Ian Hislop

Ian Hislop Headshot

Journalist • Magazine Editor • Satirist • Comedian

Birth Date: July 13, 1960

Age: 64 years old

Birth Place: Mumbles, Swansea, Wales, UK

British writer, comedian, journalist, and broadcaster Ian Hislop is most recognizable for having appeared on every episode of the long-running satirical current events quiz show, "Have I Got News for You." Born in Swansea, Wales, he lived all over the world due to his father's civil engineering job before attending a British boarding school where he directed and performed in revues. He subsequently attended Oxford, trying his hand at journalism as editor of "Passing Wind," a satirical magazine begun by classmate and collaborator Nick Newman. Having developed his skills, he began writing for "Private Eye," the British magazine that mixes news with a healthy dose of criticism lampooning the establishment.

In 1986, he rose to the position of editor of the magazine, earning the dubious distinction of becoming the most sued man in Britain for the many libel cases brought against the controversial publication. Hislop first appeared on television on the youth oriented talk show "Loose Talk" and continued in the medium despite hating those early experiences, next writing for the series, "Spitting Image," which used puppets to send up major public figures. He has also presented serious documentary series in addition to further satirical writing for radio and sitcoms. Most visibly, he's known as a team captain on the BBC's longest running panel show, "Have I Got News for You," again bringing satire to current events and appearing in every episode in over 20 years on the air.

Credits

Have I Got News for YouStream

Writer
Game Show
2024

Orwell vs Kafka

Host
Show
2024

A Very British Sex Scandal: The Love Child & The Secretary

Self
Show
2024

Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes

Host
Show
2024

Skinner & Mina's Literary Road Trip: Pope & Swift

Self
Show
2023

Ian Hislop's 2022: In Conversation with Amol Rajan

Guest
Show
2022

Spike Milligan: The Unseen Archive

Self
Show
2022

In Suburbia

Host
Show
2022

Ian Hislop's Trains That Changed The World

Host
Show
2021

This Union: The Ghost Kingdoms of England

Host
Show
2021

Steph's Packed Lunch

Guest
Show
2020

What's Funny About ..

Host
Show
2020

Ian Hislop's 2019: In Conversation with Amol Rajan

Guest
Show
2019

Ian Hislop's Fake News: A True History

Host
Show
2019

Cheltenham Literature Festival

Self
Show
2019

Years and YearsStream

Self
Series
2019
89%

Peston

Guest
Show
2018

Peston

Self
Show
2018

Who Should We Let in? Ian Hislop on the First Great Immigration Row

Host
Show
2017

The Secret of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

Host
Show
2016

Workers or Shirkers? Ian Hislop's Victorian Benefits

Host
Show
2016

Have I Got a Bit More Old News for You

Host
Show
2015

Ian Hislop's Olden Days: The Power of the Past in Britain

Host
Show
2014

The Wipers Times

Writer
Show
2013

The Wipers Times

Screenwriter
Movie
2013

The Wipers Times

Writer
Movie
2013

Ian Hislop's Stiff Upper Lip: An Emotional History of Britain

Host
Show
2012

Ian Hislop's Age of the Do-Gooders

Host
Show
2010

Have I Got a Bit More News for You

Contestant
Show
2010

Have I Got a Bit More News for You

Guest
Show
2010

Have I Got a Bit More News for You

Host
Show
2010

Have I Got a Bit More News for You

Self
Show
2010

Archive on 4

Guest
Show
2010

Ian Hislop Goes off the Rails

Host
Show
2008

A Bunch of Amateurs

Writer
Movie
2008

Ian Hislop's Scouting for Boys

Actor
Movie
2007

The One Show

Guest
Show
2006

Who Do You Think You Are?

Guest Star
Show
2004

Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover

Host
Show
2004

The Choir Invisible

Host
Show
2003

Imagine...

Guest
Show
2003

Comedy Connections

Guest Star
Show
2003

The Real Patron Saints

Narrator
Show
2002

Have I Got Old News for You

Guest Star
Show
1999

Have I Got Old News for You

Host
Show
1999

Have I Got News for You

Guest
Game Show
1997

Have I Got News for You

Host
Game Show
1997

Have I Got News for You

Self
Game Show
1997

Room 101

Guest
Show
1994

Great Railway Journeys

Host
Show
1994

Spitting Image: Greatest Episodes

Host
Show
1984

Spitting Image: Greatest Episodes

Writer
Show
1984

Spitting Image

Writer
Show
1984

Three Plus One

Writer
Show
1982

Question Time

Guest
Show
1979