Ian Hislop

Have I Got News For You: the best presenters and guests

Have I Got News For You has just turned 25. Captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton will return to our screens this Friday for the 50th series premiere, presented by none other than Jeremy Clarkson. Over the years a succession of guests and - following Angus Deayton's controversial sacking in 2002 - presenters have graced the show. We round up the best.

While BBC1 aired Lenny Henry's Danny And The Human Zoo, it can only be coincidence that simultaneously on BBC2 Harry Enfield was himself blacking up as a black-and-white minstrel and reaching for his best Brummie accent briefly to play Henry himself in An Evening with Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.

This was a long-overdue satire on the celebrity audience, planted-question-filled "Evening With" format, even if it was also a vehicle for a 25-year retrospective, hosted by the men themselves.

Dressing up as Melvyn Bragg in order to offer intellectual justification for some of your more questionable comedic decisions, not least blacking up to play Nelson Mandela, doesn't actually make them any more intellectually justified, especially when, on the other channel, Lenny Henry's childhood is being dramatised as an exercise in positive discrimination. But the impressions were, of course, hilarious. Ian Hislop, if he saw it, might never have the courage to sneer again.

Merton sees funny side of class divide in panel shows

To the book festival, where Paul Merton was speaking about hits relationship with Ian Hislop, his rival captain on Have I Got News for You.

It's taken until series 49 for author and film-maker Jon Ronson to make his debut as a HIGNFY panellist, a belated opportunity for the soft-spoken documentarian to witness the satirical-surreal power struggle between captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton up close. With any luck, some poor soul will have been recently crucified in the court of public opinion after a social media blunder, allowing Ronson to share some of the wisdom he acquired while researching his latest bestseller, So You've Been Publicly Shamed.

How fabulous to have an episode of Have I Got News For You, filmed as election news was still coming in (Friday, BBC1). With all the demob feeling of "EastEnders go to Marbella", this had a real frisson of the improvised. There was a certain catharsis to be had hearing Ian Hislop officially voicing what everyone had been talking about all day: "Everyone said it was unpredictable. Because they'd got it wrong."

And the live quality really added something: "Can I just tell you something? It is the end of Farage." "Can we stop for a minute? Nick Clegg has resigned." Line of the night went to Romesh Ranganathan, on the failure of Mori and the like: "Farage has been banging on about not trusting the Poles for ages ..." And is there any reason why Jo Brand shouldn't be the permanent host?

The same privileged old guard, the unchanging rituals, the forced smiles and occasional moments of genuine delight: yes, the enduring satirical panel show and the general election were clearly made for each other. Still, in the runup to the election, the media has been filled with political behaviour even more ludicrous than usual, all of which should be fecund ground for Paul Merton and Ian Hislop. Jo Brand hosts tonight, while comedian Romesh Ranganathan and newsreader Jon Snow help uncover the truths behind the manifesto promises.

Ian Hislop has big showdown with John Prescott

That was a bit of a tense Have I Got News For You wasn't it? Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell, episode two of the latest series saw Ian Hislop come to verbal blows with John Prescott.

Clarkson pulled out fearing Deayton-style 'humiliation'

The former Top Gear presenter withdrew because he knew he would be 'slaughtered' by panellists Paul Merton and Ian Hislop.

Ian Hislop on the attack on Charlie Hebdo

"I am appalled and shocked by this horrific attack - a murderous attack on free speech in the heart of Europe."

Radio Times review

Where were the court jesters when we needed them? Through the heavy developments of the past few months, we could have done with a few satirical sideswipes from the Have I Got News for You panel to lighten the load. There's nothing like a barb from Ian Hislop or a childish quip from Paul Merton to put recent events in perspective.

Now at least, they're back for a new run, and in the hot seat once again is the unflappable Jennifer Saunders as guest host. Even better, the great Armando Iannucci joins one of the teams, not least to offer a Scottish point of view, while excellent actress and stand-up Sara Pascoe makes her debut.