HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Susan Elizabeth Perkins (born 22 September 1969) is an English actress, broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer. Originally coming to prominence through her comedy partnership with Mel Giedroyc in '' Mel and Sue'', she has since become best known as a radio broadcaster and television presenter, notably of ''
The Great British Bake Off ''The Great British Bake Off'' (often abbreviated to ''Bake Off'' or ''GBBO'') is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, atte ...
'' (2010–2016), '' Insert Name Here'' (2016–2019) and '' Just a Minute'' (since 2021) on BBC Radio 4.


Early life and education

Perkins was born on 22 September 1969 in
Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...
,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, where she grew up with her two younger siblings, and her parents. Her father worked for a local car dealership and her mother was employed as a secretary. She was educated at Croham Hurst School, a nearby independent school for girls in
South Croydon South Croydon in south London is the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon and running as far south as the former Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is bounded by Waddon to the West and Selsdon and Sanderstead to the ...
,
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person or object in a particular place or area. Greatness can also be attributed to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than al ...
, at the same time as television presenter
Susanna Reid Susanna Reid (born 10 December 1970) is an English television presenter and journalist. She was a co-presenter of ''BBC Breakfast'' from 2003 until 2014 alongside Bill Turnbull and Charlie Stayt. In 2013, she finished as a runner-up on the elev ...
. She later studied English at New Hall (now Murray Edwards College) at the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, graduating in 1991. While at Cambridge, she was a member of the
Footlights Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University. History Footlights' inaugural ...
, where she met Mel Giedroyc. She was Footlights president during the academic year 1990–91.


Mel and Sue

Perkins and creative partner Mel Giedroyc took their first steps into television under the name Mel and Sue. The duo began to gain success and were short-listed for the ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet ...
'' Best Newcomers award at the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...
in 1993. After a few years writing for
French & Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is a ...
(and occasionally appearing on their BBC series), they co-hosted a lunchtime show on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
entitled ''
Light Lunch ''Light Lunch'' (later ''Late Lunch'') was a Channel 4 lunch-time comedy chatshow broadcast on weekdays at 12:30 between 24 March 1997 and 27 February 1998, which was moved to weeknights at 6:00 PM between 31 March 1998 and 5 March 1999. It w ...
'', and an early evening version, '' Late Lunch'', which ran from March 1997 to February 1998. In January 2015, Giedroyc and Perkins began hosting their own daytime chat show on ITV called '' Mel and Sue''. In August 2015, it was announced that ''Mel and Sue'' had been cancelled by ITV. On 23 July 2017, it was confirmed that they would host a new version of ''
The Generation Game ''The Generation Game'' is a British game show produced by the BBC in which four teams of two people from the same family, but different generations, compete to win prizes. The game There are eight competitors, hence the catchphrase "Let's m ...
'' for BBC One.


Television

In 2002, Perkins appeared on the second UK series of ''
Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...
'' in aid of four charities, Centrepoint, National Missing Persons Helpline, Rethink and
Samaritans Samaritans (; ; he, שומרונים, translit=Šōmrōnīm, lit=; ar, السامريون, translit=as-Sāmiriyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group who originate from the ancient Israelites. They are native to the Levant and adhere to Samarit ...
. During the series, she interacted with series winner
Mark Owen Mark Owen (born 27 January 1972) is an English singer and songwriter best known for being a member of pop group and band Take That; as of 2019, the group have sold 14 million albums and 11.4 million singles in the UK. In Owen's solo career, he ...
from
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
, and TV presenter
Les Dennis Leslie Dennis Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor, and comedian. He presented ''Family Fortunes'' from 1987 until 2002. Early life Dennis was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine on 12 October 1953 in the Liverpoo ...
. Perkins was evicted from the house on Day 9. She provided the voice for Messenger Bird in ''
Dinotopia ''Dinotopia'' is a series of illustrated fantasy books, created by author and illustrator James Gurney. It is set in the titular Dinotopia, an isolated island inhabited by shipwrecked humans and sapient dinosaurs who have learned to coexist p ...
'', produced for Hallmark Entertainment. In 2003, Perkins joined Channel 4 morning television programme '' RI:SE''. In the same year, Perkins also provided additional written material for BBC sitcom ''
Absolutely Fabulous ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (also known as ''Ab Fab'') is a British television sitcom based on the ''French and Saunders'' sketch, "Modern Mother and Daughter", created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saund ...
''. Perkins has appeared on several BBC shows including '' Have I Got News for You'', ''
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 ...
'', '' QI'', ''
Room 101 The Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Love, and the Ministry of Plenty are the four ministries of the government of Oceania in the 1949 dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', by George Orwell. The use of contradictory ...
'', '' Celebrity Weakest Link'', ''
Question Time A question time in a parliament occurs when members of the parliament ask questions of government ministers (including the prime minister), which they are obliged to answer. It usually occurs daily while parliament is sitting, though it can be ca ...
'' and ''
Newsnight ''Newsnight'' (or ''BBC Newsnight'') is BBC Two's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. The programme is broadcast on weekdays at 22:30. and is also availa ...
''. She has made appearances as a field reporter for
Armando Iannucci Armando Giovanni Iannucci (; born 28 November 1963) is a Scottish satirist, writer, director, producer, performer, and panellist. Born in Glasgow to Italian parents, Iannucci studied at the University of Glasgow followed by the University ...
vehicle ''
The Saturday Night Armistice ''The Saturday Night Armistice'' (later ''The Friday Night Armistice'', plus the one-off ''The Election Night Armistice'') is a British satirical television comedy programme presented by Armando Iannucci with Peter Baynham and David Schneide ...
''. Perkins hosted the second series of ''Good Evening, Rockall'', a short-lived, news-oriented panel game shown on
BBC Choice BBC Choice was a British digital television channel which was owned by the BBC and was launched on 23 September 1998. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, as well as the BBC's second non-analogue-terres ...
. In 2006, she appeared in
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
's vocabulary quiz show '' Never Mind the Full Stops''. She was also a team captain on ITV's ''Win, Lose or Draw Late''. During the same decade she made appearances on ''
Celebrity MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking reality show produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay and broadcast in 60 countries around the world. In the UK, it is produced by the BBC. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was revived in 20 ...
'', ''Celebrity Poker'' and ''
News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald ''News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald'', more commonly referred to as simply ''News Knight'' is a British television panel show shown on ITV, at 22:00 on Sunday nights. Fronted by Sir Trevor McDonald and in a similar style to the BBC One progr ...
''. In April 2007, she participated in the television series, ''Edwardian Supersize Me'' for the BBC. She was joined by food critic Giles Coren. The series focused on spending a week eating the equivalent of a wealthy Edwardian couple's food, whilst wearing period clothing. Following the series, Perkins and Coren were commissioned to present a new series called, '' The Supersizers Go...''. The premise of "Edwardian Supersize Me" was replicated and focused on other periods throughout history. In the first episode, they survived for a week on
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
rations. It was re-commissioned for a second episode, Perkins and Coren covered the
English Restoration The Restoration of the Stuart monarchy in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland took place in 1660 when King Charles II returned from exile in continental Europe. The preceding period of the Protectorate and the civil wars came to ...
period. The third episode covered the Victorian period, the fourth the 1970s, the fifth the
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personific ...
period and the sixth the
Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
period. In August and September 2008, Perkins appeared in the reality television series ''
Maestro Maestro (; from the Italian '' maestro'' , meaning "master" or "teacher") is an honorific title of respect (plural: maestros or maestri). The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera, in line with the ubiqu ...
'' on
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 a ...
. During the series, a group of eight celebrities attempted (until eliminated) to learn to conduct orchestral, choral and operatic music. During the series, Perkins conducted three pieces, two of them with soprano soloist
Lesley Garrett Lesley Garrett, CBE (born 10 April 1955) is an English soprano singer, musician, broadcaster and media personality. She is noted for being at home in opera and "crossover music". Early life Garrett was born in the town of Thorne, near Donc ...
. Perkins won the series. In 2008, Perkins narrated the series '' ....And Proud'' on
Virgin 1 Channel One was a British short-lived television channel owned and operated by Virgin Media Television and then Sky plc. The channel was launched on 1 October 2007 at 21:00 on Freeview, Virgin Media and Sky as Virgin1, replacing Ftn. The ch ...
. Perkins appeared in a second "Supersizers" series called ''The Supersizers Eat...'' with Giles Coren which aired on
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 a ...
in June and July 2009. In September and October 2009 she hosted the Channel 4 panel game ''The Big Food Fight''. She then gave a televised lecture for the
Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...
. Entitled "Wit's End? British Comedy at the Crossroads", the lecture focused on the state of British comedy. The presentation was broadcast on BBC Two. In March 2010, Perkins appeared in a three part mini-series on BBC Two, ''A Band for Britain'', in which she attempted to revive the fortunes of the Dinnington Colliery Band. In 2010, Perkins and Coren presented ''Giles and Sue Live the Good Life'', a celebration of the 1970s BBC series '' The Good Life'', where they were challenged to live a self-sufficient lifestyle. Later that year, Perkins was joined by Mel Giedroyc to present ''
The Great British Bake Off ''The Great British Bake Off'' (often abbreviated to ''Bake Off'' or ''GBBO'') is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, atte ...
''. The series is a cookery competition with each episode looking at a different aspect of baking which they co-hosted for seven seasons. In September 2016, Love Productions announced that a three-year deal had been agreed to broadcast the show on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
instead of the BBC from 2017. Perkins and Giedroyc announced that they would not be continuing with Bake Off on its new network.
Mary Berry Dame Mary Rosa Alleyne Hunnings (; born 24 March 1935), known professionally as Mary Berry, is an English food writer, chef, baker and television presenter. After being encouraged in domestic science classes at school, she studied catering at ...
announced she was also leaving Bake Off on the same day that fellow-judge
Paul Hollywood Paul John Hollywood (born 1 March 1966) is an English celebrity chef and television presenter, widely known as a judge on ''The Great British Bake Off'' since 2010. Hollywood began his career at his father's bakery as a teenager and went on to ...
separately announced he would be staying with the show. Perkins narrated the 2011 game show '' Don't Scare the Hare''. In October 2011, she presented a series on BBC Two called ''All Roads Lead Home''. It featured Perkins learning how to use nature as a navigation tool. She was joined on the series by
Alison Steadman Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film '' Life Is Sweet'' and the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as M ...
and
Stephen Mangan Stephen James Mangan (born 16 May 1968) is an English actor, comedian, presenter and writer. He has played Guy Secretan in ''Green Wing'', Dan Moody in ''I'm Alan Partridge'', Seán Lincoln in '' Episodes'', Bigwig in ''Watership Down'', Postm ...
. On 30 December 2011, she presented and performed ''Mrs Dickens's Family Christmas'', a 60-minute documentary for BBC Two that examined the marriage of
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
through the eyes of his wife,
Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...
. Periodically, she has presented '' The Culture Show'', including its broadcast from the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...
in August 2012. During that broadcast she interviewed
Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
, a member of the American disco pop music group Chic. In 2011, Perkins featured in the BBC travel adventure show ''
World's Most Dangerous Roads ''World's Most Dangerous Roads'' is a British TV series in which two celebrities are filmed as they journey by 4×4 vehicle along roads considered among the world's most dangerous. The first series aired on BBC Two BBC Two is a British ...
: Alaska''. She and
Charley Boorman Charley Boorman (born 23 August 1966) is a British TV presenter, travel writer and actor. A motorbike enthusiast, Boorman has made three long-distance motorcycle rides with his friend Ewan McGregor, documented in ''Long Way Round'' (2004), ''Lo ...
, her companion for the trip, drove the
Dalton Highway The James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway (and signed as Alaska Route 11), is a road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse (an unincorporated community within the ...
. She then appeared with
Liza Tarbuck Liza Tarbuck ( ; born 21 November 1964) is an English actress, comedian, and television and radio presenter. Early life Liza Tarbuck was born in Liverpool. She is the daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck and his wife Pauline, with an older siste ...
in Series 2 Episode 2 of ''World's Most Dangerous Roads: Ho Chi Minh Trail'', shown in 2012, driving in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
and
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...
. In November 2014 she returned to South-East Asia, travelling from the Mekong delta up to Tibet in ''
The Mekong River with Sue Perkins ''The Mekong River with Sue Perkins'' is a television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television t ...
'', produced by Indus Films for the BBC. In September 2015, she presented a one-off show ''Kolkata with Sue Perkins'' on BBC One. On 26 February 2013, the first episode of Perkins's self-penned sitcom, ''
Heading Out ''Heading Out'' is a British sitcom created by and starring comedian Sue Perkins. It was first broadcast on BBC Two on 26 February 2013. ''Heading Out'' tells the story of Sara, a veterinarian who is given an ultimatum by her friends to tell her ...
'' was broadcast. Produced by Red Production Company and Square Peg TV, Perkins also portrayed the show's lead, Sara. From 4 August 2014, she presented ''Cooks' Questions'' on
More4 More4 is a British free-to-air television channel, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The channel launched on 10 October 2005. Its programming mainly focuses on lifestyle and documentaries, as well as foreign dramas. Content When ...
. Perkins was a team captain on the second and third series of ''
What the Dickens? ''What the Dickens'' is a television panel game hosted by Sandi Toksvig. Team captains were Dave Gorman and Tim Brooke-Taylor for the first series and Sue Perkins and Chris Addison for the second and third. It was recorded at Sky Studios in Wes ...
'', hosted by
Sandi Toksvig Sandra Birgitte Toksvig (; ; born 3 May 1958) is a Danish-British writer, comedian and broadcaster on British radio, stage and television. She is also a political activist, having co-founded the Women's Equality Party in 2015. She has written ...
on
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 ...
. In 2016, she began hosting the
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 a ...
panel show '' Insert Name Here'' and was a commentator on the BBC game show '' Can't Touch This''. She co-presented '' The Big Spell'', a weekly game show for
Sky1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
alongside
Joe Lycett Joe Harry Lycett, also known by the self-given moniker Mummy, is an English comedian, painter and television presenter. Known for his sardonically camp style, whimsical public stunts and elaborate set designs, Lycett has been described as one ...
and
Moira Stuart Moira Clare Ruby Stuart, (born 2 September 1949) is a British presenter and broadcaster. She was the first female newsreader of Caribbean heritage to appear on British national television, having worked on BBC News since 1981.second series of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Dragon" and finished in fifth place. In 2022, Perkins hosted and starred in the TV series '' Perfectly Legal''.


Conducting

Following her success in ''
Maestro Maestro (; from the Italian '' maestro'' , meaning "master" or "teacher") is an honorific title of respect (plural: maestros or maestri). The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera, in line with the ubiqu ...
'' in 2008, Perkins guest-conducted the London Gay Symphony Orchestra on 11 October 2009, at St Anne's Church Garden in Soho. She conducted two pieces, the Simpsons Theme by
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internation ...
, and the
William Tell Overture The ''William Tell'' Overture is the overture to the opera '' William Tell'' (original French title ''Guillaume Tell''), whose music was composed by Gioachino Rossini. ''William Tell'' premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, a ...
by
Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...
, the latter for the first time. As part of ''A Band for Britain'', Perkins conducted the Dinnington Colliery Band at the
DW Stadium The DW Stadium is a stadium in Robin Park, in Wigan, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The ground is owned and managed by Wigan Football Company Limited, which is 85% owned by Wigan Athletic and 15% owned ...
playing the National Anthem for a Four Nations rugby match, and also conducted them together with the
Grimethorpe Colliery Band The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band, based in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, England. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band. Along with the Blac ...
at
Sheffield City Hall Sheffield City Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Sheffield, England in Barker's Pool, one of the city's central squares. It was built and is owned by Sheffield City Council but is now managed by the Sheffield City Trust, under a 99-year l ...
. Perkins again conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra at the first Comedy Prom at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
during the 2011 Prom season. Perkins is associate conductor for the Orion Orchestra, a London-based youth orchestra.


Radio

Perkins is a panel member on Radio 4's ''
The News Quiz ''The News Quiz'' is a British topical panel game broadcast on BBC Radio 4. History ''The News Quiz'' was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently, it was chaired by Barry Took from 1979 to 1981, Simon Hoggart f ...
'' and has made regular appearances on Radio 2's ''
It's Been a Bad Week ''It’s Been a Bad Week'' is a British radio comedy on BBC Radio 2, that first broadcast on 11 February 1999. It is presented by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, and is also referred to as ''Punt and Dennis: It's Been a Bad Week''. More than 100 epi ...
''. She was also a frequent panellist on another popular Radio 4 show, '' Just a Minute'': in the 2012 television version, she appeared in four out of the 10 episodes (more than any other panellist except
Paul Merton Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known under the stage name Paul Merton, is an English writer, actor, comedian and radio and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and somet ...
who appeared in all 10) and won on all four occasions. After original ''Just a Minute'' host Nicholas Parsons died in 2020, Perkins was part of the roster of guest hosts for the series, and in July 2021, she was announced as the new permanent host, starting with the 87th season. She was the chairman of Radio 4's ''
The 99p Challenge ''The 99p Challenge'' is a spoof panel game originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4. The show is presented by Sue Perkins and features a selection of regular panelists such as Armando Iannucci and regular writers Kevin Cecil, Andy Riley, Jon Holmes ...
'' until the show finished in 2004. Perkins appeared every day in the last half-hour of Mark Radcliffe's afternoon radio show on Radio 2, when he sat in for Steve Wright. Between 2006 and 2007, Perkins was a panellist on a Radio 4 show, ''The Personality Test'', a quiz show about the host, presented by a different host each week. Past hosts include Gyles Brandreth and
Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born and raised ...
, and other panellists include
Robin Ince Robin Ince (born 20 February 1969) is an English comedian, actor and writer, known for presenting the BBC radio show '' The Infinite Monkey Cage'' with physicist Brian Cox, and his stand-up comedy career. Education After attending York Hous ...
,
Lucy Porter Lucy Donna Porter (born 27 January 1973) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Brighton Festival and many clubs around Britain. She is also a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 in various panel sh ...
and
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...
. She also provided the voiceovers at the start and end of each programme. Perkins is a regular cast member of ''
Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! ''Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show!'' is a sitcom broadcast on BBC Radio 4, written by Steve Delaney. It features Count Arthur Strong, a former variety star who has malapropisms, memory loss and other similar problems, played by Delaney. Each ...
''. Perkins presented a Radio 4 documentary on the
Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or '' fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
's competition the " World's Biggest Liar", which she won.Comedienne crowned biggest liar
BBC News Online, Cumbria, 17 November 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
In December 2008, she was a guest on ''
Private Passions ''Private Passions'' is a weekly music discussion programme that has been running since 15 April 1995 on BBC Radio 3, presented by the composer Michael Berkeley. The production was formerly made by Classic Arts Productions, a British radio a ...
'', the biographical music discussion programme on
BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The sta ...
. Perkins was also chairman of the Radio 4 panel game ''Dilemma'', in which four humorous guests discussed moral conundrums she provided for them. The first series ran for six episodes on Sunday evenings from 13 November to 18 December 2011. Another series of this programme ran in February 2013. On 9 July 2017 Perkins was the guest celebrity on Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs''. In February 2020, she began presenting a 6.30 pm comedy series on
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's ...
called ''Nature Table'', taking a humorous look at the natural world, recorded at ZSL London Zoo.


Books

Perkins was a judge for the 2009
Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
. Perkins's memoir, ''Spectacles'', was published in October 2015. In October 2018, she released an
autobiographical An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
travel book ''East of Croydon: Blunderings Through India and South East Asia'', which was shortlisted in the 'Autobiography of the Year' category at the 2018
National Book Awards The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Na ...
.


Edinburgh Festival appearances

Perkins has performed two stand-up comedy solo shows at 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 ...
Festival: ''Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2006'' in 2005, and ''The Disappointing Second Show'' in 2006.


Personal life

In August 2012, Perkins appeared on ''
Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...
''s list of high-profile lesbians in London. She was outed as a lesbian in 2002 by her ex-girlfriend
Rhona Cameron Rhona Cameron (born 27 September 1965) is a Scottish comedian, writer and TV presenter. She rose to prominence via the stand-up comedy circuit, and was a regular on British television in the 1990s. Television career In 1992, she won '' So You ...
during Cameron's appearance on ITV's '' I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'' Perkins has said that "being a lesbian is only about the 47th most interesting thing about me". In April 2015, Perkins was the victim of online harassment on Twitter after oddsmakers made her the favourite to fill the vacancy on the BBC's ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
'' programme left by the departure of
Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes '' Top Gear'' and '' The Grand Tour'' alongside R ...
, despite Perkins saying that rumours about her imminent appointment to the show were "fabricated". She temporarily quit the social media site, but returned in August 2015. In September 2015, Perkins revealed that she was diagnosed with prolactinoma, which is a benign growth on her
pituitary gland In vertebrate anatomy, the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland, about the size of a chickpea and weighing, on average, in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. The h ...
. Perkins received the diagnosis eight years previously. The side effects prevent her from having children. Perkins was brought up as a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
. She lives in London and
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
. Between 2014 and 2021, she was in a relationship with TV presenter
Anna Richardson Anna Clare Richardson (born 27 September 1970) is an English television presenter, writer and journalist. She has presented various television shows for Channel 4, including ''Supersize vs Superskinny'' (2008–2009), '' The Sex Education Show' ...
. Perkins has both English and German ancestry including a great-grandmother who was an ethnic German from what is now
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
.


Filmography


Television


References


External links

*
Official Mel and Sue website
(archive.org 2010-03-16)


Sue Perkins Management - Debi Allen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Sue 1969 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English comedians 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century English actresses 21st-century English comedians 21st-century LGBT people Actresses from London Alumni of New Hall, Cambridge British women memoirists English memoirists English people of Cornish descent English television presenters English women comedians English lesbian actresses LGBT broadcasters from the United Kingdom Lesbian comedians LGBT actors from England LGBT memoirists People educated at Croham Hurst School People from Croydon People from East Dulwich WFTV Award winners British lesbian writers English people of German descent