Emma Freud
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on television in 1990.
How she did: Amusingly appeared with Daddy Clement, and this provoked most of the entertainment around her appearance, with Derek teasing them both. Still was capable of the cutting remark although she wasn't as quick as Pop. Perhaps the only person Clement never challenged.
Who is she: Apart from being Clement's daughter, Emma is a busy television presenter and writer. Married to film writer Richard Curtis, she helped him with the writing of the hit movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. She also presents documentaries and quiz shows and does comedy work.
Links to transcripts: 1
Rebecca Front
JAM Appearances: Two as a panellist in 2014.
Who is she: Rebecca is a comedy actress best known for her performances in The Thick of It, Knowing Me, Knowing You and Big Train.
How she did: Very well, Rebecca was confident, fluent and interesting.
Links to transcripts: Her show isn't yet transcribed.
Steve Frost
JAM Appearances: 23, including 18 as a panellist on radio in 1995-1998-1999-2000-2001-2003-2004, four as a panellist on television in 1999, and one as a guest subject setter on radio in 2003.
How he did: Stephen or Steve is without doubt a funny man, and can ramble to good effect. He is quickish on the buzzer, but seldom manages to go too long without being buzzed. He has a nice comfortable homely style though that usually fits well on the show.
Who is he: Steve is a busy comedian and improviser, regularly working with the Comedy Store Players and his own improv troupe. He was first known for his work with Mark Arden on Saturday Live. He was a regular on Whose Line is it Anyway in the last few years of its time in Britain. He has also done straight acting roles, including a stage production of Twelve Angry Men.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Mariella Frostrup
JAM Appearances: Three as a panellist on television in 1994-1995.
How she did: Mariella is among the panellists who were assertive, arguing the point in acerbic style. But she wasn't very funny.
Who is she: Mariella is a popular TV and radio broadcaster and presenter, and a newspaper columnist and reviewer.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3
Kitty Fry
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on Junior Just A Minute in 2013.
Who is she: A junior contestant on the first series of Junior Just A Minute.
Links to transcripts: Her show isn't yet transcribed.
Stephen Fry
JAM Appearances: 33 including 29 as a panellist on radio in 1992-1994-1999-2000-2002-2004-2006-2009-2011-2015-2016-2017, two as a panellist on TV in 2012, one on the compliation radio programme Silver Minutes in 1992, and one on the 40th anniversary special in 2007.
How he did: Stephen is surely one of the best guests ever to appear on the show, and a show with him in it is likely to be well above average. Surely only his exceptionally busy schedule prevents him for appearing more often. He is up in the Clement/Derek/Paul class as a challenger, exceptionally quick on the buzzer, often winning his shows. He is very capable of speaking fluently without repetition and what he does say is often bitingly funny. His start on "body language": "my bottom speaks fluent German..." must be one of the funnier and least expected remarks to be made in the first two seconds of a round. And on repartee, he is first class. On his first show he did an excellent impression of Derek Nimmo, and teased Wendy Richard for a rather unfunny anecdote. Since then Nicholas has drawn his fire, at one point Stephen declaring he would hunt him down and kill him! On the other hand he seemed to have a real affection for Peter Jones, a real respect for Clement Freud and a real camaraderie with Paul Merton. How good it would be if he did the show more often, and if anyone could replace Clement long-term as the competitive one, it should be Stephen Fry.
Who is he: Stephen is hard to sum up in a paragraph. His work is certainly varied. He acts on the stage, in movies and in the theatre, and directs. His performance as Oscar Wilde in the movie Wilde was memorable. He is also a novellist, with several books to his credit, and he has also written an autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot. He also writes plays and makes appearances on chat and game shows, where he is usually hugely funny. Stephen has an exceptional intelligence which by his own admission, means that he is bored easily, and is always wanting to do something different from whatever it is he is currently doing. He directed the film Bright Young Things and was judged one of the 50 funniest people in Britain. He has recently moved more into no-fiction work as a TV documentary maker, and as host of the TV panel game QI. His blog site is also one of the more popular celeb blogs in the UK.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Graeme Garden
JAM Appearances: Seven as a panellist on radio in 1975-1976-1977-1981-1982.
How he did: Graeme wasn't quick on the buzzer but could certainly coin a phrase and was capable of turning words round on the others in best Paul Merton style.
Who is he: Graeme is still probably best known for his long-running TV show, The Goodies, a sort of live anarchic cartoon. A doctor, Graeme is a busy comedy writer and is a mainstay of the panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. His most recent radio work is in The Unbelievable Truth.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Rhod Gilbert
JAM Appearances: Two as a panellist on radio in 2005-2008.
How he did: Great fun at Edinburgh. Despite not being much good at the game, he kept trying and talking and making jokes. Someone who would probably get better each time he returned.
Who is he: A Welsh stand-up comic best known for a surreal approach to comedy, Rhod has done a little TV and radio, but is mainly a live act.
Links to transcripts: 1 2
Annabel Giles
JAM Appearances: Two as a panellist on radio in 2000.
How she did: Annabel caused some amusement by challenging Clement early on repetition of a very small word. After that she seemed to fade into the ether.
Who is she: A former model, Annabel is forging a career as an actor and TV weather presenter. She has also written three novels.
Links to transcripts: 1 2
Fi Glover
JAM Appearances: Four as a panellist on radio in 2011-2014.
How she did: Fi was plucky but especially competitive or humorous so didn't make a big impression.
Who is she: Fi Glover is a journalist and broadcaster, best known as the former host of Radio Four's Saturday Live.
Links to transcripts: 1 2
Liza Goddard
JAM Appearances: Seven including six as a panellist on television in 1995-1999 and one as a panellist on radio in 1983.
How she did: Bright as a button, Liza was perky and occasionally funny, and quickish on the buzzer. She works better on TV where you can enjoy her exceptional good looks as well as her pleasant voice.
Who is she: Liza seems to have been on countless TV shows over the years, none of which seem to have lasted too long. She has also been a regular on game shows including a lengthy stint on Give Us A Clue. She's still busy as an actress on stage and screen. Perhaps her best-known role is in Skippy The Bush Kangaroo.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Janey Godley
JAM Appearances: Nine as a panellist on radio in 2006-2007-2008-2009-2012-2015-2016-2017.
How she did: Warm, funny, and bolshie, she did a good job without doing a great one.
Who is she: Janey describes herself as a writer and stand-up comedian, but she is also an actress. Most of her work is comedy related though and includes TV and radio as well as stand-up. She has published an autobiography, Handstands In The Dark, and also keeps a blog.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5
Kerry Godliman
JAM Appearances: Two as a panellist in 2014.
Who is she: Kerry is a British comedian and actress. She currently portrays Hannah in the television series Derek.
How she did: Wasn't a big part of her first show.
Links to transcripts: Her show isn't yet transcribed.
Dave Gorman
JAM Appearances: Five as a panellist on radio in 2007-2008-2010.
How he did: Funny and clever but had trouble beating a very experienced team on the buzzer.
Who is he: Dave has been performing stand-up since 1990. In the past few years his show has been focussed on a search for others of the same name. He hosts a radio chat show called Genius on Radio Four, and also appears in the TV panel game Annually Retentive. He was a co-writer of The Mrs Merton Show. He also writes newspaper columns.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5
Andy Hamilton
JAM Appearances: Four as a panellist in 2015-2017.
Who is he: Andy is a comedy writer andc co-creator of the TV series Drop The Dead Donkey and Outnumbered. Perhaps he is best known as a comedy game show panellist with regular appearances on QI, News Quiz, and The Unbelievable Truth.
How he did: He was funny as always, witty and joining in very well.
Links to transcripts: His show isn't yet transcribed.
Sheila Hancock
JAM Appearances: 113 including 111 as a panellist on radio in 1967-1969-1970-1971-1972-1973-1974-1975-1976-1977-1978-1980-1981-1982-1983-1985-1987-2002-2003-2005-2009-2010-2011-2013-2014-2015-2016-2017, one on the 1992 compilation show Silver Minutes, and one on the 40th anniversary special in 2007.
How she did: No woman has appeared more often on JAM than Sheila. She first appeared on the second ever show, and was recalled almost two years later. But she then struck exactly the right notes and became JAM's most regular guest for a good part of the following 20 years.
It's hard to sum up Sheila's success. She isn't a joke-a-minute comedian. But she does have a natural ready good-natured wit, and an ear for an anecdote. She has a cheery voice, one feels cheered up just listening to her.
Sheila probably got her regular recalls for her total refusal to be cowed by the male panellists. Some women in the early days were clearly scared by the intimidating personalities of Clement Freud and Kenneth Williams in particular. Sheila not only refused to be shouted down, she shouted back. She was quite capable of telling Kenneth Williams he was the "great fool" if the situation demanded it.
Sheila was a competitor at the game, occasionally she mentioned how the game got her competitive spirit going. She was quick on the buzzer and often ended up the winner. She was feisty and demanded respect. She was the closest friend of Kenneth Williams on the show and this occasionally showed, and she also had long-lasting personal friendships with Derek Nimmo and Peter Jones.
After Kenneth's death, Sheila declined to appear in the series following his death, fearing she would be too saddened by the absence of her long-time friend. After that the producers seemed to forget about her, but she was recalled in 2002, and subsequently appeared in the 25th anniversary show. Her return after a long absence was very much welcomed by the fans, and she had certainly earned a place in the special edition. Her wit and competitive spirit has not been dimmed by the years.
Who is she: References to Sheila these days describe her as a "veteran actress" and while this doesn't seem entirely complimentary, it is accurate. She has been a regular in the British theatre for 40 years. She was famously a revue partner for Kenneth Williams, the start of her long friendship with him, and since then has done literally hundreds of films, plays and TV shows. Among her TV work are a flow of sitcoms, most notably The Rag Trade where she appeared with Peter Jones. She also appeared in the soapie East Enders. Sheila continues to work regularly although she did take a break after the death of her husband, John Thaw. She does a variety of work, both comedy and drama. She has also won fame for her strong political views. She once refused to be introduced to then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who wanted to congratulate her on a performance, because she disagreed with Thatcher's policies. Also well-known as a feminist, but time seems to have mellowed her.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91
Jeremy Hardy
JAM Appearances: Seven including four as a panellist on radio in 1995-2000 and three as a panellist on television in 1994-1995.
How he did: Jeremy has a sardonic dry wit which is always amusing but perhaps doesn't quite fit the fast pace of a game show like this.
Who is he: Jeremy is best known for his regular appearances on radio panel games, especially The News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. He also does his own radio series, Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation. He is also a newspaper columnist and publicly supports the far left Socialist Alliance.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Diane Hart
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on radio in 1970.
How she did: She seemed intelligent and well-spoken. What was she doing on a silly panel game?
Who is she: Diane was a feminist, actress and inventor. She is perhaps best remembered for her role in the radio series Ray's A Laugh, starring Ted Ray, but she had a long acting career, mostly on stage. She stood for Parliament in 1972 as an Independent, and campaigned for more women to run for Parliament. She was also the inventor of a particular type of corset.
Links to transcripts: 1
Tony Hawks
JAM Appearances: 139 including 125 as a panellist on radio in 1992-1993-1994-1995-1996-1997-1998-1999-2000-2001-2002-2003-2004-2005-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011-2012-2013-2014-2015-2016, 12 as a panellist on television in 1994-1999-2012, one on the Silver Minutes radio compilation programme in 1992, and one on the 40th anniversary special in 2007.
How he did: Tony debuted in 1992, did another show the following year and within two more years had taken Wendy Richard's spot as a regular. These days he still appears in about half the shows of each season, often in the shows without Clement Freud and Paul Merton, and is a lynchpin of the show.
He just seemed to hit the spot right at the beginning, with a style of humour that seems perfect for Just A Minute. He is cheeky, vocally agile, quick-witted and is very often just damn funny. His style is a bit like that of Paul Merton as he can take words and take them into the surreal, but he is also a piss-taker in the style of Peter Jones. Tony has stated his huge enjoyment of the show and was perhaps a bit unlucky not to be asked to appear on the 35th anniversary show. But he seems set to continue for as long as he wishes on the show and spread more of that cheeky humour that we all enjoy.
Who is he: Tony started his entertainment career as a singer with the rock band Morris Minor and the Majors. He eventually began warming up the crowds with his jokes and when the music career hit a wall, turned full-time to comedy. He is a busy stand-up comic, doing live shows and plenty of radio work, notably on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue as well as JAM. He is also a prolific writer of comic books, which are very funny travelogues based around dares. He is probably best known these days as a regular on Grumpy Old Men.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120
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