from-1541587.html|title=Tell us another one. Or just tell us the same one all over again|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=31 August 2010|first=Jim|last=White|___location=London|date=21 August 1992|archive-date=12 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100512155738/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/tell-us-another-one-or-just-tell-us-the-same-one-all-over-again-paul-merton-the-comedian-with-the-dry-south-circular-delivery-is-probably-the-funniest-man-on-television-where-did-he-come-from-1541587.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==

[[Image:Hignfy24.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Paul Merton on ''Have I Got News for You'']]

He often claims that he was inspired to go into comedy at a young age watching clowns at a circus, remembering, "I had no idea that adults could behave like that."{{Fact|date=May 2007}} He gained his earliest professional credits under his birth name, including an appearance as a [[yokel]] in an episode of ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]''. On joining [[British Actors' Equity Association|Equity]] he found that the name Paul Martin was already taken, so he renamed himself after [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]], the district of London where he grew up.

After leaving school, Merton worked at the [[Tooting]] employment office as a clerical officer<ref name="Autobiography" /> for three years, quitting in February 1980.<ref>{{Cite episode|title= Paul Merton, Sledgehammer Confession, Long Distance Relationship Hacks|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b9zf74|access-date= 23 July 2018|series= Jo Whiley & Simon Mayo|first= Paul|last= Merton|network= BBC|station= Radio 2|date= 18 July 2018|time= 1:36:31|archive-date= 15 October 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181015015927/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b9zf74|url-status= live}}</ref>

===Stage===

Though he had harboured serious ambitions of becoming a performing comedian since his school days, it was not until April 1982, at the [[The Comedy Store, London|Comedy Store]] in [[Soho]], that his dream was realised. He recalls that, on only his second or third night, he found the dour role that was to inform his comic approach ever since.

Merton auditioned for [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts]] at 19 years old.<!--

He has been a member of the London improv group [[The Comedy Store Players]] since 1985, and still regularly performs with them.

https://just-a-minute.info/jam702.html --><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bigissue.com/culture/paul-merton-i-wanted-dad-hero-distant/|title=Paul Merton: "I wanted my dad to be a hero, but he was very distant"|first=Jane|last=Graham|date=14 March 2016|website=The Big Issue}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/paul-merton-a-psychiatrist-told-me-i-spend-too-much-time-in-my-head/30651766.html|title=Paul Merton: A psychiatrist told me I spend too much time in my head|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk |date=11 October 2014|via=m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/18116544.books-paul-merton-comedian-wife-theres-no-rivalry-suki/|title=Books: Paul Merton on his comedian wife: 'There's no rivalry between me and Suki'|date=21 December 2019|website=The Herald}}</ref><ref>[[Michael Parkinson]]. ''[[Parkinson (TV series)]]'' 1998-01-09</ref>

== Career ==

One of these early routines at the Comedy Store involved the report of a policeman who had been given a [[Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants|hallucinogenic]] [[psychoactive drug|drug]]. This routine was very popular and went on to be included in his television series. Merton recalls, "I walked all the way home to my bedsit in [[Streatham]]. I was on a cloud. And that one night got me through every single bad gig after that — and there were a lot of them. I was so lucky to get that encouragement early on. It kept me going over the next eighteen months of just dying the whole time."{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

Merton has stated that he was inspired to go into comedy at an early age watching clowns at a circus, remembering, "I don't think I'd seen clowns before. I'd certainly never seen adults behave like this...From that evening, I wanted to be part of the process that was making all those people laugh."<ref>{{cite web |author1=Oxford Union |author-link1=Oxford Union |title=Paul Merton: Full Q&A |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fijsyWOLbw |website=YouTube |date=15 November 2017 |access-date=23 October 2020 |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126161109/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fijsyWOLbw |url-status=live }}</ref> He gained his earliest professional credits under his birth name, including an appearance as a [[yokel]] in the episode ''[[Time (The Young Ones)|Time]]'' of ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'' in 1984.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BFI Screenonline: Young Ones, The (1982-84)|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/476396/index.html|access-date=2021-01-28|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225030745/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/476396/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On joining [[British Actors' Equity Association|Equity]] he found that the name Paul Martin was already taken by a juggler in [[Leeds]], so he renamed himself after [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]], the district of London where he grew up.<ref name=telegraph /><ref name="telegraph2">{{cite news|author=Gordon, Bryony|title=Paul Merton: 'I couldn't have written about my father while he was alive'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11142151/Paul-Merton-I-couldnt-have-written-about-my-father-while-he-was-alive.html|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=8 December 2019|___location=London|date=6 October 2014|archive-date=8 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208032936/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11142151/Paul-Merton-I-couldnt-have-written-about-my-father-while-he-was-alive.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Stage ===

In 1986, while performing in the [[Edinburgh Fringe]], he was mugged while helping a friend put up posters. He was kicked in the head and had to go to [[hospital]]. A year later, Merton returned to [[Edinburgh]]. His one-man show was receiving very good reviews. However, while playing football with fellow comedians, he broke his leg, and whilst in hospital, he suffered a [[pulmonary embolism]] and contracted [[hepatitis A]]. He lost the £3,000 he had paid up front for the theatre and would have been in worse trouble had the Comedy Store not held a benefit for him. "I was getting the reviews of my life — they were saying 'Go and see this man!'", he said. "And I was in a hospital bed. They should have said 'Go see this man and take a bunch of grapes with you'."{{Fact|date=May 2007}}

[[File:Merton2008.JPG|thumb|right|Merton in 1998]]

Though he had harboured serious ambitions of becoming a performing comedian since his school days, it was not until April 1982, at the [[The Comedy Store, London|Comedy Store]] in [[Soho]], that his dream was realised.<ref name=jam>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/feb/16/paul-merton-manages-28-years-without-hesitation-repetition-or-deviation|title=Paul Merton on Just a Minute: 'Our worst contestant? Esther Rantzen'|author=Stuart Jeffries|date=16 February 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=17 February 2016|archive-date=17 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217065829/http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/feb/16/paul-merton-manages-28-years-without-hesitation-repetition-or-deviation|url-status=live}}</ref> Merton commented that he made his professional debut, along with writing partner John Irwin, in [[Swansea]] in 1982 which led to having an "affection for Wales".<ref name="Owens">{{Cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/comedy-gigs/paul-merton-wales-thank-launching-6307885|title=Paul Merton on why he has Wales to thank for launching his comedy career|last=Owens|first=David|date=2013-11-15|work=walesonline|access-date=2018-04-17|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417192048/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/comedy-gigs/paul-merton-wales-thank-launching-6307885|url-status=live}}</ref> "What we did over the course of two weeks was perform 10 shows and it meant that our first time on stage if we made a mistake on the Monday we wouldn't repeat that mistake the next day."<ref name="Owens"/>

Merton recalls that on only his second or third night he found the dour role that has informed his comic approach ever since. After performing on the London [[Alternative Comedy]] circuit at places like [[The Comedy Store]] and [[Jongleurs (comedy club)|Jongleurs]], in 1985 his first foray to the [[Edinburgh Fringe Festival]] was with the show Have You Been on Telly where he shared the bill with [[Morris Minor and the Majors]] and [[Mark Steel]]. He has been a member of the London improvisation group [[The Comedy Store Players]] since 1985, and still regularly performs with them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comedystoreplayers.com/ |title=Comedy Store Players |publisher=Comedy Store Players |access-date=3 March 2010 |archive-date=23 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923180009/http://comedystoreplayers.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1999, Merton undertook a stand-up (or, rather, sit-down) tour entitled "and this is me PAUL MERTON". "I did this show on tour last [[autumn]]," he explained to one of his audiences.<ref name="SBS">Quote taken from a show on Merton's "and this is me PAUL MERTON" tour of 1999, as featured in ''[[The South Bank Show]]'' on September 26, 1999</ref> "I did sixty-eight dates. I did shows all over the place: [[Liverpool]], [[Dublin]], [[Stoke-on-Trent|Stoke]]. Sixty-eight dates, two hours per night. Two hours, and not one laugh."

Merton has performed in [[Paul Merton's Impro Chums]] at [[The Pleasance|Pleasance]] as part of the [[Edinburgh Comedy Festival]] every year from 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Edinburgh Comedy Festival kicks off|url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/leisure/showbiz/3558048.edinburgh-comedy-festival-kicks-off/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203050419/https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/leisure/showbiz/3558048.edinburgh-comedy-festival-kicks-off/|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2024|access-date=2021-01-28|website=Bucks Free Press|date=30 July 2008 |language=en}}</ref>

Merton, speaking to [[Melvyn Bragg]] at the former's home, explained: "I hadn't done stand-up comedy for about ten years, and it was like I'd never done it. People had no idea I'd been a stand-up comedian; they thought I was born to sit behind a desk and make quips about the week's news."<ref name="SBS">Quote taken from a show on Merton's "and this is me PAUL MERTON" tour of 1999, as featured in ''[[The South Bank Show]]'' on September 26, 1999</ref>

Merton was due to make his [[West End theatre|West End]] debut in the 2021 revival of [[Hairspray (musical)|''Hairspray'']] at the [[London Coliseum]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/paul-merton-hairspray-west-end_50762.html|title=Paul Merton to make West End musical debut in Hairspray with full casting announced {{!}} WhatsOnStage|website=www.whatsonstage.com|date=24 January 2020 |language=en-GB|access-date=2020-01-24|archive-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303133643/https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/paul-merton-hairspray-west-end_50762.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, after several delays to the show it was confirmed that Merton would not be joining the company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Les Dennis replaces Paul Merton in West End Hairspray {{!}} WhatsOnStage|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/les-dennis-paul-merton-west-end-hairspray_53979.html|access-date=2021-05-08|website=www.whatsonstage.com|date=7 May 2021 |language=en-GB|archive-date=8 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508093331/https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/les-dennis-paul-merton-west-end-hairspray_53979.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Radio===

Besides his regular radio appearances on ''Just a Minute'', he has also joined the ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' team for the occasional programme.

===Television Radio ===

In the late 1980s, Merton appeared on BBC Radio 4's ''[[The Big Fun Show (radio show)|The Big Fun Show]]''. After long-time ''[[Just a Minute]]'' panellist [[Kenneth Williams]] died in 1988, Merton (a fan of the show) contacted the producer at the suggestion of the host, [[Nicholas Parsons]]. He was invited to participate during the following year and has appeared regularly on the programme ever since.<ref>''Clement Freud on Just a Minute: A Celebration'', BBC Radio 4, 26 May 2009</ref> In 2016 Merton overtook Williams to become the second most regular panellist, surpassed only by [[Clement Freud]].<ref name=jam/>

His breakthrough as a television performer came as a result of the improvised comedy show ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'' from 1988 onwards, which moved to TV from BBC Radio 4. ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'' started in 1990, and two series of his own [[sketch show]], ''[[Paul Merton: The Series]]'', followed soon after. Between 1993 and 1995 he was amongst the regular cast members on the Radio 4 improvisational comedy series ''[[The Masterson Inheritance]]''. In 1996, Merton performed updated versions of fifteen of [[Ray Galton]] & [[Alan Simpson (scriptwriter)|Alan Simpson]]'s old scripts for an ITV series, ''[[Paul Merton in Galton & Simpson's...]]''. Six of these scripts were previously performed by ''[[Tony Hancock]]''. These were very badly received by both critics and public, and although a selection of episodes were initially released on [[VHS]], they have not been released on [[DVD]].

Besides his work on ''Just a Minute'', Merton was a semi-regular guest on ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' from 1991 to 1998. Between 1993 and 1995, Merton was among the regular cast members on the Radio 4 improvisational comedy series ''[[The Masterson Inheritance]]''. In 2000 he presented ''Two Priests and a Nun Go into a Pub'', in which he interviewed British and Irish comedians who had (like Merton himself) been brought up as members of the Roman Catholic Church. In 2009, Merton started a Radio 4 series in which he reads [[Spike Milligan]]'s war memoirs in an audio-book fashion.

From 1999 to 2007 he hosted ''[[Room 101 (TV series)|Room 101]]'', a chat show in which guests are offered the chance to discuss their pet hates and consign them to the oblivion of [[Room 101]]. He hosted 64 editions. His final guest was [[Ian Hislop]], whose selection purposely included items that Merton was known to like, such as [[The Beatles]] and the films of [[Charlie Chaplin]].<ref>{{cite news|title=No Room for Merton|work=Chortle|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2006/12/09/4793/no_room_for_merton|date=09/12/2006|accessdate=2006-12-09}}</ref>

=== Television ===

In 1999, Merton starred alongside [[Ronnie Corbett]] as one of the ugly sisters in [[ITV]]s [[Christmas]] pantomime. His other co-stars were [[Samantha Janus]], [[Ben Miller]], [[Harry Hill]], [[Frank Skinner]] and [[Alexander Armstrong (comedian)|Alexander Armstrong]].

Merton's breakthrough as a television performer came in 1988 with Channel 4's improvised comedy show ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (British TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-25|title=Josie Lawrence: 'Of course I don't think I'm sexy!'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/feb/25/josie-lawrence-of-course-i-dont-think-im-sexy|access-date=2021-01-28|website=the Guardian|language=en|archive-date=6 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206085339/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/feb/25/josie-lawrence-of-course-i-dont-think-im-sexy|url-status=live}}</ref> which moved to TV from [[BBC Radio 4]], though he had previously performed on the channel's ''[[Saturday Live (UK TV series)|Saturday Live]]'' and compered its series Comedy Wavelength in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Comedy Wavelength - C4 Sketch Show|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/comedy_wavelength/|access-date=2021-01-28|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB|archive-date=28 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228041328/https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/comedy_wavelength/|url-status=live}}</ref> He remained on ''Whose Line'' until 1993. ''[[Have I Got News for You]]'' began in 1990, and two series of his own [[sketch show]], ''[[Paul Merton: The Series]]'', followed soon after.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-01|title=Paul Merton, The Series|url=https://www.britishclassiccomedy.co.uk/paul-merton-the-series|access-date=2021-01-28|website=British Classic Comedy|language=en-GB|archive-date=6 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206230446/https://www.britishclassiccomedy.co.uk/paul-merton-the-series|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1995 he presented a documentary series celebrating the history of the [[London Palladium]], entitled ''[[Paul Merton's Palladium Story]]''. In 1996, Merton performed updated versions of fifteen of [[Ray Galton]] and [[Alan Simpson (scriptwriter)|Alan Simpson]]'s old scripts for an ITV series, ''[[Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's...|Paul Merton in Galton & Simpson's...]]''. Six of these scripts were previously performed by [[Tony Hancock]]. These were very badly received by critics, and although a selection of episodes was initially released on VHS, it was not until June 2007 that the complete series was released on DVD.

Also in 1996, Merton took a break from ''Have I Got News for You'' during its eleventh series, making only one appearance as a guest on fellow captain [[Ian Hislop]]'s team. Merton later said that at the time he was "very tired" of the show and that he thought it had become "stuck in a rut". Nevertheless, he added that he felt his absence gave the programme the "shot in the arm" it needed and that it had been "better ever since".<ref>''The Very Best of Have I Got News for You'' (2002): DVD commentary</ref> In 2002, following allegations in the UK tabloids linking the show's chairman, [[Angus Deayton]], with prostitutes and drug use, the host was asked to resign from the show. Merton hosted the first episode after Deayton's departure and was described as "merciless" in his treatment of his former co-star.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2384165.stm |title=Show goes on after Deayton exit |work=BBC News |date=1 November 2002 |access-date=3 March 2010 |archive-date=19 May 2009 |archive-url=<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20021103122442/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2384165.stm -->https://web.archive.org/web/20090519073450/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2384165.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shortly before becoming a household name on ''Have I Got News for You'', Merton had suffered a [[mental breakdown]] and booked himself into the [[Maudsley Hospital|Maudsley]] psychiatric hospital for six weeks,<ref>http://mindout.clarity.uk.net/1in4/PM.asp</ref> about which he has since talked frankly, in an interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'' he was reported to have been "hallucinating conversations with friends, and became convinced he was a target for the Freemasons".<ref>http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1386064,00.html</ref>

In 1998 and 2001, Merton had the role as the voice of Dr. Dogg in the [[Aardman Animations|Aardman]] comedy series [[Rex the Runt]].

After seven nominations for a [[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA award]] for Best Entertainment Performance, Merton finally won the award in April 2003, defeating fellow ''Have I Got News for You'' star [[Angus Deayton]], who had been fired from the show the previous October.

In 1999 Merton replaced [[Nick Hancock]] as host of ''[[Room 101 (British TV series)|Room 101]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/499514/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Merton, Paul (1957-) Biography|access-date=27 August 2021|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115720/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/499514/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> a chat show in which guests are offered the chance to discuss their pet hates and consign them to the oblivion of [[Room 101]]. His first guest was Hancock. He hosted 64 editions. In 2007, his final guest was Ian Hislop (who became the first interviewee to appear twice, having also been on an edition with Hancock). Hislop's selections deliberately included items that Merton was known to like, such as [[The Beatles]] and the films of [[Charlie Chaplin]].<ref>{{cite news|title=No Room for Merton|work=Chortle|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2006/12/09/4793/no_room_for_merton|date=2006-12-09|access-date=9 December 2006|archive-date=30 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155146/http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2006/12/09/4793/no_room_for_merton|url-status=live}}</ref> Hislop's final choice was Merton himself, done to represent his departure from the show. Merton cast himself in the room to end the show, although on the condition that Hislop would go in with him.

He was rumoured to be a possible new host of ''[[Countdown (game show)|Countdown]]'' to replace both [[Richard Whiteley]]<ref>http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/culturevulture/archives/2005/09/05/moustache_9_let.html</ref> and his successor, [[Des Lynham]],<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5402246.stm</ref> but decided not to pursue this.

Merton is one of the recurring stars from the 4 [[ITV Panto]]s. His best role came in 1999, where Merton starred alongside [[Ronnie Corbett]] as one of the ugly sisters in [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s Christmas [[pantomime]] of Cinderella. His other co-stars were [[Julian Clary]], [[Samantha Janus]], [[Ben Miller]], [[Harry Hill]], [[Frank Skinner]] and [[Alexander Armstrong (comedian)|Alexander Armstrong]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cinderella|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/cp72r/cinderella/|access-date=2021-01-28|website=Radio Times|language=en|archive-date=7 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207155623/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/cp72r/cinderella/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the same year – to coincide with the launch of his first stand up tour in 10 years, ''and this is me...Paul Merton –'' he was given his own one hour ''[[South Bank Show]]'' special. The show charted his beginnings in the comedy business, to the development of his improvisational skills, his mental breakdown, and the popularity of ''Have I Got News For You''.

Merton is known to be a keen student of comedy, and particularly the early film comedians. In 2006, [[BBC Four]] broadcast ''Paul Merton's Silent Clowns'': a four-part documentary series that focused on the silent comedy craft of [[Buster Keaton]], Charlie Chaplin, [[Laurel and Hardy]], and [[Harold Lloyd]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/silent-clowns.shtml | title=BBC Four: ''Paul Merton's Silent Clowns'' | publisher=BBC | accessdate=2007-05-21}}</ref> Merton examined their respective careers, interspersed with moments from a live show in which he presented clips of their work. Among the audience were many children, who were seeing these iconic performers for the first time. Merton took a stage version of this show to the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

[[File:Paulmerton.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Merton at [[Ely, Cambridgeshire|Ely]] Maltings in 2007, after giving a talk on his book ''Silent Comedy'']]

In 2007 he presented a four-part travel documentary, ''[[Paul Merton in China]]'', which was broadcast on [[Five (channel)|Five]] from [[21 May]] [[2007]].

He was rumoured to be a possible new host of ''[[Countdown (game show)|Countdown]]'' to replace both [[Richard Whiteley]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Pickard |first=Anna |url=http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/culturevulture/archives/2005/09/05/moustache_9_let.html |title=Filling Richard's shoes from Guardian Unlimited: Culture Vulture |work=Blogs.guardian.co.uk |access-date=3 March 2010 |___location=London |date=19 August 2008 |archive-date=23 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523084724/http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/culturevulture/archives/2005/09/05/moustache_9_let.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and his successor, [[Des Lynam]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5402246.stm |title=Holmes and Aspel lead Lynam race |work=BBC News |date=3 October 2006 |access-date=3 March 2010 |archive-date=7 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107110504/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5402246.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> but decided not to pursue this.

==References==

<references/>

Merton is a keen student of comedy, particularly the early silent comedians<ref>{{cite news|author=Jury, Louise|title=Paul Merton: Have I got laughs for you|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/paul-merton-have-i-got-laughs-for-you-681874.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907034743/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/paul-merton-have-i-got-laughs-for-you-681874.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 September 2010|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=31 August 2011|___location=London}}</ref> and in 2006, [[BBC Four]] broadcast ''Paul Merton's Silent Clowns'', a four-part documentary series on the silent comedy craft of [[Buster Keaton]], [[Charlie Chaplin]], [[Laurel and Hardy]] and [[Harold Lloyd]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/silent-clowns.shtml | title=BBC Four: ''Paul Merton's Silent Clowns'' | publisher=BBC | access-date=21 May 2007 | archive-date=30 October 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030201942/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/silent-clowns.shtml | url-status=live }}</ref> He examined their respective careers, interspersed with moments from a live show in which he presented clips of their work. Among the audience were many children, who were seeing the performers for the first time. Merton took a stage version of this show to the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in late 2007 took the show on a UK tour. A tie-in book, ''Silent Comedy'', was written by Merton and published by RH Books in late 2007. ''[[The Independent]]'' described it as "clearly a labour of love" but criticised the exhaustive and overly-thorough plot synopses of the films discussed.<ref>{{cite news|first= William|last= Cook|title= Silent Comedy, by Paul Merton|url= http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/reviews/article3164441.ece|archive-url= https://archive.today/20081226135029/http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/reviews/article3164441.ece|url-status= dead|archive-date= 26 December 2008|work= [[The Independent]]|date= 15 November 2007|access-date= 12 January 2008|___location= London}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

*''My Struggle'' (1995) ISBN 0-7522-0353-3 (a [[parody|spoof]] [[autobiography]], apparently named after [[Mein Kampf]])

*''Paul Merton's History of the Twentieth Century'' (1993) ISBN 1-85283-570-2

*''The Joan Collins Fan Club: My Life with Fanny the Wonder Dog: The True Story'' by [[Julian Clary]] and Paul Merton (1989) ISBN 0-333-49926-3

Also in 2007 Merton presented a four-part travel documentary, ''[[Paul Merton in China]]'', which was broadcast on [[Channel 5 (UK)|Five]] from 21 May 2007. His second travel series, ''[[Paul Merton in India]]'' was transmitted from 8 October 2008 on the same channel. A third series, ''[[Paul Merton in Europe]]'' began broadcasting on 11 January 2010, again on Five.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.five.tv/programmes/documentaries/paul-merton-in-europe |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804174928/http://www.five.tv/programmes/documentaries/paul-merton-in-europe |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 August 2012 |title=Paul Merton in Europe |publisher=Five.tv |access-date=3 March 2010 }}</ref> In 2015 he was commissioned by [[More4]] to present ''[[Paul Merton's Secret Stations|Paul Merton’s Secret Stations]]'', a travel documentary series about some of Britain's little-used [[request stop]] railway stations inspired by travel writer [[Dixe Wills]]' book ''Tiny Stations''.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Paul Merton, station master: Comic takes to the railways for new documentary |url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2015/07/08/22799/paul_merton%2C_station_master |website=www.chortle.co.uk |date=8 July 2015 |access-date=11 July 2015 |archive-date=10 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710184448/http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2015/07/08/22799/paul_merton%2C_station_master |url-status=live }}</ref>

==External links==

{{wikiquote}}

*{{imdb name|id=0581615|name=Paul Merton}}

*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/profiles/paul_merton.shtml Paul Merton] at [[bbc.co.uk]]

*[http://www.comedystoreplayers.com/paul/ Paul Merton] at Comedy Store

In 2009, Paul wrote and presented ''Morecambe and Wise: The Show What Paul Merton Did''.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

{{HIGNFY}}

Merton hosted the British version of ''[[Thank God You're Here (UK TV series)|Thank God You're Here]]'', which aired on ITV in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thank God You're Here - UKGameshows|url=http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Thank_God_You%27re_Here|access-date=2021-01-28|website=www.ukgameshows.com|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120135450/http://ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Thank_God_You%27re_Here|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, Merton directed and presented a documentary on the British films of [[Alfred Hitchcock]], in a series of star-presented documentaries on [[BBC Four]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/sep/12/television Merton and Hislop extend their rivalry on BBC4] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308210212/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/sep/12/television |date=8 March 2016 }}. The Guardian. 12 September 2008</ref> In May 2010, Merton temporarily co-presented ''[[The One Show]]'' after [[Adrian Chiles]] left the show.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Conlan |first1=Tara |title=Paul Merton and Matt Allwright to be guest hosts on The One Show |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/apr/27/paul-merton-the-one-show |access-date=23 October 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=27 April 2010 |language=en |archive-date=26 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026221029/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/apr/27/paul-merton-the-one-show |url-status=live }}</ref>

His three-part documentary series ''[[Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood]]'' about the early history of Hollywood was broadcast in May 2011 on BBC2. In Merton's third TV series for 2011, ''[[Paul Merton's Adventures]]'', he travels around the world going on popular tourist trails, but still manages to find some extraordinary things.

In 2021, Merton returned to Channel 5 for a new travel show, ''Motorhoming with Merton & Webster'', a 6-part hour-long series which sees Merton travelling around Britain with his wife Suki Webster in a camper van.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://realscreen.com/2021/04/12/channel-5-hits-the-road-with-motorhoming-with-merton-webster/|title=Channel 5 hits the road with "Motorhoming with Merton & Webster"|access-date=29 July 2021|archive-date=29 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729125516/https://realscreen.com/2021/04/12/channel-5-hits-the-road-with-motorhoming-with-merton-webster/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/paul-merton-and-suki-webster-head-to-the-lake-district-in-new-channel-5-motorhoming-show-3325163|title=Paul Merton and Suki Webster head to the Lake District in new Channel 5 motorhoming show|date=28 July 2021 |access-date=29 July 2021|archive-date=29 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729125513/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/paul-merton-and-suki-webster-head-to-the-lake-district-in-new-channel-5-motorhoming-show-3325163|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.televisual.com/news/c5-hits-the-motorhoming-road-with-paul-merton-and-suki-webster/|title = C5 hits the Motorhoming road with Paul Merton and Suki Webster|date = 12 April 2021|access-date = 29 July 2021|archive-date = 29 July 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210729125514/https://www.televisual.com/news/c5-hits-the-motorhoming-road-with-paul-merton-and-suki-webster/|url-status = live}}</ref>

In October 2023, Merton appeared on an episode of ''[[Celebrity Antiques Road Trip]]'' with his wife Suki.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001rchf|title=Celebrity Antiques Road Trip|website=bbc.co.uk|accessdate=7 October 2023}}</ref>

In 2024, Merton appeared as the guest on the programme ''Perfect Pub Walks with Bill Bailey''. Merton and [[Bill Bailey]] walked, talked and visited pubs on the [[Isle of Purbeck]] in [[Dorset]].

== Personal life ==

Merton married actress [[Caroline Quentin]] in 1990; they announced their separation in April 1997, which was followed by divorce in 1998.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/oct/29/features.magazine37|title=Paul Merton interview: fears of a clown|author=Lynn Barber|work=The Observer|date=29 October 2000|___location=London|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-date=21 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921211041/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/oct/29/features.magazine37|url-status=live}}</ref> Merton had a relationship with producer and actress [[Sarah Parkinson]]; they were married unofficially in a service in the [[Maldives]] in 2000. They were officially married three months before her death from [[breast cancer]] on 23 September 2003.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3137446.stm|title = Comic Paul Merton's wife dies|date = 24 September 2003|access-date = 27 August 2021|archive-date = 6 March 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120306041226/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3137446.stm|url-status = live}}</ref> He married fellow improviser Suki Webster in 2009 and they live in [[Sudbury, Suffolk]].

Shortly before becoming a household name on ''Have I Got News for You'', Merton booked himself into the [[Maudsley Hospital|Maudsley psychiatric hospital]] for six weeks, because of psychiatric problems caused by the malaria medicine [[Mefloquine|Lariam]].<ref name="mirror">{{cite news |author=Kevin Maguire |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/inside-the-mind-of-paul-merton-ahead-774356 |title=Inside the mind of Paul Merton |work=Daily Mirror |date=28 March 2012 |access-date=25 September 2012 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701032753/http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/inside-the-mind-of-paul-merton-ahead-774356 |url-status=live }}</ref> In an interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'' he was reported to have been "hallucinating conversations with friends, and became convinced he was a target for the [[Freemasonry|Freemasons]]".<ref name="guardian2">{{cite news |author=Barbara Ellen |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1386064,00.html |title=Barbara Ellen meets Paul Merton |work=The Guardian |date=9 January 2005 |access-date=3 March 2010 |___location=London |archive-date=5 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205093659/http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1386064,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

He used his experiences at Maudsley as a key framework in his 2012 tour, ''Out of My Head''. He gave many examples of his misadventures there, conversations with staff and fellow patients were played out as sketches with his fellow performers, [[Richard Vranch]], [[Lee Simpson]] and Suki Webster. He stated that, during his time at the Maudsley, he was simultaneously appearing in ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' on Channel 4.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

== Acclaim and awards ==

In a 2007 public poll featured in ''[[The Guardian]]'', Merton was voted alongside the likes of [[Oscar Wilde]], [[Spike Milligan]], [[Noël Coward]] and [[Winston Churchill]] as one of the ten greatest wits of all time.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/oct/15/1/|title=Genius declared: Wilde tops the wit list|author=Aidan Jones|date=15 October 2007|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=17 February 2016|archive-date=19 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419075131/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/oct/15/1|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Comedian's Comedian'', a 2005 [[Channel 4]] poll of fellow comedians, saw him voted among the top twenty greatest international comedians in history,<ref name="channel4">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4141019.stm|title=Cook voted 'comedians' comedian'|date=2 January 2005|work=BBC News|access-date=17 February 2016|archive-date=11 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911235612/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4141019.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> with host [[Jimmy Carr]] crediting him for being "responsible for more great lines than [[Angus Deayton]]'s [[drug dealer|dealer]]".<ref>{{cite episode |title= The Comedian's Comedian|series=The Comedians' Comedian |network= Channel 4|airdate= 1 January 2005|number= 1/1}} Introduction by [[Jimmy Carr]].</ref> ''[[The Observer]]'s'' "The A–Z of Laughter", a 2003 special compiled by expert judges which featured the 50 funniest acts in British comedy by letter, applauded Merton for "bringing to ''Have I Got News for You'' a genuine surrealism that cuts through the clubbable smugness".<ref name="observer">{{cite news | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1101525,00.html | title=The A–Z of laughter | publisher=The Guardian | work=Guardian Unlimited | access-date=10 September 2006 | ___location=London | date=7 December 2003 | archive-date=27 January 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127124724/http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1101525,00.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

Merton has accumulated multiple awards and honours. After seven [[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA Award]] nominations for "Best Entertainment Performance", he finally won the award in [[British Academy Television Awards 2003|2003]], defeating fellow ''Have I Got News for You'' star Angus Deayton, who had been dismissed from the show the previous October.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://awards.bafta.org/award/2003/television/entertainment-performance|title=BAFTA Awards|website=awards.bafta.org}}</ref> He has since been nominated for a further three awards – a total of eleven nominations – including a nomination for his travel documentary ''Paul Merton in China''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/news/cranford-dominates-bafta-nominations-797274.html |title=Cranford dominates Bafta nominations |work=The Independent |date=18 March 2008 |access-date=3 March 2010 |___location=London |first1=Sherna |last1=Noah |archive-date=30 May 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530154611/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/news/cranford-dominates-bafta-nominations-797274.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Merton's appearances on ''Have I Got News for You'' have seen him nominated for five [[British Comedy Award]]s, winning the [[British Comedy Awards#1992|1992]] "Top TV Comedy Personality" and [[British Comedy Awards#1999|1999]] "Best Comedy Entertainment Personality" awards. He has also shared a further three British Comedy Awards with the panel and crew of the show, winning "Best new TV comedy" in [[British Comedy Awards#1991|1991]], "Best comedy gameshow" in [[British Comedy Awards#1999|1999]] and "Best Comedy Panel Show" in [[British Comedy Awards#2009|2009]]. He received the 2004 [[Broadcasting Press Guild Awards|Broadcasting Press Guild Award]] for "Best Non-Acting Performer", also for his work on ''Have I Got News for You''.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

In 2008, Merton presented [[Bruce Forsyth]] with a BAFTA Fellowship: Forsyth had given Merton his Best Entertainment Performance award in 2003.<!-- NOT IN REF <ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7357432.stm |title=Gavin and Stacey scoops TV BAFTAs |work=BBC News |date=20 April 2008 |access-date=3 March 2010 |archive-date=6 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406215308/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7357432.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> -->{{cn|date=December 2023}}

== Works ==

Merton has written or co-authored five books:

*{{cite book |author1=Julian Clary |author2=Paul Merton |title=The Joan Collins' Fan Club |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqNhNwAACAAJ |date=1989 |publisher=Papermac |isbn=978-0-333-49926-9 |ref=none}}

*{{cite book |author=Paul Merton |title=Paul Merton's history of the twentieth century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A1LuAQAACAAJ |date=1993 |isbn=978-1-85283-570-5 |ref=none}}

*{{cite book |author=Paul Merton |title=My Struggle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CeyJAQAACAAJ |date=1996 |isbn=978-0-7522-0353-9 |ref=none}}

*{{cite book |author=Paul Merton |title=Silent Comedy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a3tXvxvIi6YC |date=2007 |publisher=Random House UK |isbn=978-1-905211-70-8 |ref=none}}

*{{cite book |date=2014 |author=Paul Merton |isbn=978-0-09-194935-8|title= Only When I Laugh: My Autobiography |publisher=Ebury Press|ref=none}}

== References ==

{{reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==

*{{cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/familyhistory/3354759/Family-detective.html |title=Family detective – Telegraph |first= Nick|last=Barratt|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |___location=London |issn=0307-1235 |oclc=49632006 |access-date=5 September 2013 |date=6 October 2007}}

*{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2007/oct/23/comedy.television |title=Sam Wollaston talks to Paul Merton &#124; Stage &#124; The Guardian |first=Sam|last=Wallaston |work=theguardian.com |access-date=5 September 2013}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category}}

*{{IMDb name|id=0581615|name=Paul Merton}}

* [http://www.paulmerton.com/ Paul Merton Official Website]

* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/profiles/paul_merton.shtml Paul Merton] at [[bbc.co.uk]]

* [http://www.comedystoreplayers.com/ Paul Merton] at Comedy Store Players website

* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tours/merton/tourmerton1.html Interactive video talk by Paul Merton on early British silent film comedy for the British Film Institute]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090122081156/http://www.edcomfest.com/shows/paul_mertons_impro_chums Paul Merton's Impro Chums at Edinburgh Comedy Festival]

{{Have I Got News for You}}

{{Whose Line Is It Anyway?}}

{{British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merton, Paul}}

[[Category:1957 births]]

[[Category:Best Entertainment Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Comedians from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]

[[Category:English comedians]]

[[Category:EnglishEdinburgh stand-upComedy comediansFestival]]

[[Category:English actorsmale comedians]]

[[Category:English male television actors]]

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[[Category:English people of Irish descent]]

[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]

[[Category:English stand-up comedians]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:People from Parsons Green]]

[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]

[[Category:People educated at Wimbledon College]]

[[Category:20th-century English comedians]]

[[Category:21st-century English comedians]]

[[Category:English surrealist artists]]

[[Category:Surreal comedy]]

[[Category:Male actors from London]]

[[Category:English civil servants]]

[[Category:People from Fulham]]

[[Category:Television personalities from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]