Have I Got News For You. Image shows left to right: Ian Hislop, Paul Merton. Credit: Matt Crockett
Have I Got News For You

Have I Got News For You

  • TV panel show
  • BBC One / BBC Two
  • 1990 - 2024
  • 600 episodes (67 series)

Long-running topical panel game with a strong political slant, featuring team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton. Also features Angus Deayton.

Episode menu

Series 62, Episode 4

Have I Got News For You. Bill Bailey
Bill Bailey presents Episode 4. Joining him on the panel are comedian Fin Taylor and Labour MP Dawn Butler. Plus a special cameo appearance from Zoom sensation Jackie Weaver of the Handforth Parish Council.

Further details

Bill Bailey guest hosts the fourth episode of the show's 62nd series, joined on the panel by comedian Fin Taylor and Labour MP Dawn Butler, who makes her first appearance on the programme.

This show took place in the week that saw Insulate Britain protests happening around the M25, Rishi Sunak delivering the Budget, Facebook's whistle-blower Frances Haugen calling for urgent change, and the Government U-turn on a bill over water firms dumping sewage in the sea and rivers across the UK. The panel also discussed what was being discussed at the climate conference in Glasgow COP 26.

"I'll tell you who's done a lot to reduce their carbon footprint: Prince Andrew; he hasn't left the house for months. Good on him" joked Fin Taylor.

Bill Bailey responded: "Andrew's not going cos the word 'COP' is in the title".

Later on in the programme, the panel's attention turned to Facebook, and how the whistle-blower Frances Haugen has exposed exactly how they operate.

Paul explained: "It promotes hate speech to those who are interested in hate speech points them towards sites which are misogynistic, homophobic etc."

Bill went on to say: "What it does is it takes people who have mainstream interests, and it pushes them to extreme content .... so you could start off looking at Little Mix or something and the next minute you're looking at Slipknot."

Ian added: "Facebook were told to clean up these sites that attracted children and the executives wandered round saying "oh don't do that that doesn't make us any money". Essentially Facebook is doing what everyone assumed it was doing anyway which is basically amplifying toxic dribble."

Facebook have gone on to unveil the Metaverse this week, which Bill defined for the panel: "I know it's difficult to explain but there's is a certain agreed definition which is: VR on acid."

Ian: "So you don't live in the real world anymore, you just live inside the screen"

Paul: waves to the camera, "a bit like us".

On the Odd One Out Round, Jackie Weaver makes a special Zoom cameo appearance, to share the news that the Handforth Parish Council has now changed its name to The Handforth Town Council.

Notes

Paul and Dawn won, 4 points to 3.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 29th October 2021
Time
9pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
30 minutes
Recorded
  • Thursday 28th October 2021, 19:00 at Riverside Studios

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Sunday 24th July 2022 9:00pm
60 minute version
Dave
Tuesday 13th December 2022 12:30am BBC1
Sunday 19th March 2023 12:00am
60 minute version
Dave
Wednesday 21st June 2023 10:40pm
60 minute version
Dave
Sunday 8th October 2023 12:00am
60 minute version
Dave
Thursday 1st February 2024 10:00pm Dave
Monday 5th February 2024 10:40pm BBC1
Monday 5th February 2024 11:10pm BBC1 Wales

Cast & crew

Cast
Ian Hislop Team Captain
Paul Merton Team Captain
Guest cast
Bill Bailey Host / Presenter
Fin Taylor Guest
Dawn Butler (as Dawn Butler MP) Guest
Jackie Weaver Self
Writing team
Colin Swash Writer (Additional Material)
Ged Parsons Writer (Additional Material)
Dan Gaster Writer (Additional Material)
Kevin Day Writer (Additional Material)
Christine Rose Writer (Additional Material)
Fraser Steele Writer (Additional Material)
Zoƫ Tomalin Writer (Additional Material)
Mike Rayment Writer (Additional Material)
Adam Hess Writer (Additional Material)
Sarah Mills Writer (Additional Material)
Production team
Paul Wheeler Director
Danny Carr Series Producer
Jo Maney Producer
Richard Wilson Executive Producer
Pinki Chambers Executive Producer
Simon Brook Editor
Jon Ellis Editor
Nick Pratt Editor
Daniel Keevil Editor
Balint Szabo Editor
Jonathan Paul Green Production Designer
Mikki Rain Production Designer
Hugo Keating Production Designer
Karen Jackson Costume Designer
Peter Raby Lighting Designer
George Webley (as Big George) Composer
Phil Hewson Graphics
David Ward Graphics

Press

BBC under fire for booking Fin Taylor on HIGNFY

The clever clogs over at BBC HQ have decided it's appropriate to rebook a comedian who, last time out, made jokes about blowing up Jeremy Corbyn supporters for a cheap laugh.

Roderick McPhee, The Sun, 25th October 2021

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