Talk:Paul Merton

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Tooting Employment Office[edit]

This article previously explained that Paul Merton had worked in Tooting Employment Office for seven years, which was the time given in the Guardian article previously cited. However on an interview with Jo Whiley and Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 2 on the 18th July 2018, Merton revealed it was in fact only three years he worked there. As the interview is only available for another 25 days here is an extract from what was said:

Paul: I can't claim to be exhausted. I did a nine to five job for many years and I know the difference between standing on stage for an hour with your mates and just making stuff up and going in to a job you don't really like - the civil service, Tooting employment office.

Jo: You did that for ten years I heard or was that somewhere else?

Paul: No, no three years.

Jo: Oh, there's Wikipedia for you.

Paul: No three years, don't make it ten. I left on February 29 1980. I hung on for a couple of months so I could leave on leap year's day so I could never forget the date.

Curiositas42 (talk) 09:34, 23 July 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Date of Birth[edit]

Yes, the IMDB gives July 9, 1957: [1]. However it is alone: Comedy Zone, Whose line birthdays, On this day in history, and every other source gives January 17, 1957. Applying Occam's razor, the simple conclusion is that IMDB got it wrong. David | Talk 16:18, 25 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, that turns out to be wrong: Who's Who gives July 9. I have changed it and put a note on the page. David | Talk 00:10, 1 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is it necessary for "leg" to be linked??--Dub8lad1 23:34, 23 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Citation needed[edit]

Citation needed for the claim "In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In The Comedian's Comedian, a 2005 Channel 4 poll of fellow comedians, he was voted the 20th funniest comedian in the universe."

Unsigned comment[edit]

I remember in this article i think a referance to a mental that Paul attended for a time, has anyone got a referance to that?/where is it? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by R johnson (talk • contribs) 15:19, 8 January 2007 (UTC).[reply]

It's in the article: the Maudsley Hospital. - Dudesleeper 15:40, 8 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks very much. You can delete this if you want. R johnson 17:58, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Lead section[edit]

Wouldn't the intro be better written as

Paul Merton (born Paul Martin on July 9, 1957)

? - Dudesleeper · Talk 12:55, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No. That would only be right if he had changed his name legally and he hasn't (this was confirmed in his China programme). The MofS states that full legal name should be at beginning of article, and stage name mentioned soon after. How we have it now is perfect. --UpDown 15:01, 21 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Didn't Merton write for Julian Clary, esp. Sticky Moments? Should there be a section on his writing for other people? 60.234.146.105 21:43, 28 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Images[edit]

First off, the HIGNFY image has been tagged for speedy deletion because it has no fair use rationale for the articles it is used in. Secondly... can we really not find a better picture of Paul for the infobox? mattbuck 14:49, 4 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Do you have a problem with my image? Its free-use, and there's no other free-use one on Flickr, so the answer is no. Gran2 17:00, 14 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Got to agree that it's he looks pretty damn awful in it. I didn't recognise him to the extent I was convinced he was some other comedian.84.68.45.12 (talk) 18:51, 7 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Agreed its not a great photo, but it is better than nothing and I don't believe should be removed until a replacement is found. I did recognise it was him, unlike above, and have seen worse photos on Wikipedia. Free photos of living people are often hard to find, so we really shouldn't get rid of the one we've got. --UpDown (talk) 08:07, 8 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]
The only real problem with this image is that he is sitting/standing in front of a black backdrop while wearing a dark jumper. Just because the photo isn't going to be nominated for featured image status it doesn't mean it doesn't do its job well -- illustating the subject of the article. If a sharper photo (taken outside or in a well-lit room) can be found or taken, then the current one should be replaced, otherwise it should remain. Besides, it goes quite well with the "straight — even mournful-looking — face" comment in the lead. Brad (talk) 14:56, 8 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Why is the image apparently so "bad"? Sure the lighting isn't perfect but who cares? It's a free use image of a good size, and the ideal head on facial shot. Personally, I think you'd have to have some serious screen adjustment problems if you really couldn't recognise him... A clear free-use image is one million times better than no image, especially as there isn't really all that wrong with it. If anyone thinks it's bad, maybe you could go and find Paul Merton yourself, take him to a nice clear spot, and get a perfectly centered clear shot of him, because that'd be great. I'm not saying my image is perfect, I'm saying it's perfectly adequate when there is no alternative avaliable. Gran2 00:04, 12 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]


Line[edit]

is "Merton undertook a stand-up (or, rather, sit-down) tour" really needed? This is meant to be an encylopedia, not a place for weak puns. 86.148.102.130 (talk) 23:09, 13 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree. Peti me (talk) 22:07, 14 January 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Adverts?[edit]

Lol! I added a sentence to the 'Television' section, stating that Merton had appeared in a number of adverts and it was taken down almost immediately! He has, you know. That isn't my opinion or "poorly sourced". It's a straightforward indisputable fact. My theory is that Paul took it down himself. In denial, perhaps! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.47.32.88 (talk) 02:18, 6 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It may have been because of the critical tone, the use of the words 'high number' instead of 'many', and the mention of controversy without any reference. --Jon186 (talk) 20:05, 7 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Roman Catholic?[edit]

After watching one of 'Paul Merton in China' programmes, I got the distinct feeling Paul Merton was not exactly Christian. In the programme, when discussing Christianity in China, before asking the views of the members of the congregation he stated that he himself was "weary of Christianity". This is not evidence of Atheism at all, but surely evidence to make him a Former Roman Catholic at best? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jamie M Hayes (talk • contribs) 08:21, 6 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Irish Catholic mother.[2] Well deduced. Bradley0110 (talk) 16:12, 3 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]
What if he had a Muslim father? You saying because his mother was Roman Catholic then therefore he must be?--EchetusXe (talk) 19:20, 3 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
If you're baptised Catholic, you remain a Catholic for life. Surely he should be assumed to be Catholic based on his upbringing and background unless he has claimed otherwise. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Farrtj (talk • contribs) 00:02, 28 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think so. He should be assumed to be nothing unless he has made a statement either way. 82.46.109.233 (talk) 00:27, 26 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]

You could be brought up as Catholic as anyone and then stop being a Catholic. That's increasingly common in recent times. 86.41.90.225 (talk) 23:03, 28 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Photo[edit]

No way that photo was taken in 2008, he looks about two--McNoddy (talk) 16:11, 21 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I agree, maybe last year.Plus I found this two photos http://www.phcgc.com/Planet%20Hastings%20Adventure%20Golf.html and http://www.phcgc.com/Planet%20Hastings%20Adventure%20Golf%20who%20are%20we.html its clearly the same picture.--sprungl (talk) 16:35, 21 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Good investigating buddy, you konw what to do--McNoddy (talk) 15:14, 5 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

About the photo[edit]

Have you guys changed the photo? He looks nothing like that now! Like McNoddy said, there is no way that photo was taken in 2008. Ross Rhodes (T C) Sign! 20:51, 3 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]


well i just went on youtube and watched some episodes of hignfy from the end of 2007 and he does look like that there, its just that hes cut his hair now, and it looks different on tv, other then that hes still in the same shape —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.218.62.222 (talk) 08:26, 21 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Grade of CSE[edit]

I was just watching a hignfy (s17e01) episode on Youtube where Merton stated he got a grade 5 CSE but I didn't want to edit it since I'm not sure how that would come up as a source. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.16.42.135 (talk) 17:37, 28 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I hate to say it, but the Have I Got News For You page states that the metalwork CSE is a joke. 87.115.34.177 (talk) 15:41, 20 August 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Anyway, I think he was quite clever to take a CSE before going to Secondary School! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.134.112.40 (talk) 09:02, 8 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

According to the interview, the CSE is a lie, so I removed that line. It may warrant a mention, but only in the context of its being an in-joke. It really goes to show that we can't rely on comedy programs as sources.--THobern 12:28, 26 October 2010 (UTC)

He's doing a new stand up act, shouldn't this be mentioned? http://www.atgtickets.com/Paul-Merton-Out-of-My-Head-Tickets/185/694/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.26.31.31 (talk) 03:40, 16 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]

jewish ?[edit]

Is MERTON not a german jewish name ?

i know 2 people who have the name and who are of jewish background — Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.15.237.137 (talk) 07:50, 30 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

This article does clarify that Paul Merton was born as Paul Martin - but he changed his name so as to avoid confusion with another actor in Equity. Vorbee (talk) 18:09, 1 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Lol! Merton is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as Merantun (In fact there's a Merantun Way in Merton), so, Germanic at least! Fuficius Fango (talk) 09:46, 22 January 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Not Oxford or Cambridge?[edit]

And no private school? --31.185.158.26 (talk) 01:23, 5 April 2019 (UTC)[reply]

My Obsession[edit]

I thought I heard that Paul Merton was in a Radio Four sitcom called "My Obsession" by Sukie Webster. If any one knows more about this than I do, it could be added to the article. Vorbee (talk) 18:02, 13 June 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Copyright problem removed[edit]

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