32 Facts About Peter Baynham

Peter Baynham is best known for appearing in a series of comedic Pot Noodle television adverts in the 1990s.

Peter Baynham himself created the animated series I Am Not an Animal.

Peter Baynham was born and raised in Cardiff as the second of four children.

Peter Baynham attended St Mary's primary school in Canton, then Lady Mary RC High School in Cyncoed.

Peter Baynham said he found school difficult, finding himself shy, "weedy", and unpopular.

Peter Baynham found himself too unathletic to enjoy rugby, despite expectations from his father.

Peter Baynham left school with eight O-Levels, four with an "A" grade, and joined the Merchant Navy at age 16 with a desire to travel the world.

Peter Baynham reflected, "I'm small and would basically float around inside the suit like a confused foetus, trying to pick up spanners and operate a walkie-talkie".

Peter Baynham went on to serve as second mate on a private yacht in Monte Carlo as a summer job.

Peter Baynham began attending a comedy workshop, The Comedy Store.

Peter Baynham became a stand-up comedian, and created the character Mr Buckstead, a psychotic teacher and poet.

Peter Baynham said the act consisted of "[talking] about the terrible things he did to his pupils".

Peter Baynham became cast for the comedy sketch radio series Fist of Fun.

Peter Baynham was unimpressed by Wogan's delivery of the jokes.

Peter Baynham, working at the BBC offices, encountered Armando Iannucci while looking for photocopier paper.

Peter Baynham appears in a sketch as a reporter named Colin Poppshed who presented "Gay News", where he farcically announces the gayness of various "roads, periodic table elements, cars, and walls".

Peter Baynham became a guest and contributor for the radio series The Chris Morris Music Show; he was suspended by the BBC for two weeks for conceiving a joke where Morris falsely implies on air that Michael Heseltine had died.

Peter Baynham stated that Morris technically did not announce his death, and had only said "if there is any news of Michael Heseltine's death in the next hour, we'll let you know".

Peter Baynham became a writer for the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge, a spin-off of the comedy character Alan Partridge as performed by Steve Coogan in The Day Today, an incompetent sports reporter progressed as a tactless and self-satisfied television personality.

Peter Baynham thought that Alan Partridge was underdeveloped because the format of The Day Today made him "bracketed and contained within presenting to [the] camera".

Coogan credited Peter Baynham for making Alan Partridge more human and sympathetic.

Peter Baynham described his work on I'm Alan Partridge as a highly productive and enjoyable period of his career, saying "It's my happiest, most fun writing experience ever really, it was just so exciting".

Peter Baynham served as writer and host of the Armistice news review shows.

Peter Baynham created and performed the character "Terry from Pontypridd" in a popular television advertising campaign for Pot Noodle, promoted with the catchphrase "they're too gorgeous".

Peter Baynham served as writer for the radio series Blue Jam, which transferred to television as Jam.

Peter Baynham became a guest for the radio comedy game show The 99p Challenge.

Peter Baynham became writer for the animated sketch comedy Monkey Dust.

Peter Baynham created the animated black comedy I am Not an Animal, which follows a group of intelligent talking animals who escape a vivisection laboratory.

Peter Baynham felt uncertain about his future in television after I Am Not an Animal was poorly received by BBC executives, one of whom told him, "I won't be paying a return visit to this".

The story deals with Santa's global operation to deliver presents to every child, which Peter Baynham said he considered with "pedantic" detail, such as what would be mathematically possible in 12 hours with one million elves and a mile wide spaceship.

Peter Baynham collaborated with Iannucci and Coogan again to create a feature film based on Alan Partridge, and became writer for the 2013 film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

Peter Baynham himself reflected, "It feels quite cool, in a mad way, to be someone who skulks about in the shadows".