Diane Morgan

"Four hundred years ago this year the world-famous playwrighter William Shakespeare stopped happening ..." The Great Philomena (comedian Diane Morgan) brings all her wisdom and sensitivity to bear in her sublime exploration of the "King of the Bards", observing that Titus Andronicus is "a posh Friday The 13th"; pondering what Hamlet is all about ("about four hours long"); and noting that Shakespeare had an easy time at school "as he didn't have to study Shakespeare"

Diane Morgan: meet the performer behind Philomena Cunk (Link expired)

Acclaimed actress and character-comedian Diane Morgan is back with a Philomena Cunk special this week, as well as starring in two high-profile new sitcoms, and the David Brent movie. She spoke to Jay Richardson about her increasingly in-demand career.

Philomena Cunk: Shakespeare has more Henrys than Hoover

On Shakespeare's 400th anniversary, who better to cut the bard's best-known works down to size than Weekly Wipe's noted cultural commentator?

Preview, Cunk On Shakespeare, BBC2

The technique of interviewing experts while knowing less than nothing about the subject is hardly new - Ali G does casts a shadow over her straight-faced encounters - but Cunk (alias comedian Diane Morgan) is so committed to her character it is impossible not to laugh at her antics. In one memorable scene she starts playing with a banana while Simon Russell Beale delivers Hamlet's To Be Or Not To Be soliloquy a few inches away.

Radio Times review

Whatever horrors the world has endured over the past 12 months - war, pestilence, terrorism and Piers Morgan's new presenting gig on Good Morning Britain (only kidding, Piers), then we can always be sure of some traditional comforts. One is that Charlie Brooker and friends will extract some comic mileage in his now-traditional end-of-year round-up.

Joined by contributors Doug Stanhope, Morgana Robinson (complete with her extraordinary Russell Brand impersonation) and Diane Morgan as the fabulously vacuous pundit Philomena Cunk, laughter appears guaranteed. Page Three and Cecil the Lion may all have died this year, but smart, sassy satire is alive and well on BBC Two.

I first became aware of comedian Andrew Lawrence last year, when he caused a minor kerfuffle by moaning about '"political" comedians cracking cheap and easy gags about UKIP', the 'ever-creeping militant political correctness of the BBC' and 'women posing as comedians'. I filed the name away under 'tedious try-hard blowhards to be avoided like the plague'.

So, when I saw that he'd been rewarded by the militantly PC BBC with his own Radio 4 sitcom, my instinct was to avoid. However, when told how awful the show was I weakened in disbelief. I wish I'd stuck with my original instinct.

In There Is No Escape (R4, Tuesdays, 6.30pm), Lawrence plays a loser called Andrew who lives with his girlfriend in mutual disdain. The script consists of people being sarcastic to each other in the most charmless way, in a manner that people only do in bad sitcoms. Wise-cracking without any glimmer of wisdom. Diane Morgan (perhaps best known as Weekly Wipe's Philomena Cunk), who plays the girlfriend, deserves far better. Happily there is an escape. It's called the 'off' switch.

Seven questions with... Diane Morgan

Diane Morgan is a face many will recognise, having starred in countless sitcoms such as Phoenix Nights and Uncle, being half of comedy double act Two Episodes of Mash with Joe Wilkinson and also performing stand up.

Russell Kane returns for a third outing of the series filmed in front of a live audience at the fictitious venue. Once again, his stand-up is interspersed with sketches and films from up-and-coming acts, with Totally Tom returning as the inappropriate backstage crew, and Joe Wilkinson and Diane Morgan launching an unusual anti-smoking product. There are new additions, too, as selected via an open call. Luke McQueen stands out with his attempts to woo his ex with battle rap and James Blunt-alike Alex Smith serenades Middle England.