David Walliams completes panel show marathon

David Walliams completes panel show marathon
David Walliams completes panel show marathon (Image credit: PA)

David Walliams has completed a marathon 24-hour stint competing on panel shows for Comic Relief. The Little Britain star took part in a range of iconic panel shows, all of which were filmed in front of a studio audience and streamed live online. He alternated between the roles of host, panellist and team captain during the day and was joined by fellow entertainers including Stephen Fry, Miranda Hart, David Mitchell, Jo Brand, Barbara Windsor and Jedward for the charity fundraiser. As well as current shows Have I Got News For You, QI and Mock The Week, Walliams also took part in older classics like Through The Keyhole, Give Us A Clue and Call My Bluff. He said his favourite was Blankety Blank, a childhood favourite of his, and that he felt like he had "climbed into the telly" to take part in it. Walliams described the whole experience as like "descending into madness" and added: "It does take its toll on you just physically." Taking part in Never Mind The Buzzcocks, the last show to be filmed as part of 24 Hour Panel People, was the most difficult. Walliams, who acted as host on that occasion, said: "It was tough, yes, but it was the right side of tough. I mean, if I was slumped on the desk not saying anything I think it really wouldn't have been very entertaining, but you could see I was a little bit delirious towards the end." Walliams only had breaks of five minutes at a time and said he was most looking forward to having a shower after finishing on Sunday. Highlights of 24 Hour Panel People will be aired on BBC Three in five half-hour shows from March 13 to March 17.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.