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Clive Anderson
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==Career== ===Television=== Anderson was involved in the fledgling [[alternative comedy]] scene in the early 1980s and was the first act to appear at [[The Comedy Store (London)|The Comedy Store]] when it opened in 1979.<ref name=Radio2>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/comedy/cliveanderson.shtml#biog|title=Clive Anderson's Chat Room |access-date=29 July 2007|publisher=BBC Radio 2}}</ref> He made his name as host of the original UK version of the improvised television comedy show ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (British TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'', which ran for 10 series on [[Channel 4]] from 1988 to 1999.<ref name=TVbio>{{cite web |url=http://uktv.co.uk/g2/item/aid/528014|title=UKTV G2 Stars: Profile: Clive Anderson|access-date=29 July 2007|publisher=UKTV Interactive Limited}}</ref> Anderson hosted his own chat show ''Clive Anderson Talks Back'', which ran for 10 series on Channel 4 from 1989 to 1996. The show then moved to the [[BBC]], with the name changed to ''Clive Anderson All Talk'', running for 4 series from 1996 to 1999. In one incident in 1997, Anderson was deserted by his guests, the [[Bee Gees]], after he made several digs at them and their music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36957253/five-stars-that-walked-out-of-their-interviews-and-never-came-back|title=Five stars that walked out of their interviews and never came back β BBC Newsbeat|date=8 February 2016|website=BBC Newsbeat|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-08-17}}</ref> He once had a glass of water poured over his head by a perturbed [[Richard Branson]], to which he replied, "I'm used to that; I've flown [[Virgin Atlantic|Virgin]]."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dave.uktv.co.uk/have-i-got-news-for-you/article/clive-anderson-profile/|title=Clive Anderson Profile {{!}} Have I Got News for You {{!}} Dave Channel|website=dave.uktv.co.uk|access-date=2018-08-17}}</ref> When singer and actress [[Cher]] appeared on the show, Anderson alluded to her alleged cosmetic surgery, asking her "You look like a million dollars β is that how much it cost?"<ref>[https://www.publiclawtoday.co.uk/careers/626-careers-news/19803-clive-anderson-to-host-inaugural-lawyers-in-local-government-awards Public Law Today] 2 September 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2021.</ref> He also said to author and politician [[Jeffrey Archer]], in response to his derogatory comment about the show, "You're a critic too... there's no beginning to your talents." Archer retorted that "The old ones are always the best" for Anderson to reply "Yes, I've read your books."<ref>{{cite news|last=Cavendish|first=Dominic|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/comedy/comedy-news/10983616/Clive-Anderson-For-most-people-I-have-ceased-to-exist.html|title=Clive Anderson: 'For most people, I have ceased to exist!'|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=<!-- Tuesday -->5 August 2014|access-date=26 March 2020}}</ref> He has made ten appearances on ''[[Have I Got News for You]]''. In 1996, a heated exchange occurred on the show when he joked to fellow guest [[Piers Morgan]] that the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' was now, thanks to Morgan (then its editor), almost as good as ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]''. When asked by Morgan, "What do you know about editing newspapers?" he swiftly replied "About as much as you do". Anderson has also frequently appeared on ''[[QI]]''. In 2007, he featured as a regular panellist on the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] comedy show ''[[News Knight]]''. From 2019 to 2020 he co-hosted the television series ''Mystic Britain'' on the Sky television channel Smithsonian. In 2005, he presented the short-lived quiz ''[[Back in the Day (game show)|Back in the Day]]'' for [[Channel 4]]. On 25 February 2008, he started to present ''[[Brainbox Challenge]]'', a new game show, for [[BBC Two]]. Later that year, he presented a talent show-themed reality TV series produced by the BBC entitled ''[[Maestro (British TV series)|Maestro]]'', starring eight celebrities. In 2009, Anderson was the television host of the BBC's ''Last Night of [[the Proms]]''. In November 2023, Anderson appeared on TV game show ''[[Richard Osman's House of Games]]'', winning the show by one point. ===Radio=== Anderson presents legal show ''Unreliable Evidence'' on [[BBC Radio 4]]. He also covered the Sunday morning 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. show on [[BBC Radio 2]] until the end of January 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/unreliableevidence/|title=Unreliable Evidence|access-date=29 July 2007 |publisher=BBC Radio 4}}</ref> In early 1988, Anderson hosted the original radio version of ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (radio series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]'', which ran for 6 episodes on BBC Radio 4 before the show moved to television later that year. It was announced in April 2008 that Anderson, who had previously filled in for host [[Ned Sherrin]] from 2006 until Sherrin's death in 2007, would be taking over as permanent host of ''[[Loose Ends (radio)|Loose Ends]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Anderson goes full time on Radio 4's Loose Ends|publisher=MediaGuardian |date=7 April 2008|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/apr/07/bbc.radio|location=London|first=Ben | last=Dowell|access-date=30 April 2010}}</ref> He also hosted six series of ''Clive Anderson's Chat Room'' on BBC Radio 2 from 2004 to 2009. Anderson has appeared on BBC Radio 4's ''The Unbelievable Truth'' hosted by [[David Mitchell (comedian)|David Mitchell]]. Anderson also presented the radio show ''The Guessing Game'' on [[BBC Radio Scotland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s4fnv|title=BBC Radio Scotland β The Guessing Game|work=BBC}}</ref> Anderson has also appeared on [[BBC Radio 5 Live]]'s ''[[Fighting Talk]]''. ===Comedy and newspaper writing=== Anderson is a comedy sketch writer who has written for [[Frankie Howerd]], ''[[Not the Nine O'Clock News]]'', and [[Griff Rhys Jones]] and [[Mel Smith]].<ref name=Radio2/> One of his early comedy writing projects was ''[[Black Cinderella Two Goes East]]'' with [[Rory McGrath]] for [[BBC Radio 4]] in 1978. As well as writing comedy, Anderson is also a frequent contributor to newspapers and was a regular columnist for ''[[The Sunday Correspondent]]''.<ref name=TVbio/>
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