Peter Baynham

Peter Baynham (born 28 June 1963 in Cardiff, Wales) is a screenwriter and a British comedian, writer, and performer. He often collaborates with Armando Iannucci, Chris Morris and Steve Coogan and has worked with Stewart Lee and Richard Herring. He was first heard on Morris' early radio DJ slots, often going out to places. Other works not involving the above 'big names' were the "comic book in radio format" series The Harpoon, and animated sitcom I Am Not an Animal. The former was co-written with Julian Dutton and featured the vocal talents of impressionist Alistair McGowan. The latter was written with the help of Sarah Smith (producer of The Harpoon) and had a cast that included Steve Coogan, Kevin Eldon, Amelia Bullmore, Julia Davis and Simon Pegg. He has also appeared on the stand-up circuit as Mr Buckstead, the psychotic poet.

In 2006 Baynham co-wrote the film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan together with star Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines and Dan Mazer. In 2007 they received an Oscar nomination for this.

He was also in the Merchant Navy in his teenage years, and is perhaps the only comedian licensed to pilot a supertanker. Baynham graduated from Fleetwood nautical college.

Baynham is known for his role as the Too Gorgeous man in the Pot Noodle adverts during the mid-1990s, a campaign he co-wrote with Iannucci.

Work

As a performer, he has appeared in the following programmes:

• The Chris Morris Music Show (Radio show)
• Fist of Fun (Radio and TV series)
• Lee and Herring (Radio Series)
• The Harpoon (Radio series)
• Junkies (Internet video)
• The Day Today
• Friday Night Armistice and Saturday Night Armistice as himself
• This Morning with Richard Not Judy as himself
• I'm Alan Partridge
• Brass Eye
• The 99p Challenge (Radio series)
• Look Around You

As a writer, he has contributed to the following programmes and films:

• The Harpoon (Radio series)
• The Day Today
• In the Red (Radio series)
• Big Train
• Saturday Night Armistice
• Bob and Margaret
• I'm Alan Partridge
• Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge
• Brass Eye
• Jam
• I am Not an Animal
• Monkey Dust
• Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
• Brüno
• Arthur
• Arthur Christmas
• Hotel Transylvania

External links

• Peter Baynham at the Internet Movie Database
• Baynham article from The Guardian on "dark" humour
• Baynham entry on Cookdandbombd
• Peter Baynham – His Own Bit, in The Guardian
• BBC Comedy A-Z