Alexander Armstrong

Alexander Armstrong

Date of birth: 02-03-1970
Alexander Armstrong – also known as Xander – studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was also a member of Cambridge Footlights and the college choir.

He met his comedy partner Ben Miller in 1991, when they started performing together in the TBA sketch night in Notting Hill, West London.

But 1998 was their breakthrough year, when they landed a Radio 4 series and a TV series, produced for Channel 4 and the Paramount Comedy Channel.

The show ran for four series and included such characters as Scandanavian heavy metal band Strijka, the drama Nude Practice and hip middle-class presenters Craig Children and Martin Bain-Jones.

They dissolved their partnership in 2000, to forge their separate careers

Armstrong went on to appear in such TV shows as Mutual Friends, Don't Call Me Stupid, hospital sitcom TLC and three series of Life Begins for ITV

He was also a regular guest host on Have I Got News For You, and appeared in Woody Allen’s film Match Point, as well as numerous adverts for Pimms.

He reunited with Miller for one-off charity gig in London celebrity hangout The Groucho Club in 2005, which reignited their partnership, and led to their prime-time BBC One show in autumn 2007.

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Tough job! Alexander Armstrong embarks on TV pub walks

Taking over from Bill Bailey on More4

Alexander Armstrong is embarking on a tour of Perfect Pub Walks for More 4.

He will be joined by Sir Lenny Henry, Chris McCausland, James May and Chris Packham as they amble around Yorkshire, Kent, Monmouthshire and Shropshire in the hour-long episodes. 

The comedian and Pointless host takes over from Bill Bailey, who took hikes with Alan Davies, Paul Merton, Sir Trevor McDonald and Shaun Ryder last year.

Alexander Armstrong says: ‘Nothing beats a walk in a beautiful landscape, a good pub, a pint and a great chat. Filming Perfect Pub Walks has been a complete delight, topped off by some fantastic conversations with four terrific icons.’

Clemency Green, commissioning editor for Channel 4, added: ‘Perfect Pub Walks is a beautiful series exploring stunning areas of the UK, as well as delving into a variety of topics and issues that come up in conversation between our brilliant host and his array of wonderful guests.’

The show is made by Up&Away Studios, which also produced the Sue Perkins travelogue Along the US-Mexico Border. No broadcast date has yet been announced. 

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Published: 1 Jul 2025

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DVD (2012)
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DVD (2012)
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DVD (2007)
TLC

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