Andy Parsons

Background

Parsons was born in Weymouth, Dorset.

Education

He attended Parc Eglos Primary School and Helston Comprehensive School (Cornwall), and Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Torbay (Devon) before going to Christ"s College, Cambridge to study Law, where he met and formed a double act with Henry Naylor which twice toured with the National Student Theatre Company and once with the Footlights.

Career

After completing his studies, Parsons got a job working as a legal clerk on a case at the Greenock shipyards, which he describes as "the most tedious thing I"d ever done." With Naylor he established to be announced, London"s first sketch comedy club His first television writing job was for Spitting Image and he went on to become one of the main writers. He has also appeared as a guest on They Think lieutenant"s All Over, QI, and British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 5 Live"s Fighting Talk.

He has missed only five episodes of Mock the Week and became a regular panellist at the beginning of Series 3.

He, like the other regular panellists on Mock the Week, keeps the same seat throughout the series, Parsons being the one on host Dara Ó Briain"s left. He has also presented The PMQ show on British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 5 Live and was a regular during the 2010 World Cup on the British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2 show Never Write Office The Germans.

Andy also appeared in World"s Most Dangerous Roads alongside Editor Byrne, travelling along the Road of Bones in Siberia, visiting the coldest inhabited place on Earth and sleeping in a tent at -53°c.

After writing for Week Ending, Parsons and Naylor were offered their own show Parsons and Naylor"s Pull-Out Sections in 2001. They have also performed live versions of the show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (1993–2001) and at international comedy festivals in Sydney (1998/99), Melbourne and Adelaide (both 1998).

Parsons regularly performs solo shows at comedy festivals, and also at The Comedy Store.

In 2008, he co-wrote and starred in a British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 sitcom called The Lost Weblog of Scrooby Trevithick and a second series, Scrooby Trevithick, aired in 2010. He toured in the United Kingdom with his show Andy Parsons: Citizens! in 2009. The show was recorded at the Lyric Theatre, London on 28 September 2009 and released on Digital Video Disc in November that year under the title Britain"s Got Idiots which was shown on BBC2 in October & December 2010.

In 2010, Parsons took part in Channel 4"s Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children"s Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

His 2011 United Kingdom National Tour was called "Gruntled". and his 2013 tour was called "I"ve Got A Shed". His third Digital Video Disc "Slacktivist" was released on 25 November 2013 and was televised on BBC2 in December 2014.

His 2015 tour is entitled Live & Unleashed - But Naturally Cautious. Also in 2015 Andy started the Slacktivist Action Group.

Occurring monthly with MPs, journalists, experts and comedians.

Britain"s Got Idiots Live (23 November 2009)

Gruntled Live 2011 (14 November 2011)

Slacktivist Live (25 November 2013)

Live and Unleashed but Naturally Cautious (27 November 2015).

Achievements

• He is the Time Out Comedy Award Winner 2002.

Connections

Partner:

Henry Naylor