25 years of Radio 4 favourite

Radio 4 celebrated 25 years of The News Quiz last night, taping a special anniversary edition.

Regulars Andy Hamilton, John Sergeant, Linda Smith, Francis Wheen, Jeremy Hardy and Alan Coren all took part in the recording at the Playhouse Theatre, in London's West End.

Many, including host Simon Hoggart, wore formal evening dress for the occasion.

Hoggart quizzed the teams on the biggest stories since 1977, giving the chance for them to dust down gags about Thatcher, C5s and the miners' strike - and prompting Hardy to complain that the evening seemed like one giant retake.

But the biggest laugh of the night came from veteran Radio 4 newsreader Brian Perkins, who shocked the audience by using the F-word, contained in a newspaper cutting he was reading out.

Coren is the only panellist to have been with the show since it started, when it was a contest between Punch, which he edited, and Private Eye, led by Richard Ingrams.

The show had a shake-up in 1996 when erstwhile host Barry Took was replaced by Hoggart, the Guardian's parliamentary sketch writer, and younger comics such as Hardy were added to the roster of panellists.

Radio 4 will broadcast the extended 25th anniversary special on September 7.

In the meantime, you can hear the latest edition on Radio 4's website

Published: 15 Jul 2002