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Steve Punt

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Steve Punt
Punt on The Now Show in 2005
Birth nameStephen Mark Punt[1]
Born (1962-09-15) 15 September 1962 (age 62)
MediumRadio, television
NationalityBritish
Alma materSt Catharine's College, Cambridge
GenresPolitical satire
Subject(s)Politics, current events
Notable works and rolesThe Mary Whitehouse Experience
The Now Show
It's Been a Bad Week

Stephen Mark Punt (born 15 September 1962)[1] is a British comedy writer, comedian and actor. Along with Hugh Dennis, he is part of the double act Punt and Dennis and was presenter of BBC Radio 4 satirical news programme The Now Show. He is also a writer and programme associate for various television panel game shows, including Would I Lie to You? and Mock the Week, and is a writer for fellow comedians such as Rory Bremner and Jasper Carrott.

Early life

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Punt wanted to be an author as a child, but knew he would never make a living out of it, so turned to comedy.[2] Punt was educated at Whitgift School[3] and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he read English. While at Cambridge, he joined Footlights, where he first met comedy partner Hugh Dennis[4] and was vice-president from 1983 to 1985 with Nick Hancock as president. He was in the writing team for three revues in a row.[5]

Career

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In 2008 Punt wrote the script for and performed in Rockford's Rock Opera, a critically acclaimed ecological musical story created with school friend, Matthew Sweetapple, which has been published as an audiobook.[6][7] In 2011, Punt became the presenter of Radio 4 quiz show The 3rd Degree,[2] a position he still holds as of 2020.[4] Punt played Eric Idle in the BBC adaptation Holy Flying Circus, covering the controversy surrounding the release of Monty Python's Life of Brian.[8]

On 3 January 2013 Punt appeared on Celebrity Mastermind. His specialist subject was Tony Hancock and his chosen supported charity was The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (Sands). Punt won the contest.[9] During 2016 Punt toured with the production of The Rocky Horror Show in the role of the narrator.[10] Since 2018, Punt has been one of the 'comedy experts' paying tribute to a number of comedians in the Sky Arts television series Comedy Legends with Barry Cryer, with Punt discussing the careers of comedians like Tina Fey and Tim Allen.[11][12] In 2024, he and Dennis performed a joint tour, "We Are Not A Robot", originally planned for 2021 but postponed due to the pandemic.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b Mr Stephen Mark Punt company-director-check.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Interview: Steve Punt". York Vision. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Whitgift's gifted wit". Bucks Free Press. 5 January 2005.
  4. ^ a b Pennington, Isobel (28 March 2020). "'Oxbridge ghosts, punk and Milky Milky' – in conversation with Steve Punt". The Oxford Blue. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Cambridge Footlights Alumni 1980–1989". Cambridge Footlights Alumni Official Website. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012.
  6. ^ Review of "Rockford's Rock Opera". The Guardian. 13 December 2008. Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
  7. ^ "The Times": Review of "Rockford's Rock Opera". Entertainment.timesonline.co.uk (1 December 2011). Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
  8. ^ "BBC to dramatise Life of Brian controversy in new film". BBC. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  9. ^ "Steve Punt wins Mastermind". Sands - Stillbirth and neonatal death charity. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  10. ^ Steve Punt joins The Rocky Horror Show at Mayflower (From Daily Echo)
  11. ^ "Comedy Legends".
  12. ^ "Comedy Legends".
  13. ^ "Interview: Punt And Dennis Talk About Their New Tour And The End Of The Now Show". Beyond The Joke. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
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