Robin Ince
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Robin Ince (born 20 February 1969) is an English comedian, actor and writer, known for presenting the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
radio show ''
The Infinite Monkey Cage ''The Infinite Monkey Cage'' is a BBC Radio 4 comedy and popular science series. Hosted by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince, ''The Independent'' described it as a "witty and irreverent look at the world according to science". The sh ...
'' with physicist Brian Cox, and his stand-up comedy career.


Education

After attending York House prep school, near
Croxley Green Croxley Green is both a village and a suburb of Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, England. It is also a civil parish. Located on the A412 between Watford to the northeast and Rickmansworth to the southwest, it is approximately northwest of centr ...
in Hertfordshire, Ince was, from age 13, educated at
Cheltenham College ("Work Conquers All") , established = , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent School Day and Boarding School , religion = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head , head = Nicola Huggett ...
, a boarding
independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...
for boys in the
spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...
Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...
, followed by
Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...
, from which he graduated in English and Drama in 1991.


Career


Stand-up comedy

In 1990, Ince first appeared at Greyfriars Kirkhouse at the Edinburgh Festival where
Eddie Izzard Edward John Izzard (; born 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomime. Izzard's stand- ...
was running a venue. At the time Ince was performing in a play called 'Shadow Walker' by Trevor Maynard. He had appeared at the Cafe Royal as part of the
Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
show 'Rubbernecker' alongside
Stephen Merchant Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer. Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...
,
Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners and distinctive laugh, for which he has been both praised and criti ...
and
Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office'' (2001–2003), '' Extras'' (2005–2007), and '' An Idiot Abroad' ...
in 2001. As a friend of Ricky Gervais, Ince opened as a support act for his ''Politics'' tour in 2004 and his '' Fame'' tour in 2007. He also appears on the DVD and often appears in Gervaise's video podcasts, mainly being bullied, annoyed and attacked by Gervais. In 2008 Ince had a residency at the Dorchester Arts Centre, trying out new material for his upcoming shows. In late 2008 he released a live stand-up DVD entitled ''Robin Ince is as Dumb as You'', released by
Go Faster Stripe Go Faster Stripe is an independent film production and distribution company that operates out of the Chapter Arts Centre, in Cardiff, Wales. The company specialises in the recording of live shows by stand-up comedians who, while in the public ...
. Then between January and April 2009, Ince performed his UK tour ''Bleeding Heart Liberal'', playing 51 dates. Towards the end of 2009 and into 2010, Ince toured his next show entitled ''Robin Ince vs. the Moral Majority''. In 2011 he started on the road again, performing his 'Happiness Through Science' UK show, which continued to add many dates and was extended into 2012. In April 2015, Ince made a blog post announcing his retirement from stand-up comedy, writing about
impostor syndrome Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon or impostorism, is a psychological occurrence in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. Desp ...
, the commercialisation of the comedy scene and a wish to spend more time with his son. He concluded "Let’s see if I can give up stand up for longer than I gave up whisky, or if the addiction is such that I’ll start busking jokes outside the Hayward Gallery by August." He returned to performing comedy a year later. In September 2016, Ince performed at the Keep Corbyn rally in Brighton in support of
Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. On the political left of the Labour Party, Corbyn describes himself as a socialist ...
's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. Ince staged a stand-up tour, ''Pragmatic Insanity'', in September 2017.


Live events

In 2005, Ince began running the ''Book Club'' night at The Albany, London, where acts were encouraged to perform turns of new and experimental material. The club got its name from Ince's attempts to read aloud from – and humorously criticise – various second-hand books which the audience and he had brought in for the occasion. The Book Club proved to be so successful that Ince took it on a full UK tour in 2006, the same year he won the '' Time Out'' Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. In 2010, Ince published a book entitled ''Robin Ince's Bad Book Club'' about his favourite books that he has used for his shows. Ince has curated ''
Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People ''Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People'' is a Christmas stage show celebrating a view of science. It was first run in 2008 at the '' Bloomsbury Theatre'' and re-run as ''The Return of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People'' in 2009, t ...
'' (later renamed as ''Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People'') since 2008, a Christmas stage show with performances from comedians, musicians and scientists.


Television

Ince started his television career as a comedy writer, working on ''
The 11 O'Clock Show ''The 11 O'Clock Show'' is a satirical late-night British television comedy series on Channel 4 which featured topical sketches and commentary on news items. It ran between 30 September 1998 and 8 December 2000, most notably hosted by Iain Lee a ...
'', for which he also performed as an
impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
, including an impersonation of
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
. He also appeared in ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...
'' as failed interviewee Stuart Foot. Ince has also appeared on clip shows on British television, where he and other comedians appeared as talking heads. The second Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People stage show was screened on
BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002
in 2009, billed as ''Nerdstock: 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People''.


Radio

He co-starred with
Mitch Benn Mitchell John Benn (born 20 January 1970) is an English comedian, author and musician known for his comedy rock songs performed on BBC radio. He was, until 2016, a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's satirical programme ''The Now Show'', and ha ...
and
Alfie Joey Alfie Joey is a writer, comic, actor, impressionist, singer, presenter, and artist/cartoonist. He hosted the flagship breakfast show on BBC Radio Newcastle from 2009, until his last show on 28 October 2022. He was nominated Best Compère at th ...
in the
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
series '' Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music''. Ince and physicist Brian Cox present the science series ''
The Infinite Monkey Cage ''The Infinite Monkey Cage'' is a BBC Radio 4 comedy and popular science series. Hosted by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince, ''The Independent'' described it as a "witty and irreverent look at the world according to science". The sh ...
'' on Radio 4. The programme won a Gold Award in the Best Speech Programme category at the 2011
Sony Radio Awards The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy ...
. He is a regular contributor on
Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music. Early life He attended The Ramsey Academy ...
's
BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
programme, appearing weekly as the show's "music profiler". In the summer of 2022 he presented a two part BBC Radio 4 series
''Robin Ince's Reality Tunnel''
exploring the internal and external aspects of reality. This was an edited version of a live performance given in Hulme, Manchester in April 2022


Books

*''Bibliomaniac: An Obsessive’s Tour of the Bookshops of Britain'' (
Atlantic Books Atlantic Books is an independent British publishing house, with its headquarters in Ormond House in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is perhaps best known for publishing Aravind Adiga's debut novel ''The White Tiger'', which rece ...
, 2022) *''The Importance of Being Interested – Adventures in Scientific Curiosity'' (Atlantic Books, 2021) *''I'm a Joke and So Are You: Reflections on Humour and Humanity'' (Atlantic Books, 2018) *''Robin Ince's Bad Book Club: One man's quest to uncover the books that taste forgot'' (
Little, Brown Book Group Little, Brown Book Group is a UK publishing company created in 1992, with multiple predecessors. Since 2006 Little, Brown Book Group has been owned by Hachette UK, a subsidiary of Hachette Livre. It was acquired in 2006 from Time Warner of New ...
, 2011) With Brian Cox and Alexandra Feachem: *''The Infinite Monkey Cage - How to Build a Universe'', (
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
, 2018)


Podcast and internet

Ince presented the ''Utter Shambles'' (previously ''Show & Tell'')
podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
for Paramount Comedy with
Josie Long Josie Isabel Long (born 17 April 1982) is a British comedian. She started performing as a stand-up at the age of 14 and won the BBC New Comedy Awards at 17. In 2006, Long won the If.comeddies Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Festival Frin ...
, and presented
BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the p ...
's ''
Serious About Comedy ''Serious About Comedy'' was a British comedy discussion show on the digital radio station BBC7, hosted by Robin Ince. It was broadcast at 08:30 and 22:00 on Fridays, and 03:00 on Saturdays, in series of 12 editions long. It started on 12 August ...
'' from 2005 until its end in November 2007. Regular panellists in the show included ''Book Club'' performers
Josie Long Josie Isabel Long (born 17 April 1982) is a British comedian. She started performing as a stand-up at the age of 14 and won the BBC New Comedy Awards at 17. In 2006, Long won the If.comeddies Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Festival Frin ...
,
Howard Read Howard Oliver Drinkwater Read is a British screenwriter, comedian, and animator best known for his work with his animated sidekick, Little Howard. His other creations include an angry manager with a conversational style and the worldview of Bern ...
and
Natalie Haynes Natalie Louise Haynes (born 1974) is an English writer, broadcaster, classicist, and comedian. Early life Haynes was born in Birmingham, where she attended King Edward VI High School for Girls. She read Classics at Christ's College, Cambridge, ...
, comedy critics Bruce Dessau and Stephen Armstrong, and many others from the British comedy industry. He now presents ''Book Shambles with Robin and Josie'' with Josie Long which is funded via
Patreon Patreon (, ) is a membership platform that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service. It helps creators and artists earn a monthly income by providing rewards and perks to their subscribers. Patreon charges a co ...
and music podcast ''Vitriola'' with comedian Michael Legge. In 2013, Ince co-created and launched ''The Incomplete Map of the Cosmic Genome'', an online video based science magazine and archive. Ince acts as host and co-producer on the project. Contributors have included Brian Cox,
Helen Czerski Helen Czerski is a British physicist and oceanographer and television presenter. She is a research fellow in the department of mechanical engineering at University College London. She was previously at the Institute for Sound and Vibration Resea ...
,
Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
,
Chris Hadfield Chris Austin Hadfield (born August 29, 1959) is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, fighter pilot, and musician. The first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also serv ...
and
Stewart Lee Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian, screenwriter, and television director. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, deadpan delivery, and consistent breaking of the fourth wall. Lee b ...
. In 2017, Ince co-founded the Cosmic Shambles Network with Trent Burton, an organisation that creates podcasts, documentaries and events "for people with curious minds".


Personal life

Ince is an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
and supports the
Rationalist Association The Rationalist Association, originally the Rationalist Press Association, is an organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1885 by a group of freethinkers who were unhappy with the increasingly political and decreasingly intellectual tenor ...
via ''
New Humanist ''New Humanist'' is a quarterly magazine, published by the Rationalist Association in the UK, that focuses on culture, news, philosophy, and science from a sceptical perspective. History The ''New Humanist'' has been in print for more than 131 ...
'' magazine by organising events at the
Bloomsbury Theatre The Bloomsbury Theatre is a theatre on Gordon Street, Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, owned by University College London. The Theatre has a seating capacity of 547 and offers a professional programme of innovative music, drama, come ...
and at the
Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...
featuring scientists, musicians and comedians. The first of these was ''Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People'' in Christmas 2008, and more recently he has fronted a ''Night of 400 Billion Stars''. Regular contributions come from
Josie Long Josie Isabel Long (born 17 April 1982) is a British comedian. She started performing as a stand-up at the age of 14 and won the BBC New Comedy Awards at 17. In 2006, Long won the If.comeddies Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Festival Frin ...
,
Chris Addison Christopher David Addison (born 5 November 1971) is a British comedian, writer, actor, and director. He is perhaps best known for his role as a regular panellist on ''Mock the Week''. He is also known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of ...
,
Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office'' (2001–2003), '' Extras'' (2005–2007), and '' An Idiot Abroad' ...
,
Richard Dawkins Richard Dawkins (born 26 March 1941) is a British evolutionary biologist and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008. An ath ...
,
Simon Singh Simon Lehna Singh, (born 19 September 1964) is a British popular science author, theoretical and particle physicist. His written works include ''Fermat's Last Theorem'' (in the United States titled ''Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve th ...
and Philip Jeays. In 2009, Ince organised two events with Josie Long, called '' Darwin's Birthday Spectacular'', marking both the scientist's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book ''
On the Origin of Species ''On the Origin of Species'' (or, more completely, ''On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life''),The book's full original title was ''On the Origin of Species by Me ...
''. He was appointed a patron of
Humanists UK Humanists UK, known from 1967 until May 2017 as the British Humanist Association (BHA), is a charitable organisation which promotes secular humanism and aims to represent "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious be ...
, and later of
Dignity in Dying Dignity in Dying (originally The Voluntary Euthanasia Legalisation Society) is a United Kingdom nationwide campaigning organisation. It is funded by voluntary contributions from members of the public, and as of December 2010, it claimed to hav ...
. On 15 September 2010, Ince, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' stating their opposition to
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
's visit to the UK being a
state visit A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...
.


Awards

*
Chortle Awards The Chortle Awards were set up in 2002 by the comedy website Chortle to honour the best of established stand-up comics currently working in the UK. A panel of reviewers draw up a shortlist, which is presented for public vote at the Chortle websit ...
– Innovation Award (2006) * Time Out – Outstanding Contribution to Comedy (2006) *
Chortle Awards The Chortle Awards were set up in 2002 by the comedy website Chortle to honour the best of established stand-up comics currently working in the UK. A panel of reviewers draw up a shortlist, which is presented for public vote at the Chortle websit ...
– Best Compere (2007) *
Sony Radio Awards The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy ...
– Gold Award for Best Speech Programme (2011) * Ockham Award for Best Skeptic Event/Campaign (2012) * Honorary Fellow- University College London (2014) * Honorary Doctor of Science – Royal Holloway, University of London * Distinguished Supporter of the
British Humanist Association Humanists UK, known from 1967 until May 2017 as the British Humanist Association (BHA), is a charitable organisation which promotes secular humanism and aims to represent "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious b ...


Other appearances

Ince has appeared at several science events, including the line-up of UCL's Bright Club in both 2009 and 2010, and took part in the
Cheltenham Science Festival Cheltenham Science Festival is one of the UK's leading science festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year. The 2018 Cheltenham Science Festival (6–11 June) ...
in 2011 and 2014. He is a supporter of the yearly festival ''
Pestival Pestival is an international arts festival dedicated to ‘the art of being an insect'. Pestival won the 2010 Observer Ethical Award in Conservation, and had a three year residency at ZSL London Zoo. It has attracted world-renowned insect expert ...
'' which showcases science, music and comedy, and a regular attendee of the
Latitude Festival The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006 and has been held every year since, apart from 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 ...
. Ince gave the British Humanist Association 2012 Voltaire Lecture, "The Importance of Being Interested". Ince was the lead singer in alternative rock combo TheReg from 1992–1994.


Live credits

* 2017: ''Pragmatic Insanity'' (UK tour) * 2016: ''Gloom Aid'' (The 100 Club) * 2014: ''Robin Ince Is In (and Out) of His Mind'' (Trinity Science Gallery) * 2013: ''The Importance of Being Interested'' (UK tour) * 2011/2012: ''Happiness through Science'' (UK tour) * 2011: ''Uncaged Monkeys Tour'' with Simon Singh, Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre and Helen Arney * 2011: ''Ince and Legge'' @ Stand 5 Comedy Club, Edinburgh Fringe * 2009/2010: ''Robin Ince vs. The Moral Majority'' (UK tour) * 2009: The Return of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People * 2009: ''Charles Darwin Birthday Spectacular'' with Josie Long * 2009: ''Karaoke Circus'', Edinburgh Fringe * 2009: ''Carl Sagan Is My God, Oh And Richard Feynman Too'', Edinburgh Fringe * 2009: ''Night of 40 Billion Stars'', with Chris Addison and others * 2009: ''Bleeding Heart Liberal'' (UK tour) * 2009: Charity night @ Grovel bar in Manchester * 2008:
Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People ''Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People'' is a Christmas stage show celebrating a view of science. It was first run in 2008 at the '' Bloomsbury Theatre'' and re-run as ''The Return of Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People'' in 2009, t ...
, Christmas Show * 2008: ''Things I Like About Carl Sagan And Others'', Edinburgh Fringe * 2008: Comedy Nights @ Dorchester Arts Centre (throughout the year) * 2008: Crewe Limelight Club's final comedy night * 2007: ''Robin Ince Knew This Would Happen'', Edinburgh Fringe * 2007:
Lion's Den Comedy Club
' @ The Cross Kings in Kings Cross * 2006: ''Robin Ince Isn't Waving'' @ The Assembly Rooms and Edinburgh Fringe 2006 * 2005: ''Ricky Gervais and Guests'' @ The Dominion Theatre * 2005: ''Robin Ince is as Dumb as You'' @ Pleasance and Edinburgh Fringe 2005 * 2005: ''Book Club'' @
Underbelly Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society. This term could refer to: Business * ...
, Lowdown at the Albany * 2004: ''The Award Winning Robin Ince – Star of the Office, Series 1. Episode 5 (First Bit)'' @
Underbelly Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society. This term could refer to: Business * ...
* 2001: ''Rubbernecker'' with
Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office'' (2001–2003), '' Extras'' (2005–2007), and '' An Idiot Abroad' ...
,
Stephen Merchant Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer. Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...
,
Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners and distinctive laugh, for which he has been both praised and criti ...
@ Cafe Royal


TV credits

* 2010: Host, '' Nerdstock: 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People'' (
BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002
) * 2009: Host, ''
Richard & Judy's New Position ''Richard & Judy'' (also known as ''Richard & Judy's New Position'') is a British television chat show presented by the married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. The show originally aired on Channel 4 from 26 November 2001 to 22 Augus ...
'' (
Watch A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...
) * 2009: Panelist/Guest, '' What the Dickens'' (
Sky Arts Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...
) * 2008: Comedy Consultant, '' Skins'' (
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
) * 2007: Sketch performer, ''
Comedy Cuts ''Comedy Cuts'' is a comedy programme on the British TV channel ITV2 that aims to provide an opportunity for new comedy performers to present their talents. Featuring 40 performers demonstrating a mix of stand up and sketches, the series is shot ...
'' (
ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...
) * 2006: Stand Up Routine, '' Edinburgh & Beyond'' (
Paramount Comedy 1 Comedy Central is a British pay television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated. This channel is specific to audiences within the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel is aligned with the original US versi ...
) * 2006: Panelist/Guest, ''
Mock the Week ''Mock the Week'' is a British topical satirical celebrity panel show, created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson. It was produced by Angst Productions for BBC Two, and was broadcast from 5 June 2005 to 4 November 2022. The programme was present ...
'' (
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
) * 2005: Writer, ''The Problem With Anne Robinson'' (BBC Two) * 2004: Writer, ''The Late Edition'' (
BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002
) * 2004: Writer/performer, ''Celebdaq'' (
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, curre ...
) * 2003: Writer/performer, ''The State We're In'' (BBC Three) * 2003: Writer/performer, ''The Pilot Show'' (Channel 4) * 2003: John Peel, ''
The 11 O'Clock Show ''The 11 O'Clock Show'' is a satirical late-night British television comedy series on Channel 4 which featured topical sketches and commentary on news items. It ran between 30 September 1998 and 8 December 2000, most notably hosted by Iain Lee a ...
'' (Channel 4) * 2001: "Stuart Foot" (interviewee), ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...
'' (BBC Two) * 2000: Writer, ''
Meet Ricky Gervais ''Meet Ricky Gervais'' is a British television comedy talk show written and hosted by Ricky Gervais. It was produced by Talkback for Channel 4 in 2000 and ran for one series on Friday nights. Overview Guests were supposedly interviewed by Gerva ...
'' (Channel 4) * 1999: Writer, ''
Alistair McGowan's Big Impression ''The Big Impression'', known as ''Alistair McGowan's Big Impression'' for the first three series, is a British comedy sketch show. It features Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona impersonating personalities from entertainment and sport. Four series ...
'' (
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
)


Radio credits

* 2022: Writer/performer, ''Robin Ince's Reality Tunnel'' (
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
) * 2010: Presenter " Schrodinger's Quantum Kittens" (
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
) * 2009–present: Host, "
The Infinite Monkey Cage ''The Infinite Monkey Cage'' is a BBC Radio 4 comedy and popular science series. Hosted by physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince, ''The Independent'' described it as a "witty and irreverent look at the world according to science". The sh ...
" (
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
) * 2009: Guest, '' Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show'' (
Absolute Radio Absolute Radio is a British National radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via Digital audio broadcasting and on 1215 kHz MW. History 1993–1997: Virg ...
) * 2008: Panelist, '' Just a Minute'' (BBC Radio 4) * 2006-7: Panelist, ''
The Personality Test ''The Personality Test'' is a British radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which sees a weekly guest host present a series of questions about themselves to a panel consisting of comedians. Along with regulars Sue Perkins, Lucy Porter and Robin ...
'' (BBC Radio 4) * 2004-8: Performer, ''
The Now Show ''The Now Show'' is a British radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which satirises the week's news. The show is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The show used to feature regular appearances by J ...
'' (BBC Radio 4) * 2005: Host, ''
Serious About Comedy ''Serious About Comedy'' was a British comedy discussion show on the digital radio station BBC7, hosted by Robin Ince. It was broadcast at 08:30 and 22:00 on Fridays, and 03:00 on Saturdays, in series of 12 editions long. It started on 12 August ...
'' (
BBC Radio 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio broadcasting, radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a ...
) * 2005: Writer, '' Dead Ringers'' (BBC Radio 4) * 2004: Performer, ''
Think the Unthinkable ''Think the Unthinkable'' is an audience sitcom about hapless management consultants, written by James Cary and first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2001. It starred Marcus Brigstocke, David Mitchell, Catherine Shepherd, Emma Kennedy and Beth Ch ...
'' (BBC Radio 4) * 2003-4: Host, ''Spanking New'' (BBC Radio 7) * 2002-4: Writer/performer, '' The in Crowd'' (BBC Radio 4) * 2003-6: Writer/performer/Morrissey/John Peel/Satan, '' Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music'' (BBC Radio 4) * 2003-6: Writer/performer, ''
The Day the Music Died On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were all killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson. The event later became ...
'' (
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
)


Film credits

* 2006: Writer, ''Razzle Dazzle''.


DVDs

* ''Robin Ince is as Dumb as You'' (2006) * ''Nine Lessons and Carols For Godless People'' (2008) * ''Ten Lessons and Carols For Godless People'' (2011) * ''More Nine Lessons and Carols For Godless People'' (2012) * ''Happiness Through Science'' (2013) * ''Robin Ince's Last Ever Show'' (2015)


References


External links

* * *
Robin Ince profile on suchsmallportions.com

2011 interview with The Humourdor
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ince, Robin 1969 births Living people Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London British secularists English atheists English male comedians English male television actors English screenwriters English male screenwriters English stand-up comedians People educated at Cheltenham College 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English comedians English republicans