Mark Watson: Elementary for Watson

Dec 14 2009 By Polly Weeks

Mark Watson, the Bristol comedian, is back alongside Tim Key and Alex Horne for a second series of celebrity comedy quiz show We Need Answers which began December 1 on BBC Four. He discusses the programme, his love of Bristol City FC and why he'll be spending more time at home from now on.

As he has found it impossible to resist the temptation to get his fans involved with our chat, I'm therefore listening extra carefully to see whether the comedian utters 'discombobulate', 'blancmange' or 'obfuscate'.

It's unsurprising that Watson loves to tweet on Twitter - the social networking communication tool running rampant among the techno-loving masses.

The 29-year-old comedian has always had a bright, inquisitive mind and a penchant for quirky behaviour.

After attending Cambridge University, where he studied English and graduated with a first class degree, he soon established himself on the comedy circuit and in 2004, at the end of a 24-hour gig, surprised the tired audience and his girlfriend, Emily by going down on one knee.

Despite his academic and career success (including becoming a Mock The Week regular and presenting shows on Radio 4), the 29-year-old is remarkably humble.

Not in the least bit boastful about his career thus far, he also appears less than bothered about his Twitter challenge.

In fact, he's far more interested in talking about Bristol City's promotion chances this year.

"I think it's worth getting through in the play offs, I think we would go straight back down but it would be worth it just for he excitement," he ponders.

Luckily, I've been warned that the Bristol-born comedian has a love bordering on obsession with Bristol City FC.

Encouraging him to talk about his latest project, the second series of BBC Four programme We Need Answers, he explains: "Most people missed the first series to be honest. It was only three shows, so if people haven't seen it before there's not much to catch up on!

"Essentially it's a celebrity quiz show. The two celebrities each week are asked questions which come from members of the public and have been sent to those text answering services. It's a real mix of general knowledge and also impossible questions, trivia and opinions."

The show is the brainchild of Watson and his two friends Tim Key and Alex Horne. Watson presents, Key is in the question master's chair and Horne gives expert analysis.

"It's really rewarding - especially because we came up with the ideas ourselves. It's been really nice doing something which is our thing rather than a show where someone has hired you to carry out their ideas," Watson explains.

The three met in 2001 in Cambridge and have been firm friends ever since. "Alex and I were studying at Cambridge and Tim lived there. We've been doing various types of shows for a few years now. We've worked in different combinations but we've never had anything where the three of us do it together!" he says.

The first series saw Germaine Greer compete against novelist and poet Michael Rosen. For the new series, Radio 4 presenter Jenni Murray and ex-Rugby player Martin Offiah go head to head in the first episode.

But what would be Watson's ideal line up? "My absolute dream would be Steve Davis against one of the Cheeky Girls. It's always a bloke against a girl. So an Eighties sports star against a weird modern offbeat pop singer would be ideal."

While those two may not have signed up for the second series, a host of other celebrities have. Amongst others, Terry Christian, Camilla Dallerup, Peter Tatchell, Vanessa Feltz and Sue Perkins are lined up for the 13 episodes.

Filming for the series took place in October. "It was a pretty frantic month," Watson says. "We did three or four a week and had gone pretty mad by the end of it. It was really fun but a real slog to get them done. When you spend that amount of time with two other people, the three of you don't make that much sense to the rest of the world. You become your own little country."

The filming schedule meant Watson had to put his touring on hold - something he's going to have to get used to in 2010. His wife Emily is pregnant and the two are due to become parents to a baby boy in February. "For the first few months I'll be at home but then I'll probably have to go back to touring. I'll try to organise it so I'm at home more often. The travelling life is fun but you do miss being at home. Having a family will concentrate my mind on being at home more," he says.

As Watson prepares to become a first-time father he admits he's excited about introducing his son to the beautiful game.

"He'll be expected to be a Bristol City fan but he'll be growing up near to the Arsenal ground and so realistically that will be the first ground he'll go to.

"My dad was a Bournemouth fan because that's where he's from but he allowed me to be a City fan because we grew up in Bristol. It's going to be the same kind of thing, I might have to tell him to support City but I'll have to be braced for the fact he may be drawn to Arsenal as it will be his local club."

Football aside, with a baby on the way and a second series of We Need Answers about to start, Watson is more than happy with his lot and isn't taking any of his success for granted.

"One of the really exciting things about the job is that I never know what will happen in the future. I never thought I'd be hosting a quiz show, in fact a lot of the stuff I never expected I'd get to do. I got to host Nevermind The Buzzcocks recently and again I didn't think I'd ever get to do that."

Swapping West Country life for London has proved to be a successful career move, but he admits: "I need to live in London for what I do. In many ways it's not ideal living here because it is quite a stressful life. I'd rather live in Bristol. Ideally, they would move the whole comedy industry to Bristol but to be fair that's a bit of a big ask, it would disrupt a lot of people's lives."

As the interview comes to an end, the comedian has proved himself every bit as interesting as his CV suggests. But he has failed in one part, despite his pledge on his Twitter account, he officially did not utter the words discombobulate, blancmange or obfuscate.

Extra time - Mark Watson

Watson was nominated for the Perrier Best Newcomer in 2005 and was the first winner of the if.comeddies Panel Prize in 2006.

Watson published his first novel Bullet Points in 2004 and it was Commended in the Commonwealth Writers' Prizes.

He became married his wife Emily in 2006.

He is a self confessed moaner. He admits: "I complain quite a lot."