Career Ian Hislop

1 career

1.1 private eye
1.2 television , radio work
1.3 religious views
1.4 political views

career
private eye

at oxford, hislop revived , edited magazine passing wind, interviewed richard ingrams, editor of private eye, , peter cook, majority shareholder. hislop s first article appeared in 1980 before sat university finals. parody of observer magazine s room of own feature, described ira prisoner on dirty protest decorating cell in fetching brown . hislop joined publication after leaving oxford, , became editor in 1986 following ingrams s departure. met opposition eye journalists peter mckay , nigel dempster, attempted revolt against hislop former taking peter cook out lunch in attempt dissuade him appointing hislop. cook, reportedly drunk after lunch, instead announced hislop welcome aboard . new editor, dismissive of society gossip, sacked both mckay , dempster magazine without hesitation.

as editor of private eye, ian hislop reputedly sued man in english legal history, although not involved in many libel actions once was. libel case brought against private eye , hislop in 1986 publisher robert maxwell after magazine accused him of funding labour leader neil kinnock s travel expenses means of gaining peerage. after case hislop quipped: ve given fat cheque fat czech . after death in 1991, maxwell revealed extensive fraudster, illegally drawing on companies pension funds; last writ libel against eye , hislop malicious , mendacious claim.

another libel case in may 1989 threatened magazine s continued existence when ordered pay £600,000 in damages following action libel sonia sutcliffe, wife of yorkshire ripper, peter sutcliffe. hislop told reporters waiting outside high court: if s justice, m banana. award dropped £60,000 on appeal.

in interview third way magazine in 1995 explained intentions in work: satire bringing ridicule of vice, folly , humbug. negatives imply set of positives. in country, go round saying, ‘that s wrong, s corrupt’ if have feeling should better that. people say, ‘you satirists attack everything.’ well, don’t, actually. s whole point.

in april 2017, hislop won london press club s print journalist of year award; in acceptance speech said private eye obtaining best abc sales figures since magazine s launch 55 years earlier proved journalism a, worth doing, , b, worth paying both in terms of paying journalists , public paying .

television , radio work

hislop s television debut on short-lived channel 4 chat show loose talk in 1983, experience disliked included on list of hated items when first appeared on bbc show room 101. hislop, in partnership nick newman, scriptwriter on 1980s political satire series spitting image, in puppets used depict well-known figures, politicians. had puppet of himself, appeared background character in sketches.

hislop has been team captain on have got news since began airing in 1990. person have appeared in every episode of run, filming episode in seventh series in spite of suffering appendicitis (he had discharged himself hospital before show).

with regular writing partner nick newman, hislop wrote bbc radio 4 series gush, satire based on first gulf war, in style of jeffrey archer. newman wrote family-friendly satirical sitcom dad s prime minister , in nineties dawn french vehicle murder horrid. hislop , newman wrote radio 4 series news @ bedtime, satire on fairy tales aired on 2009 christmas season. series starred jack dee john tweedledum , peter capaldi jim tweedledee ; 2 present news of day in world of fairy tales, while arguing each other did namesakes.

hislop has presented serious television programmes. these include school rules, three-part channel 4 study on history of british education; edition of bbc s think are?, in attempted trace ancestry, , not forgotten, four-part series on channel 4 detailing impact on british society of first world war. further programme, not forgotten: shot @ dawn, broadcast in january 2007, , sixth episode, not forgotten: men wouldn t fight, featuring stories of conscientious objectors such ronald skirth, aired on 10 november 2008. presented 1 episode of bbc s great railway journeys, in travelled in india ( india east west calcutta rajasthan). in may 2007 presented programme on bbc four, ian hislop s scouting boys, celebrating robert baden-powell s book inspired scout movement. (he ambassador scout association.)

ian hislop chats resident @ nightingale house, london, in 2008.

he has written , presented factual programmes radio 4 such subjects tax rebellions, female hymn composers, scouting , patron saints of britain , ireland. in 2007 became person make second guest appearance on room 101. has been comedy screenwriter harry enfield.

hislop has presented several programmes bbc 4, dealing topics such beeching axe , role of poet laureate. former, ian hislop goes off rails, beeching report , impact on british railway network, first aired on 2 october 2008, , achieved second highest audience date bbc 4 programme (and highest documentary) 1.3 million viewers. latter, ian hislop s changing of bard, launched may 2009 bbc 4 poetry season, , hislop recounted history of post first official holder, john dryden, announced first female, first scot , first openly bisexual laureate, carol ann duffy. series on victorian social reformers, ian hislop s age of do-gooders, aired on bbc 2 beginning on 29 november 2010. programme on history of banks, when bankers good, first aired on bbc 2 in november 2011, , dealt famous bankers history, such rothschilds, gurneys , lloyds, 19th century philanthropists , reformers such charles dickens , elizabeth fry.

he has appeared on question time. in 1 edition made open attack on jeffrey archer, had been imprisoned perjury, when wife, mary archer, fellow panellist. noticeably angry matter had been raised , harangued hislop after recording had finished. in criticised premise of capital punishment, had been advocated conservative panel member priti patel, , more has discussed britain s vote leave european union.

in 2003 listed in observer 1 of 50 funniest acts in british comedy. hislop has career after-dinner speaker , awards presenter, working several speaker bureaux.

ian hislop s stiff upper lip: emotional history of britain, how meme repression of emotions spread through british culture, began on 2 october 2012 , ran 3 episodes on bbc two.

beginning on 9 april 2014, hislop presented three-part bbc 2 series ian hislop s olden days.

in 2016 presented secret of beethoven s fifth symphony, personal , creative story behind symphony. later in same year, hislop gave prestigious george orwell lecture @ london s ucl.

religious views

in caroline chartres s book why still anglican, hislop opens chapter saying ve tried atheism , can t stick @ it: keep having doubts. sums position. in 1996, hislop presented award-winning documentary series channel 4 history of church of england, called canterbury tales. other works include four-part bbc radio 4 series real patron saints.

on 4 september 2009, hislop appeared @ gathering , organised archbishop of canterbury, rowan williams, @ canterbury cathedral discuss religion, society , journalism, among other issues, in front of audience of 1,000.

political views

hislop has been highly critical of major british political parties on 20 years. appearing on question time on 18 september 2008, praised liberal democrat treasury spokesman vince cable analysis of ongoing economic , financial crisis, , apparently expressed support liberal democrats, jocularly stating m standing them.

in 2009 5 minutes interview matthew stadlen bbc news, hislop stated if required, @ point of gun , stand in election british political party, stand fictional vince cable treasurer party . after formation of coalition government in 2010, hislop remarked in interview, idea of coalition neutralising loonies on both sides .

he has been highly critical of leadership of european union, calling referendum on uk membership in 2003 recording of have got news you. however, referring britain s vote leave european union (brexit), hislop said on question time after election or referendum, if lose vote, entitled go on making argument . joke on front of private eye titled brexit latest mocking reaction brexit received fifty or letters of complaint in next issue. hislop mocked this, saying there 1 [letter] vicar, too, told me time accept victory of majority of people , stop complaining. ... wrote , told him argument bit much, coming church had begun minority of 12 , referencing twelve disciples. has expressed dismay on level of public debate in aftermath of britain s vote leave eu , election of donald trump, describing orwellian in nature, saying 1 unsure whether feel relieved @ sense of déjà vu or worried possibility of history repeating itself, not farce, tragedy again.