Frank Skinner – författare

For the past two years, Frank Skinner has written a weekly column for The Times. Without fail, he sat down and wracked his brain to think of something to write 900 words about. Dispatches from the Sofa is the brilliant result.Pondering such random topics as the potential demise of Margaret Thatcher, the love-hate relationship with your football club, the banking crisis and the evil phenomenon of Jedward, this is wit and wisdom, and a fine sense of the absurd, all rolled into one.

A Comedian''s Prayer Book. The title is a worry, isn''t it?...

God is a tough audience as far as audible response is concerned, but at least you don''t have to explain the references. In this collection of prayers, much-loved comedian, broadcaster and radio host Frank Skinner has tried to retain the bare candour of the rehearsal-room improvisation - to show what faith feels like, from the inside - but infused it with all the production values required to make it a passable public entertainment. In it are his convictions, his questions, his fears, his doubts, his elations - all presented in an eavesdropper-friendly form.

Hell, Judgement, atheism, money, faith and the X-Men all feature: it''s a bit like reading the Bible, except you only get one side of the conversation, and all the jokes are left in.

''Someone recently said to me, in reference to my poetry podcast, that you''d think poetry would be more popular than ever, in the twenty-first century, because people don''t have a lot of time and ''novels are often quite big while poems are often quite small''. I referred them to Doctor Who''s Tardis.''Frank Skinner wants you to read more poetry. Wait, wait - don''t stop reading. Whether you''re a frequent poetry reader or haven''t read any since sixth form, Frank''s infectious passion for language, rhythm and metre will win you over and provide you with the basic tools you need to tackle any poem.In this short, easy-to-digest and delightful book, Frank guides us through the twists and turns of ''Pad, pad'' by Stevie Smith, a short, seemingly simple poem that contains multitudes of meaning and a deceptive depth of emotion. Revel in the mastery of Stevie Smith''s choice of words, consider the eternal mystery of the speaker of the poem and be moved by rhyming couplets like you never have before.Give it a go. You never know, you might even enjoy it.

Frank Skinner hosts the series where a celebrity panel delve into the bizarre world of online shoppingEveryone has an online life, and when the great British public put pen to keyboard to leave a review, they almost always write something hilarious. One Person Found This Helpful is the panel game that invites an all-star line-up to celebrate the good, the bad and the baffling.Over the course of six episodes, the celebrity guests are presented with a selection of hilarious reviews and tasked with working out what exactly is being described. Maybe they''ll even have a go at writing their own reviews along the way... So if you’re the person who went on Trip Advisor to review Ben Nevis as ‘Very steep and too high’, this show salutes you!In the first episode of the series, Frank and the team find out what you think about mead, Poirot and a stinky brontosaurus. With guests Simon Evans, Jessica Fostekew, Amy Gledhill and Ahir Shah.In Episode Two, we discover what you, the public, said about a dodgy snow globe and a risky waffle. Frank is joined by guests Desiree Burch, Simon Evans, Kerry Godliman and Andrew Maxwell.In the third episode, Frank and the team hear what you said about a sparkly tower, the M1 and some hot lava. The guests are Sara Barron, Marcus Brigstocke, Pierre Novellie and Laura Smyth.In Episode Four, we get your views on lemons, sharks and a very painful ladder. Frank is joined by guests Catherine Bohart, Daliso Chaponda, Shaparak Khorsandi and Ian Smith.In the fifth episode, Frank and the team find out what you thought about a scenic fishfinger and a wobbly cupcake. With guests Scott Bennett, Jo Caulfield, Simon Evans and Esther Manito.And finally in Episode Six, we discover what the world had to say about sharp carpets and a keg with a difference. Frank is joined by guests Simon Evans, Ania Magliano, Sunil Patel and Kiri Pritchard-McLean.Production creditsHosted by Frank SkinnerDevised by Jason Hazeley and Simons Evans with David TylerProduced by David TylerWritten by Frank Skinner, Catherine Brinkworth, Sarah Dempster, Jason Hazeley, Rajiv Karia, Karl Minns, Katie Sayer and Peter TelloucheA Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4www.pozzitive.co.ukFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 19 February - 25 March 2024 (Series 1)© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.