Clive Anderson
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Clive Anderson (born December 10 1952) is a former barrister (specialising in criminal law) turned television presenter from the United Kingdom. He is also a comedy sketch writer, who has written for Frankie Howerd and Griff Rhys Jones/Mel Smith. One of his early comedy writing projects was Black Cinderella Two Goes East with Rory McGrath for BBC Radio 4 in 1978.
He is famous for his fast, nervous delivery, and his close-to-the-knuckle witticisms. Most famously, he made remarks about the Bee Gees during a television interview with them which caused them to walk out,once had a glass of water poured over his head by a perturbed Richard Branson,and remarked to Jeffrey Archer that "There's no beginning to your talents".Archer retorted that "The old jokes are always the best",for Anderson to reply "Yes,I've read your books!.......".
He was educated at Harrow County School for Boys, where his group of friends included Michael Portillo, and then went to university at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He was involved in the fledgling alternative comedy scene in the early 1980s and even performed on occasion. He made his name as host of the improvised television comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? which was full of his rapid-fire wit as well as the show-ending catchphrase "This is me, Clive Anderson, saying good night. Good night." He has been a frequent participant on Have I Got News for You, notching up seven appearances in total.
- One of his most memorable exchanges on HIGNFY occurred when he scathingly joked to fellow guest Piers Morgan that the Daily Mirror was now, thanks to Morgan (then its editor), almost as good as The Sun, and when asked by Morgan, "What do you know about editing newspapers?" swiftly replied, "About as much as you do".
As a journalist for the BBC he travelled around the world looking at problems 'in out-of-the-way places', though mostly arguing about whether they can film there. Our Man in.. featured episodes on Monkeywrenching in American logging and 419 scams in Nigeria. More recently, Anderson has forged a career on Radio 4 presenting a legal affairs show and has produced several pieces of journalism for various newspapers.
He is currently president of the Woodland Trust.
Shows he has presented include:
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