Stand-up comedian, writer, director and erstwhile Popworld presenter
Born in Essex in 1979, Simon Amstell claims he had been planning for a career in television since he was 13. A series of appearances as a contestant on various shows paved the way for his proper debut on Nickelodeon aged 18. Amstell moved onto Popworld, which he hosted alongside Miquita Oliver.
His stint on the show considerably raised his profile, especially his talent for alienating interviewees, whether offering Gwen Stefani a block of cheese, shouting questions at Lemar (from afar) via a megaphone, interviewing the “too beautiful” Natalie Imbruglia with a paper bag over his head, or demanding to know the longest word on Craig David’s new album.
When original host Mark Lamarr stepped down from music panel show Never Mind The Buzzcocks, it seemed sheer serendipity that Amstell would take over. It offered him ample opportunities to continue to upset musicians, most notably Preston from The Ordinary Boys, who stormed off mid-episode after Amstell repeatedly read from his wife’s autobiography.
Following his time on Buzzcocks, Amstell delved deeper into his own life experiences, particularly growing up gay in a Jewish family, to fuel his personal projects. The sitcom Grandma’s House, which ran for two seasons, was based on his own family, while his stand-up shows often took the form of incredibly funny and startlingly honest explorations of his mental health.
Following a run of several incredibly successful tours of the UK and the US, Amstell returned to TV with Carnage, a mockumentary set in a future where mankind has become vegan and reflects with horror on its meat-eating past.