Ian Hislop

Once the 67th most influential man in the country (according to GQ), Ian knows that people enjoy reading about bad news in difficult times. Private Eye has never been more popular, and as boss for over 30 years, Britain’s most sued man talks about the joys of litigation, fake news, and trust in politics and the media.

Ian Hislop is the Editor of Private Eye, though he is perhaps better known as team captain and the only person to appear in every single episode of over 50 series of Have I Got News For You. The show has won a host of awards and has often made the headlines itself. In his own right, Ian has received the highest award from the British Society of Magazine Editors, and has become a popular broadcaster, writing and fronting documentaries covering history, politics, art and religion.

Aside from HIGNFY and Private Eye, Ian frequently appears on TV and radio as both commentator and guest. His long list of credits ranges from Question Time to the grown-up version of University Challenge to The One Show. His own programmes have covered fake news, the scout movement, the history of tax, and the popularity of the nation’s railways. He’s also compared modern and historical views of immigration, bankers and benefits.

Arguably Britain’s best known satirist, Ian originally penned sketches for Spitting Image and Harry Enfield, before turning his hand to screenplays for the likes of Dawn French and Maureen Lipman. He was also co-writer of the BBC sitcom, My Dad’s The Prime Minister, as well as of the film The Wipers Times, a personal passion for Ian looking at the satirical paper produced by soldiers in the First World War trenches of Ypres.

After dinner, the most sued man in Britain talks about the joys of litigation. He might also mention his ill-fated attempts to drive overseas sales of Private Eye – an object lesson in how not to conquer the export trade.

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