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Andy Zaltzman
Andy Zaltzman performing at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Born	1974
Medium	stand-up, radio, podcast
Nationality	British
Years active	1999–present
Genres	Political comedy
Notable works and roles	Political Animal, The Department, The Bugle

Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman (born 1974) is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, North by Northwest, The Department and The Bugle.

Early life

Andy Zaltzman is the son of sculptor Zack Zaltzman, and of Lithuanian Jewish ancestry. His sister is Helen Zaltzman, of the popular comedy podcast Answer Me This! He attended the private Tonbridge School and is a graduate of University College, Oxford, where he studied Classics. Whilst at university he was sports editor for the Oxford Student newspaper.

Career

Stand-up

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Zaltzman has been performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe since 1999 when he was a finalist in the prestigious So You Think You're Funny? new act competition along with Josie Long, Russell Howard and David O'Doherty.

His debut full length Edinburgh Fringe show Andy Zaltzman versus the Dog of Doom received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Perrier Comedy Awards in 2001

Since 2004 Zaltzman has been hosting Political Animal, a stand-up show where different acts perform political themed material, at the Underbelly. He initially co-hosted with John Oliver but has hosted solo since 2006. This later transferred to BBC Radio 4.

Zaltzman also appeared in a late night show with fellow stand-ups Daniel Kitson, David O'Doherty and Alun Cochrane entitled The Honourable Men of Art, at The Stand in 2006 and 2008.

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Zaltzman performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for the first time in April 2007, winning the coveted Piece of Wood Award, given to the best show as voted for by other comedians.

The Bugle

Since October 2007 Zaltzman has co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly satirical comedy podcast for TimesOnline, with John Oliver.

Writing

Zaltzman has worked with Rory Bremner on a number of projects, these include Transatlantic, a US election special for BBC Radio 4 and several series of Bremner, Bird and Fortune. In June 2007, BBC2's The Culture Show commissioned Zaltzman and John Oliver to write a mock farewell speech for departing Prime Minister Tony Blair. The speech was then animated by Triffic Films, with the voice of Blair played by Bremner.

In November 2008 his first book, entitled Does Anything Eat Bankers?: And 53 Other Indispensable Questions for the Credit Crunched, was published.

Other work

Zaltzman is a huge fan of cricket and since November 2008 has written a regular blog for Cricinfo, named "The Confectionery Stall". His profile there informs us that.

Zaltzman's love of cricket outshone his aptitude for the game by a humiliating margin. He once scored 6 in 75 minutes in an Under-15 match, and failed to hit a six between the ages of 9 and 23. He would have been ideally suited to Tests, had not a congenital defect left him unable to play the game to anything above genuine village standard. Aged 21, when fielding at deep midwicket, he dropped the same batsman three times in fifteen minutes, and has not been selected by England before or since.

Zaltzman has appeared as a guest on various TV and radio programmes, including BBC Four's The Late Edition as well as The Now Show and The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4.

Zaltzman presents a 4 part BBC Radio 4 program entitled Andy Zaltzman's History of the third millennium, series 1 of 100. Providing a decade by decade comic analysis of a potentially chaotic era.

In the summer of 2009 Zaltzman hosted a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 5 Live entitled Yes, It's The Ashes, taking a comic look at the 2009 Ashes.

He is also a regular co-host of the satirical news show 7 Day Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live, along with comedians Chris Addison, Sarah Millican and one different guest each week. The series has been running since January 2010.

Personal life

Zaltzman is the older brother of Helen Zaltzman, co-host of Answer Me This!, a popular British podcast.

Zaltzman is married to Miranda, a barrister, and has two children: a daughter named Matilda, born in 2007 and a son named Horace, born 15 December 2008. Horace was delivered by Zaltzman himself at home due to his wife entering labour suddenly; he recounted this on an episode of The Bugle dated 22 December 2008 and during his 2010 Edinburgh show.

Andy, due to a lost bet, is now the official mascot of the Irish Cricket team after the Irish team's recent stunning victory over former Colonists England, a match which many have described as the greatest victory against the odds in any field, sporting or otherwise, since the great JC defied death itself a few thousand years ago.

References

1. "Andy Zaltzman - The Comedy Club". The Comedy Club Limited. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
2. "Russell Howard interview - 'That's me and the Fringe done'". The Scotsman. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
3. "if.comedy - Newcomers". ifcomedy.com. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
4. "Comedy Festival Awards - Piece of Wood". Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
5. Naughton, Philippe. "The Bugle - Audio Newspaper For A Visual World". London: timesonline.co.uk.
6. "Avalon Entertainment Limited - Andy Zaltzman Profile". Retrieved 22 April 2009.
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot03CNJgnE8
8. "DOES ANYTHING EAT BANKERS? And 99 Other Questions to Cheer Up the Credit Crunched". oldstreetpublishing.co.uk.
9. Zaltzman 2009
10. "Cricket show for comic Zaltzman". Chortle.co.uk. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
11. "The Bugle 57 - Hats off to Obama, shoes off for Bush". London: TimesOnline. 21 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-15.

External links

• Official site
• The Bugle
• The Confectionery Stall
• Andy Zaltzman on Chortle

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• Old Tonbridgians
• Living people
• Alumni of University College, Oxford
• English podcasters
• English stand-up comedians
• British Jews
• Jewish comedians
• 1974 births