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Katherine Ryan has announced that she has been diagnosed with skin cancer for the second time.

The Canadian stand-up and TV comedy star shared on her podcast and on social media that she had recently had a cancerous mole removed from her arm, and will have a follow-up procedure next week to remove any remaining cancerous tissue.

BBC News reports that the star of Netflix show The Duchess was first diagnosed with the same condition in 2004, when she had what she described as a “golf ball-sized lump” removed from her thigh. This time, Ryan shared that her concerns had been initially dismissed by a doctor, but tests confirmed her mole to be “early melanoma.”

Ryan said:

“If you know about melanoma, you’ll know it is a deadly form of skin cancer. It does spread quickly, and I just felt like this mole wasn’t right.”

And she urged listeners...

On Friday 3 January 2025, Channel 4 broadcasts 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown!

Season 27 Episode 1 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown” promises to be an exciting blend of comedy and quiz fun. This popular show combines the classic quiz format of “Countdown” with the humor of “8 Out of 10 Cats.” Fans of both shows can look forward to a lively atmosphere filled with laughter and friendly competition.

Jimmy Carr will return as the host, guiding the teams through the familiar words and numbers challenges. With his sharp wit and playful banter, he sets the tone for an entertaining hour. The episode features team captains who are ready to showcase their skills in a battle of brains and laughs.

Guests will join the teams, bringing their own comedic flair to the game. This mix of personalities adds to the excitement, as they compete against each other in various rounds.

The gloriously absurd collision of “8 Out of 10 Cats” and “Countdown” continues its reign of alphabetical anarchy in a new episode. This week, the wordplay warriors facing off are Jon Richardson and Rosie Jones versus Joe Wilkinson and Phil Wang. Prepare for a battle of wits, puns, and possibly some questionable attempts at spelling. […]

8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown S27 EP2...

On Friday 2 August 2024, Channel 4 broadcasts 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown!

Season 26 Episode 3 Episode Summary

In this episode of “8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown,” viewers can expect a lively and entertaining mix of comedy and wordplay. Jimmy Carr takes the helm as host, guiding the audience through another fun-filled hour of challenges and laughs.

Alan Carr and Munya Chawawa will go head-to-head against the comedic duo of Sarah Millican and Gary Delaney. Each team will compete in various games that blend the classic elements of both “8 Out of 10 Cats” and “Countdown.” The banter between the contestants is sure to bring plenty of chuckles, as they showcase their wit and humor.

In Dictionary Corner, Don Rodolfo joins Susie Dent, adding his own flair to the vocabulary challenges. Susie will continue to impress with her knowledge and charm, while Don Rodolfo brings a fresh perspective to the word games.

Bill Bailey has shared a touching tribute to Sean Lock.

The comedian posted a throwback photo of the pair out on a country walk 19 months after Lock died of cancer.

Bailey captioned the photo on Twitter: “Some days I still can’t quite believe he’s gone. Today is one of those days.”

He capped the post: “Miss you Sean old pal.”

Bailey participated in a charity walk one year after Lock’s death, raising more than £100,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support alongside Lee Mack and Lock’s family.

Last year, Bailey said that Lock was still cracking jokes in his final days. “Even in his last few days, we were still having a laugh, still joking, still coming up with ideas,” he said.

“We had great conversations. I brought in my guitar and sang him his favourite Johnny Cash songs.”

The comedian was best known for being a team...

Seann Walsh is reported to be one of this year’s competitors on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

The comedian is thought to be joining the show as a “bombshell” late addition alongside former health secretary Matt Hancock.

Before his headline-making appearance on Strictly Come Dancing (more on that further down), the comedian and actor started out his stand-up career in Brighton. Walsh performed his 2012 show Seann to Be Wild at the Edinburgh Fringe and toured the country with it. His 2013 Fringe show The Lie-In King also received positive reviews.

Walsh had a role in Jack Dee’s ITV sitcom Bad Move, and made numerous TV appearances on shows such as Live at the Apollo and 8 Out of 10 Cats.

Walsh joined the lineup for Strictly in 2018, and was paired up with professional dancer Katya Jones.

The pair became embroiled in scandal after they were...

Last month, Mock The Week was cancelled after 17 years on air. The satirical comedy was only one of a flurry of modern panel shows featuring teams of comedians, spawning from the format used in Have I Got News For You that emerged during the nineties and noughties. Taking cues from long-running Hignfy which hit TV screens in 1990, popular series such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and the anarchic, absurd Shooting Stars were followed by the likes of Qi, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Would I Lie To You?, Celebrity Juice and, of course, Mock The Week. But with ratings plummeting and cancellations abounding, is it high time the genre called it a day?

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

These shows were initially a great way to finish off your evening after a long hard day at school or work, just like a late night chat show helps to wind our American friends down after the watershed.

Comedian Ellie Taylor is one of 15 contestants on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.

While she is known best for comedy, the 38-year-old has also enjoyed a diverse career in presenting, acting and writing.

Originally from Brentwood in Essex, Taylor began modelling after being spotted while working as an intern.

Deciding it was not for her, she started doing stand-up comedy during her mid-twenties, citing comedians like Victoria Wood as early influences.

Since then, Taylor has appeared in several TV series including 8 Out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week and Plebs.

She’s also presented shows including Snog Marry Avoid? and did a stint of hosting on Heart Radio, regularly filling in for Emma Bunton.

Taylor is a regular on Live At The Apollo and has appeared both as a performer and a host.

Outside of comedy and acting, her debut book, My Child and Other Mistakes, was published...

Viaplay Sets True-Life Disaster Story ‘Roombeek’ As Latest Dutch Original Drama Series

Viaplay has ordered its latest Dutch original: a four-part drama from Banjiay Benelux label EndemolShine Scripted about the 2000 Enschede fireworks warehouse explosion titled Roombeek. The horrific tragedy killed 23 people and injured 950 and the series will explore its devastating human impact and aftermath. Casting for the series is underway, and production will begin in early 2023, with EndemolShine Scripted’s Gerd-Jan van Dalen and Viaplay Group’s Kennard Bos producing. Having launched in the Netherlands in March, Viaplay’s scripted original slate from the territory includes true crime drama The Hunt for Jasper S., produced by Willem Bosch and Pieter Kuijpers; dark comedy Something Stupid, created by novelist Saskia Noort; and Liesbeth Strik’s drama The Guilty. Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer, said: “We have very high ambitions for our Dutch Originals, and are committed to working with...

U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has extended its strategic partnership with YouTube to make 1000 hours of full Channel 4 and E4 episodes from new and popular series available to watch across Channel 4’s YouTube network in the U.K. and Ireland by the end of 2022.

Some of the hit shows to be made available on YouTube include: “8 Out Of 10 Cats,” “Sas: Who Dares Wins,” “Nikki Grahame: Who Is She?,” “Unapologetic,” “Location, Location, Location,” “Gemma Collins: Self-Harm and Me,” “Davina McCall’s Language of Love,” “Kathy Burke: Money Talks,” “The Dog House” and “Devon & Cornwall.” Some programs will be made available to watch on YouTube 30 days after first being broadcast on Channel 4 and E4, as part of a wider syndication strategy.

Content will start to roll out from May.

The deal will enable Channel 4 to sell its own advertising around these shows, marking the first deal of its kind across the U.

British comedian London Hughes delivered a rousing Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival, saying she would never have achieved the same level of success in the U.K. as she has done in the U.S. due to her skin color and sex.

“I wanted to be the British version of Whoopi Goldberg, but there is none. There is no British Whoopi Goldberg, there’s no British female Lenny Henry and I wanted to be that,” Hughes said in conversation with “Queer Eye” star Tan France.

After multiple rejections and repeated meetings with U.K. television executives that went nowhere, the comedian left London for Los Angeles in March 2020, just two weeks before the pandemic hit.

“I grew up thinking if you work hard and you’re talented and you’re a nice person, you will go far in the industry,” she said, recalling that after she won...

Sean Lock, the widely admired British comedian who was a regular on comedy panel shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats and Qi, has died. He was 58.

His agent told the BBC that Lock died on Wednesday at his home from cancer.

Known for his deadpan and dry delivery, Lock was a popular figure on television and in comedy circles. A host of comedians in the U.K., Australia and elsewhere, including Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, Bill Bailey, Lee Mack, Eddie Izzard, Harry Hill and Jon Richardson, have taken to social media to pay tribute to Lock ...

Sean Lock, the widely admired British comedian who was a regular on comedy panel shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats and Qi, has died. He was 58.

His agent told the BBC that Lock died Wednesday at his home from cancer.

Known for his deadpan and dry delivery, Lock was a popular figure on television and in comedy circles. A host of comedians in the U.K., Australia and elsewhere, including Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, Bill Bailey, Lee Mack, Eddie Izzard, Harry Hill and Jon Richardson, have taken to social media to pay tribute to Lock who ...

Sean Lock, the English comedian known for “8 Out of 10 Cats” — a comedy panel show on which he was a team captain and participant in a spin-off — and “15 Storeys High,” has died at 58. Per Wednesday reports out of the U.K., he died of cancer.

He was a highly regarded comedian and his death triggered a series of tributes online.

“8 Out of 10 Cats” host Jimmy Carr led the way, writing, “Brutal news about Sean Lock today. I loved him. I’m watching clips of him right now – laughing & crying. I’ll miss him so much.”

Comedian Ricky Gervais also memorialized Lock, tweeting, “Such sad news. Rip the great Sean Lock. One of the funniest, most influential comedians of a generation. A lovely man.”

“I wish I had the words to describe the exceptional man that was Sean Lock. But today I don’t, and I think...

Sean Lock, the UK TV personality known for his deadpan style and appearances on panel shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats, has died at the age of 58.

Lock had been battling cancer for some time and died at home surrounded by his family, his agent confirmed to the Guardian.

Breaking into TV in the early 1990s with a role on Rob Newman and David Baddiel’s Newman And Baddiel In Pieces, Lock had various behind and in front of the camera roles on the small screen. He also had his own BBC Radio 4 show 15 Minutes of Misery, which later became the TV series 15 Storeys High, which he wrote and acted in.

In the 2000s he was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award and won Best Live Comic at the British Comedy Awards. He then became a regular on panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and Qi,...

Award-winning comedian Sean Lock has died from cancer, his agents confirmed on Wednesday. He was 58 years old.

“It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Sean Lock. He died at home from cancer, surrounded by his family,” reads a statement from Lock’s agency, Off The Kerb Productions. “Sean was one of Britain’s finest comedians, his boundless creativity, lightning wit and the absurdist brilliance of his work, marked him out as a unique voice in British comedy.”

“Sean was also a cherished husband and father to three children. Sean will be sorely missed by all that knew him. We kindly request that the privacy of his family and children is respected at this difficult time.”

In recent years, Lock was best known for leading a team on U.K. broadcaster Channel 4’s comedy show “8 Out of 10 Cats,” hosted by Jimmy Carr.

Netflix has released a new trailer for the Katherine Ryan comedy “The Duchess.”

Created by and starring Ryan, the series follows the “powerful and problematic choices of a fashionably disruptive single mom living in London,” according to Netflix’s description of the series. “Her daughter, Olive, is her greatest love so she debates a second child with her greatest enemy — Olive’s dad. But can two wrongs make another right?”

Ryan is an executive producer on the series alongside Dave Becky and Josh Lieberman of 3Arts, as well as Murray Ferguson, Petra Fried and Ed Macdonald for Clerkenwell Films.

A U.K.-based comedian and TV personality, Ryan is known for appearing on panel shows like “8 Out of 10 Cats” and “Mock the Week.” She has previously released two Netflix stand-up specials, “Katherine Ryan: In Trouble” in 2017 and “Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room” last year.

Also Read: Netflix's 'Million Dollar...

As most industry folk are unable or unwilling to travel for the present, Variety asked its team of international correspondents to highlight a selection of key scripted shows from around the world. The picks — all set to drop this summer or fall — are designed to appeal to those of an adventurous disposition.

From the U.K. come three shows: a paranormal comedy-drama from Nick Frost and Simon Pegg; a comedy about “a bad person who’s a good mother” from Canadian-born Katherine Ryan; and a submarine-set murder mystery, written by BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Tom Edge.

Another series about a murder that took place on a submarine, this time based on a grisly real crime, looks at the investigation in Denmark into the

murder of journalist Kim Wall.

From France comes a playful show about a cross-dressing detective, set in Paris during the Jazz Age, from the producers of “Call My Agent!...

BritBox has acquired a raft of hit U.K. shows, such as thriller “Line of Duty” and gameshow “Pointless,” to bolster its lineup of British programs on its North American streaming service.

BritBox, a joint venture between BBC Studios and ITV, closed new deals at Mipcom on Wednesday with Kew Media Distribution and Endemol Shine International to bring more than 250 hours of content to its U.S. and Canada platform.

Jed Mercurio-scripted police thriller “Line of Duty,” starring Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar, Vicky Mclure, Keeley Hawes, and Thandie Newton, has been a huge hit for the BBC over its five series.

Other shows included in the deal include Sky crime dramas “Thorne: Sleepyhead” and “Thorne: Scaredy Cat,” starring David Morrissey and Aidan Gillen, and “Pointless,” a popular BBC One game show.

Also included is long-running panel show “8 Out of 10 Cats” hosted by Jimmy Carr and the mystery-spy series “MI5,” starring Peter Firth,...

Hello and welcome to one of our shoutouts for projects casting around the U.K. As always there’s a mix of opportunities for all ages, abilities, and locations but do remember to check if you fit the bill before applying. Although we make every attempt to verify castings before we hit publish, please ensure that you do your own research before firing off those headshots and Backstage links. Comedy Game Show Pilot Comedian and actor Lee Mack (“Not Going Out”) is returning with a comedy game show that is filming a pilot in London next month. The team is looking for “outgoing” and “brilliant” contestants to appear in the pilot, made by the creators behind “8 Out of 10 Cats” and “The Mash Reports.” The pilot is being filmed for a major U.K. broadcaster and they’re searching for people who are up for a laugh and able to take a joke.