Springer for News Quiz Show

 

Renowned US talk show host and veteran politician Jerry Springer is to guest host Have I Got News For You, the BBC’s top-rating topical comedy quiz show, for the very first time.

 

London-born Springer will join regular team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton on 12 December for the eighth programme in this series. Jerry Springer was born in East Finchley Tube Station in 1944 to Jewish refugee parents. His family emigrated to the US when he was a child, where his interest in politics first began. He became political campaign aide to Robert F Kennedy, ran for congress and was then elected Mayor of Cincinnati.

 

He then turned his attention to journalism – anchoring the news for 10 years. His career in broadcasting culminated with the debut of The Jerry Springer Show in 1991 and has since gone from strength to strength. He is the current host of America’s Got Talent.

 

“I can’t wait for the challenge of guest hosting Have I Got News For You – it should be fun.” Jerry Springer

Joining Jerry will be former London mayor Ken Livingstone – his eigth guest appearance on the show – and Big Ass comedian and impressionist Katy Brand, who will be appearing on the show for the first time. Other guest hosts for the remainder of this, the 36th series, are: pub landlord Al Murray with guest panellists Germaine Greer and Mark Watson; Peep Show’s David Mitchell with panellists Andy Hamilton and writer and comedian Sarah Millican, dubbed “a young Thora Hird”; and the final show in the current series will see Jeremy Clarkson as host, making his eighth appearance on the show and his seventh as guest host – he will be joined by panellists Charles Kennedy and Ed Byrne.

 

A special Christmas edition of Have I Got News For You, looking back over the year’s events, will be recorded on 16 December.