Robin Ince

Robin Ince was born on February 20, 1969, and is an English comedian, actor, and writer. Prior to his university studies, he received his early education at York House prep school and Cheltenham College. Subsequently, he pursued degrees in English and Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London, completing his studies in 1991. Early in his career, he performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1990 and appeared in a play called 'Shadow Walker' at Greyfriars Kirkhouse.

Ince’s comedy journey continued with appearances alongside Stephen Merchant, Jimmy Carr, and Ricky Gervais in the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe show 'Rubbernecker'. He subsequently opened for Ricky Gervais on his Politics tour in 2004 and Fame tour in 2007. His work expanded to include writing for The 11 O’Clock Show, where he performed impressions, including that of John Peel. A brief acting role as Stuart Foot appeared in The Office. In 2006, he received the Time Out Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. During the period from January through April 2009, he participated in a tour with 'Bleeding Heart Liberal.' Furthermore, he toured with 'Robin Ince vs. the Moral Majority' spanning late 2009 and extending into 2010.

Ince’s work demonstrates considerable range, including stage productions such as 'Happiness Through Science' (presented between 2011 and 2012), and a live stand-up DVD, 'Robin Ince is as Dumb as You,' which was made available in late 2008. Beginning in 2005, he managed the Book Club at The Albany in London. Additionally, he released 'Robin Ince's Bad Book Club' in 2010. From 2008 onwards, he has been responsible for organizing 'Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People,' a program that was subsequently rebranded as 'Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People,' and which has seen adaptations internationally. He co-authored 'The Infinite Monkey Cage – How to Build a Universe' with Brian Cox and Alexandra Feachem. From 2009 to December 2025, he co-presented The Infinite Monkey Cage on Radio 4 with Brian Cox, a show that won a Gold Award at the 2011 Sony Radio Awards. He resigned from the program in December 2025 citing pressure to censor his views. He has written four acclaimed books including 'Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal', 'I'm a Joke and So Are You', 'The Importance of Being Interested', and 'Bibliomaniac,' with 'Bibliomaniac' earning him the Booksellers Association Author of the Year award. His fifth book, 'Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal,' explores anxiety, ADHD, and neurodiversity and will be published in May 2025. He is currently involved in a project called 'Helen Sharman: Space for the Future' with appearances scheduled throughout April. He is also involved in the documentary series 'Bibliomaniac' and 'Curious People', and hosts the panel show and podcast 'They’ve Made Us’ with Helen Czerski.