Griff Rhys Jones, comedian, actor, presenter, author, champion of architecture ancient and modern and general all round Good Thing. Having played a selection of minor roles in the first series of Not The Nine O’Clock News, he was brought in as a regular member of the cast.
Griff also worked in the theatre, primarily in comedy and farce, winning Olivier awards for best comedy performance in Charley’s Aunt and An Absolute Turkey, and as Toad in The Wind in the Willows. He also undertook some more serious acting roles for television, including A View of Harry Clarke in which he starred alongside Elaine Paige, Mine All Mine, Riot at the Rite, Marple, Casualty and Jonathan Creek.
Recently he has become best known as a presenter, firstly of Bookworm and latterly of Restoration. He was the driving force behind the restoration of Hackney Empire theatre in London, and has undertaken several projects of his own, notably the restoration of a Pembrokeshire farm, which was filmed for the BBC and was inspired by his own interest in architecture and conservation.