By "fish out of water" I thought you meant he was out of his depth, but I agree with your explanation and that he was an excellent guest.
Carrie Fisher, Emma Thompson, Brian Cox, Jerry Springer, Hugh Laurie, and Teri Hatcher are some other big names that were great celebrity guest appearances. A lot of them were funnier than some of the recurring comedians on the show.
Americans are always a bit hit or miss on the show (And on graham norton as well come to think of it). They seem surprised at the pace and the freedom of speech ont he British shows but some of them do seem to struggle keeping up
Carrie was an unexpected delight, I think she responded well to Stephen's fanboy attitude. Teri need a little time to losen up but after that she was quite funny.
Emma Thompson never seems to have an off day.
Brian cox, given his work on the monkey cage I wasn't at all surprised.
Carrie Fisher had known Stephen Fry for years - there's an account in Robert Webb's book about him going out with Stephen Fry after a performance of a play (one based on Wodehouse's Jeeves funnily enough) and Carrie Fisher turned up with him.
Ditto Emma Thompson - They were in Footlights together.
I knew about the footlights connection of course. Loads of my favourite actors come from that generation
Didn't know Carrie and Stephen had known eachother that long
Indeed. Thompson (and her mother Phyllida Law) both feature heavily in Fry's radio show from the late 80s. 'Saturday Night Fry.' I think it's still on BBC Sounds and well worth listening to, if you, or others, haven't before.
Unfortunately, not available on BBC Sounds. The first 4 episodes have been posted on Youtube by this user [https://www.youtube.com/@simon201063/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@simon201063/videos) and No. 5 is here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr9hEpfIxHA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr9hEpfIxHA)
No. 3 has my favorite sketch, "Cutlery Exhibition".
No. 2 has "The Rooks of Coletarbyn", a parody of *Jane Eyre*.
5 of the 6 are on [archive.org](http://archive.org), but maddeningly they are all missing the last 3 minutes.
I found a playlist of the Youtube episodes. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbm-VgdzA8s&list=PLiOYoGADwmJt3eSKPGmnrHTNxTb3Mba2C&index=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbm-VgdzA8s&list=PLiOYoGADwmJt3eSKPGmnrHTNxTb3Mba2C&index=1)
Fairly sure it was one of his first times just getting to be himself. I can't remember any other appearances before that where he wasn't either acting or doing promotional stuff. I can imagine it's tricky finding your footing. (Though with Norton at the end with the guillotine remains a highlight.)
Yeah, maybe not the best title. 😅
I've seen Carrie Fisher on there and she was fantastic. I'm definitely going to have to look for Jerry Springer's episode. Thanks for the recommendations!
Corey done quite a few podcast with the QI elves. (No such thing as a Fish) He is really cool to listen to.
He seems to be a guy that’s interested in lots of things. Obviously very different to his Slipknot image but i guess as a creative person he just absorbing information and who knows what would come of it.
Edit:
And to be fair to have good education sometimes is by luck (the family you born into/the school/the system/ the people along the way a lot is by luck) but he has willingness and who knew maybe could have been some other career other than slipknot lol.
I’m not a Slipknot fan at all, but anytime Corey shows up in something like QI or NSTAAF, you know you’re in for a treat. He’s such a chill and knowledgeable guy.
> / the people along the way a lot is by luck) but he has willingness and who knew maybe could have
I really wanted an episode where it's just James and Corey sharing crazy stories about their bandmates/fans/performances.
I will have to check that out. I got the impression he might be a fan of the show (he was excited to get his first klaxon and seemed to revel in coming last) so it's cool that he's had the opportunity to do a few more things in the orbit of QI.
I met Corey a few times when I used to help stage set up for festivals. He is a big Anglophile when it comes to TV. I can only imagine he watches QI and similar shows on tour buses and planes when touring Europe.
I love the idea of him playing a wild show where Shawn Crahan has dislocated or partially severed something yet again and he just goes back to his room and watches some QI. The Anthrax reading comic of our time.
Loved Corey, he charmed the pants off me.
Jerry Springer was a surprise as well, I didn’t know about his past being born in London during the Battle of Britain and being mayor of Cincinnati! I just knew him from his terrible show.
The Battle of Britain was earlier in the war (1940). Springer was born on the platform of a tube station (I want to say Highgate?) during an air raid in 1944.
Corey Taylor and Carrie Fisher would be my picks. They got it, they held their own in a panel full of professional comedians, they looked like they belonged there. Given how good most of the panellists are at being on panel shows, it’s no small achievement.
I feel like it would be pretty easy for a non comedian sat next to Ross Nobel to get overshadowed and fade into the background. He definitely held his own.
In the more conventional sense of the phrase, I quite enjoyed Sheila Hancock's appearance on "Military Matters". On top of just contributing information well, it was entertaining to see her bemusement at certain moments, including: 'I've lost the thread of this conversation.'
I will definitely check that out. I do love that sort of fish out of water as well. Like an American guest on Big Fat Quiz who didn't know what they were signing up for or who the other people on the panel are. Always a treat.
Teri Hatcher was probably the most surprising, in how good she was. There have been a few stunt bookings that just faded into the background.
Corey will always be the GOAT surprise though.
If we’re strictly talking about the oddness of their appearance, no one is more so out of water than Jon Hodgman. He had to sit in between 2 others, with a duck call as a “buzzer”. Only episode I recall having 6 people at the desk.
But if we’re talking unexpected, I agree with others saying Carrie Fisher. She’s a treasure.
Corey Taylor was so great. Genuinely funny.
"What's the loudest thing anyone's ever shouted?"
"It's got to be something at their kids, right...? SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
XD
How has he only been on one episode?! That's criminal. You get wild stories like having a boat skippered by an orangutan when you book Brian Blessed. He feels as perfectly made for QI as Gyles Brandreth.
Corey Taylor was surprisingly good! I also thought Hannah Waddingham did a good job. I recall feeling a bit bad for Carrie Fisher because they kept veering back to Star Wars (although I suspect she was used to it by then.)
If you want more of Corey being nerdy, there's an episode of No Such Thing as Fish (podcast by the QI elves) where he appears as a guest. It's episode 100 I think.
I love Brian Cox in anything but his response to Ross Noble’s “which moon would Ewoks live on” was one of the funniest line deliveries on QI. “[Titan] has got a thicker atmosphere than the earth so you would… need to be… furry”
And as a complete happenstance, [here's the Doctor Who costume](https://i.imgur.com/76oWL5U.jpg) he lent his voice to that I saw in an exhibition a couple of days ago.
(Unless I'm completely mis-remembering things)
By "fish out of water" I thought you meant he was out of his depth, but I agree with your explanation and that he was an excellent guest. Carrie Fisher, Emma Thompson, Brian Cox, Jerry Springer, Hugh Laurie, and Teri Hatcher are some other big names that were great celebrity guest appearances. A lot of them were funnier than some of the recurring comedians on the show.
Americans are always a bit hit or miss on the show (And on graham norton as well come to think of it). They seem surprised at the pace and the freedom of speech ont he British shows but some of them do seem to struggle keeping up Carrie was an unexpected delight, I think she responded well to Stephen's fanboy attitude. Teri need a little time to losen up but after that she was quite funny. Emma Thompson never seems to have an off day. Brian cox, given his work on the monkey cage I wasn't at all surprised.
Carrie Fisher had known Stephen Fry for years - there's an account in Robert Webb's book about him going out with Stephen Fry after a performance of a play (one based on Wodehouse's Jeeves funnily enough) and Carrie Fisher turned up with him. Ditto Emma Thompson - They were in Footlights together.
I knew about the footlights connection of course. Loads of my favourite actors come from that generation Didn't know Carrie and Stephen had known eachother that long
Indeed. Thompson (and her mother Phyllida Law) both feature heavily in Fry's radio show from the late 80s. 'Saturday Night Fry.' I think it's still on BBC Sounds and well worth listening to, if you, or others, haven't before.
Unfortunately, not available on BBC Sounds. The first 4 episodes have been posted on Youtube by this user [https://www.youtube.com/@simon201063/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@simon201063/videos) and No. 5 is here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr9hEpfIxHA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr9hEpfIxHA) No. 3 has my favorite sketch, "Cutlery Exhibition". No. 2 has "The Rooks of Coletarbyn", a parody of *Jane Eyre*. 5 of the 6 are on [archive.org](http://archive.org), but maddeningly they are all missing the last 3 minutes.
I found a playlist of the Youtube episodes. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbm-VgdzA8s&list=PLiOYoGADwmJt3eSKPGmnrHTNxTb3Mba2C&index=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbm-VgdzA8s&list=PLiOYoGADwmJt3eSKPGmnrHTNxTb3Mba2C&index=1)
Phill Jupitus flirting with Teri Hatcher was hysterical.
I greatly enjoy Brian Cox’s appearances.
So do I but I'm also a monkey cage fan
Dan Radcliffe was an unexpected but very welcome surprise.
He's clearly super nervous in that episode. You can hear it in his voice.
Fairly sure it was one of his first times just getting to be himself. I can't remember any other appearances before that where he wasn't either acting or doing promotional stuff. I can imagine it's tricky finding your footing. (Though with Norton at the end with the guillotine remains a highlight.)
Yeah, this was one of the first times we got to see adorably dorky Dan. This was before his 'shush the audience for the Elements' days.
Oh my God, Teri Hatcher was hilarious
Yeah, maybe not the best title. 😅 I've seen Carrie Fisher on there and she was fantastic. I'm definitely going to have to look for Jerry Springer's episode. Thanks for the recommendations!
Blindly stumbling into the Jerry Springer episode was bizarre. It was such a clash of cultures.
Daniel Radcliffe on the Xmas episode for series H was great fun. He was well-versed in the magic portion of the questions.
He’s just such a lovely dude!
Corey done quite a few podcast with the QI elves. (No such thing as a Fish) He is really cool to listen to. He seems to be a guy that’s interested in lots of things. Obviously very different to his Slipknot image but i guess as a creative person he just absorbing information and who knows what would come of it. Edit: And to be fair to have good education sometimes is by luck (the family you born into/the school/the system/ the people along the way a lot is by luck) but he has willingness and who knew maybe could have been some other career other than slipknot lol.
I’m not a Slipknot fan at all, but anytime Corey shows up in something like QI or NSTAAF, you know you’re in for a treat. He’s such a chill and knowledgeable guy.
He’s also fantastic on the Off Menu podcast. He comes across as a genuinely interesting and down to Earth guy.
> / the people along the way a lot is by luck) but he has willingness and who knew maybe could have I really wanted an episode where it's just James and Corey sharing crazy stories about their bandmates/fans/performances.
I will have to check that out. I got the impression he might be a fan of the show (he was excited to get his first klaxon and seemed to revel in coming last) so it's cool that he's had the opportunity to do a few more things in the orbit of QI.
He said in an interview that he was in the country and would love to do an episode.
I actually thought he was surprisingly erudite considering his lack of formal education. I found Judy Murray also an unexpected delight
I was really into Slipknot when I was younger. I didn't expect the shouty man in a creepy mask to be so charming, even as a fan.
I met Corey a few times when I used to help stage set up for festivals. He is a big Anglophile when it comes to TV. I can only imagine he watches QI and similar shows on tour buses and planes when touring Europe.
I love the idea of him playing a wild show where Shawn Crahan has dislocated or partially severed something yet again and he just goes back to his room and watches some QI. The Anthrax reading comic of our time.
He's also a massive Doctor Who fan and was the voice of a monster in an episode.
Loved Corey, he charmed the pants off me. Jerry Springer was a surprise as well, I didn’t know about his past being born in London during the Battle of Britain and being mayor of Cincinnati! I just knew him from his terrible show.
The Battle of Britain was earlier in the war (1940). Springer was born on the platform of a tube station (I want to say Highgate?) during an air raid in 1944.
Yep - just checked, and he was born at Highgate tube station.
Corey Taylor and Carrie Fisher would be my picks. They got it, they held their own in a panel full of professional comedians, they looked like they belonged there. Given how good most of the panellists are at being on panel shows, it’s no small achievement.
I feel like it would be pretty easy for a non comedian sat next to Ross Nobel to get overshadowed and fade into the background. He definitely held his own.
In the more conventional sense of the phrase, I quite enjoyed Sheila Hancock's appearance on "Military Matters". On top of just contributing information well, it was entertaining to see her bemusement at certain moments, including: 'I've lost the thread of this conversation.'
I will definitely check that out. I do love that sort of fish out of water as well. Like an American guest on Big Fat Quiz who didn't know what they were signing up for or who the other people on the panel are. Always a treat.
Corey Taylor first and foremost. He's a self-described fan of QI and was a great addition to the panel. Carrie Fisher was so much fun to watch.
Teri Hatcher was probably the most surprising, in how good she was. There have been a few stunt bookings that just faded into the background. Corey will always be the GOAT surprise though.
If we’re strictly talking about the oddness of their appearance, no one is more so out of water than Jon Hodgman. He had to sit in between 2 others, with a duck call as a “buzzer”. Only episode I recall having 6 people at the desk. But if we’re talking unexpected, I agree with others saying Carrie Fisher. She’s a treasure.
I will have to seek out the Hodgman episode for sure. It sounds like it will be wonderfully chaotic.
Eddie Izzard
Corey Taylor was so great. Genuinely funny. "What's the loudest thing anyone's ever shouted?" "It's got to be something at their kids, right...? SHUT THE FUCK UP!" XD
"Remember we're on television, Corey" "Oh right. SHUUUuuushh."
The Brian Blessed episode was great, although Sean Locke helped I think!
How has he only been on one episode?! That's criminal. You get wild stories like having a boat skippered by an orangutan when you book Brian Blessed. He feels as perfectly made for QI as Gyles Brandreth.
Corey Taylor was surprisingly good! I also thought Hannah Waddingham did a good job. I recall feeling a bit bad for Carrie Fisher because they kept veering back to Star Wars (although I suspect she was used to it by then.)
Victoria Wood, Roger McCough, Carrie Fisher, Pam Ayres & Mark Gatiss.
If you want more of Corey being nerdy, there's an episode of No Such Thing as Fish (podcast by the QI elves) where he appears as a guest. It's episode 100 I think.
I love Brian Cox in anything but his response to Ross Noble’s “which moon would Ewoks live on” was one of the funniest line deliveries on QI. “[Titan] has got a thicker atmosphere than the earth so you would… need to be… furry”
Blue whale
Commenting to save this episode for later
There was a woman who made a battleship joke. She did well
Ooh I remember him - he was so good on it!
And as a complete happenstance, [here's the Doctor Who costume](https://i.imgur.com/76oWL5U.jpg) he lent his voice to that I saw in an exhibition a couple of days ago. (Unless I'm completely mis-remembering things)