Sue Perkins

Susan Elizabeth Perkins (born 22 September 1969) is an English actress, broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer.

Perkins was born on 22 September 1969 in Croydon, London, where she grew up with her two younger siblings, and her parents.

Her father worked for a local car dealership and her mother was employed as a secretary.

She was educated at Croham Hurst School, a nearby independent school for girls in South Croydon, Greater London, at the same time as television presenter Susanna Reid.

The third episode covered the Victorian period, the fourth the 1970s, the fifth the Elizabethan period and the sixth the Regency period.

She was Footlights president during the academic year 1990–91.

Perkins and creative partner Mel Giedroyc took their first steps into television under the name Mel and Sue.

She later studied English at New Hall (now Murray Edwards College) at the University of Cambridge, graduating in 1991 with a 2:2.

While at Cambridge, she was a member of the Footlights, where she met Mel Giedroyc.

The duo began to gain success and were short-listed for the Daily Express Best Newcomers award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993.

After a few years writing for French & Saunders (and occasionally appearing on their BBC series), they co-hosted a lunchtime show on Channel 4 entitled Light Lunch, and an early evening version, Late Lunch, which ran from March 1997 to February 1998.

In 2002, Perkins appeared on the second UK series of Celebrity Big Brother in aid of four charities, Centrepoint, National Missing Persons Helpline, Rethink and Samaritans.

During the series, she interacted with series winner Mark Owen from Take That, and TV presenter Les Dennis.

Perkins was evicted from the house on Day 9.

She provided the voice for Messenger Bird in Dinotopia, produced for Hallmark Entertainment.

In 2003, Perkins joined Channel 4 morning television programme RI:SE.

In the same year, Perkins also provided additional written material for BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.

Perkins has appeared on several BBC shows including Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week, QI, Room 101, Celebrity Weakest Link, Question Time and Newsnight.

She has made appearances as a field reporter for Armando Iannucci vehicle The Saturday Night Armistice.

Perkins hosted the second series of Good Evening, Rockall, a short-lived, news-oriented panel game shown on BBC Choice.

In 2006, she appeared in BBC Four's vocabulary quiz show Never Mind the Full Stops.

She was also a team captain on ITV's Win, Lose or Draw Late.

During the same decade she made appearances on Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Poker and News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald.

In April 2007, she participated in the television series, Edwardian Supersize Me for the BBC.

She was joined by food critic Giles Coren.

The series focused on spending a week eating the equivalent of a wealthy Edwardian couple's food, whilst wearing period clothing.

Following the series, Perkins and Coren were commissioned to present a new series called, The Supersizers Go....

The premise of "Edwardian Supersize Me" was replicated and focused on other periods throughout history.

In the first episode, they survived for a week on Second World War rations.

It was re-commissioned for a second episode, Perkins and Coren covered the English Restoration period.

In August and September 2008, Perkins appeared in the reality television series Maestro on BBC Two.

During the series, a group of eight celebrities attempted (until eliminated) to learn to conduct orchestral, choral and operatic music.

During the series, Perkins conducted three pieces, two of them with soprano soloist Lesley Garrett.

Perkins won the series.

In 2008, Perkins narrated the series ....And Proud on Virgin 1.

Perkins appeared in a second "Supersizers" series called The Supersizers Eat... with Giles Coren which aired on BBC Two in June and July 2009.

Originally coming to prominence through her comedy partnership with Mel Giedroyc in Mel and Sue, she has since become best known as a radio broadcaster and television presenter, notably of The Great British Bake Off (2010–2016), Insert Name Here (2016–2019) and Just a Minute (since 2021) on BBC Radio 4.

In January 2015, Giedroyc and Perkins began hosting their own daytime chat show on ITV called Mel and Sue.

In August 2015, it was announced that Mel and Sue had been cancelled by ITV.

On 23 July 2017, it was confirmed that they would host a new version of The Generation Game for BBC One.