Phill Jupitus
JAM Appearances: Six including 5 as a panellist on Radio in 2007-2008-2011, and one as a panellist on TV in 2012.
How he did: Witty and relaxed, Phill fitted in like an old shoe. Surely we will be hearing more of him on the show.
Who is he: Best known as the breakfast DJ on BBC6 Music, he left that job in 2007 after five years. He's now returned to stand-up comedy. He has been a regular on TV game shows Never Mind The Buzzcocks, and It's Only TV But I Like It, and must have guested on just about every other game show on TV and radio.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Miles Jupp
JAM Appearances: five, including 4 as a panellist on radio in 2011-2012 and one as a panellist on television in 2012.
How he did: Not a great debut for Miles who seemed a little overwhelmed by proceedings.
Who is he: Miles is an actor and comedian who is probably best known as Archie the Inventor in CBeebies' Balamory.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3
Russell Kane
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on radio in 2011.
How he did: One of very few to win on his first showing, Russell was both highly amusing and competitive. He seemed to fit in so well that he is bound to be asked back again.
Who is he: Russell is a stand-up comic and occasional TV presenter who is one of the rising stars of English comedy.
Links to transcripts: 1
Miriam Karlin
JAM Appearances: Two as a panellist on radio in 1969.
How she did: A good foil for Kenneth and Derek in particular, Miriam's sharp wit and good patter made for the occasional good moment.
Who is she: Miriam is probably best remembered for her long running role as a trade union steward in The Rag Trade where she appeared with other JAM stars Sheila Hancock and Peter Jones. But she has a long career on the stage, and still occasionally works on TV with her distinctive voice.
Links to transcripts: 1 2
Gerry Kelly
JAM Appearances: Two as a panellist on radio in 1998.
How he did: Pleasant and good humoured with that lovely Irish accent, Gerry was okay as the hometown representative when the show was in Ireland. But he did nothing to suggest he should get a second run.
Who is he: One of Ireland's best known broadcasters, Gerry has been a regular on Irish TV for 25 years. His best known show Kelly was a Friday night chat show and ran for 16 years. He then hosted another chat show, Gerry Meets. Before beginning his long TV career Gerry was a sports reporter and teacher. he now appears on BBC Radio Ulster.
Links to transcripts: 1 2
Henry Kelly
JAM Appearances: Three as a panellist on Radio in 1984-1985.
How he did: Blessed with a delightful Irish brogue and a sharpness of tongue, Henry did well enough to be called an old hand at one stage despite his sparse appearances. A good talker and not intimidated at all, he may have been unlucky not to have another run.
Who is he: Something of a radio institution, Henry has hosted a series of top radio shows at Classic FM, LBC and BBC Radio Berkshire. He has also hosted TV game shows, Going For Gold and Game For A Laugh.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3
Shappi Khorsandi
JAM Appearances: 12, including 10 as a panellist on Radio in 2008-2009-2010-2011 and two as a panellist on television in 2012.
How she did: Funny and inventive but without the competitive instinct to make her a real star at this game.
Who is she: Shappi is Iranian-born but was raised in Britain. She is a stand-up comedian and has appeared on The News Quiz and The Now Show.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Miles Kington
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on Radio in 1983.
How he did: Probably a little below average although by no means bad. He had a story or two to tell, but found it hard to keep up with his big-mouthed rivals.
Who is he: Miles was a comic writer, best known for his work for Punch, and The Independent. The author of several books and poems, he also wrote for TV, and died in 2008.
Links to transcripts: 1
Josie Lawrence
JAM Appearances: 17 including 16 as a panellist on Radio in 2008-2009-2010-2011-2012-2013 and one on Television in 2012.
How she did: Great, bubbly and not one to be intimidated, and someone who is bound to get even better.
Who is she: Surely one of the most versatile performers in Britain, Josie is a classical actress, spending many years with the Royal Shakespeare Company. But she is perhaps best known for her work as a comedienne and improviser. She has spent 20 years with the Comedy Store Players where she still works once or twice a week. For 10 years she was a regular on Whose Line Is It Anyway where she regularly made up songs on the sport, and displayed her singing talents. And on top of all that, she's gorgeous.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Bettine Le Beau
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on Radio in 1968.
How she did: I haven't heard her one appearance.
Who is she: Bettine was a pretty actress who was involved in a lot of middling sort of work in the 60s. In the 70s she appeared regularly with Benny Hill in Hills Angels. Bettine was in a nazi concentration camp and is active among Holocaust survivors. She is the author of a book on positive thinking.
Links to transcripts: Her show isn't yet transcribed.
Helen Lederer
JAM Appearances: Six, including four as a panellist on Television in 1994-1995, and two on radio in 1992-2009.
How she did: Helen wasn't much chop at the game, and seemed to struggle even to get her humour out. Rather amusingly incompetent but not a turn that would have bore much repetition.
Who is she: Helen seemed to be everywhere for a while in British comedy TV with no programme seemingly going to air without her in a bit part. These ideas she is possibly best known for her regular part in the big hit Absolutely Fabulous. She was also a successful stand-up comedian in the 90s.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Maureen Lipman
JAM Appearances: Six as a panellist on radio in 1982-1992-1998-2007.
How she did:
Who is she: Maureen has been one of Britain's busiest actresses for the past 30 years. She is possibly best known for her starring role as an agony aunt in Agony, a succesful sitcom, but most of her work has been on stage, where she was closely associated with JAM star Derek Nimmo for a time. Other shows she has appeared in include the soap Coronation Street. She's also a successful author and newspaper columnist.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Moira Lister
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on radio in 1969.
How she did: Moira was given a right royal rollicking in the Kenneth Williams Diaries for the way she interrupted the great man. But on the show itself, she just seems spirited, no more than many others. She played the game well, and had a good sense of fun.
Who is she: Moira was a regular on stage and screen in the late 50s and 60s, often in comedy roles and would have been wellknown to Kenneth at the time of her JAM appearance. As sometimes happens with remarkably good looking actresses as the years take their toll, her career faded away but she was certainly a big name in her prime. She died in 2007.
Links to transcripts: 1
Sean Lock
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on radio in 2002.
How he did: Sean wasn't short on the humour but his style involved plenty of hesitation and repetition which made it hard for him to make much of a mark on the show.
Who is he: Sean is currently one of the biggest names in stand-up comedy in Britain, packing them in wherever he goes and inevitably being a big hit at the Edinburgh Fringe. He wrote and starred in his own TV cult classic Fifteen Storeys High, and has done his share of game show appearances, currently being a regular on QI.
Links to transcripts: 1
Josie Long
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on radio in 2009.
How she did: Josie was chirpy and jolly, but didn't get many laughs.
Who is she: Josie's main job is as a stand-up comedian but she has also written for the popular TV series Skins. She won best newcomer at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006.
Links to transcripts: 1
Fred MacAulay
JAM Appearances: 14 as a panellist on Radio in 1996-1997-1999-2004-2007-2008-2010.
How he did: Remarkably well, Fred's deep Scottish burr, playfulness and humour made him a natural on JAM. He even managed to win his second appearance, but this turned out to be something of a fluke sadly. Still he gave us many hearty laughs and must be unlucky not to have appeared since 1999.
Who is he: A very well-known broadcaster in Scotland, he has hosted a morning humour show on Radio Scotland for six years, but has also been a regular on the stand-up circuit and contributed to plenty of game shows on both radio and television.
Links to transcripts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Aimi Macdonald
JAM Appearances: 34 as a panellist on radio in 1968-1969-1970-1971-1972-1973-1974-1975-1976-1979-1980-1981-1983.
How she did: Of all the guests to have appeared on JAM, arguably Aimi is remembered with most fondness. A distinctive style, the playing up of the dumb blonde combined with a high pitched childlike little-girl voice was combined with a good humour and the ability to stand up to Kenneth's sexist gibes.
Aimi appeared on a couple of shows in the first season and was regularly brought back as a guest over the following 15 years. She was frequently featured with Clement, Kenneth and Peter, with whom she developed a strong relationship.
It was always difficult to be sure with Aimi how much of the dumb blonde thing was an act. Certainly Aimi didn't spout the erudite stuff of a Kenneth Williams. But she didn't need to, she had the audience in the palm of her hand with the endearing manner and the way she would challenge Kenneth's sexism. Laughter was never far away while Aimi was on the panel.
Although arguably more popular with some producers than others, it's hard to argue with the fact that most of the shows she appeared in were gems. She hasn't appeared since the mid 80s when being a dumb blonde became perhaps not as acceptable in a more PC world. But with Aimi, the audience was laughing with her and not her, and it would delight many if she returned at some stage, unlikely as it seems.
Who is she: Aimi started out as a dancer, but developed in to a fine comedienne and actor. Her career stated with a ballet company that toured the world. That led to a West End musical and eventually to a starring role in one of the first TV satire shows At Last The 1948 Show. Aimi's role was that of the dumb blonde who thought she was the star of the show, but clearly was not. The show ran for three years in the late 60s.
Aimi's career developed into a series of musicals andf plays, and she was a regular on the West End. Television work included some childrens TV and a series of game shows. She continues to appear regularly in plays. After a brief marriage in the 1960s she famously dclared her intention to love in sin for the rest of her life, she was regularly the subject of tabloid tittle-tattle, and linked to politicians.
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
Lee Mack
JAM Appearances: One as a panellist on radio in 2004.
How he did: Lee was a hit in one of the Edinburgh Festival shows proving witty, adept, quick on the buzzer and someone who just fits into the JAM style, trading barbs with the best of them.
Who is he: Lee is one of the most talented young comics on the circuit. His bread and butter is stand-up with which he tours the world, but he is probably best known as star of the Bafta award winning television programme, The Sketch Show. Other TV and radio work includes They Think It's All Over, TV Heaven Telly Hell, Would I Lie To You and Not Going Out.
Links to transcripts: 1
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