Trivia: Wanted to be a ballerina, but was rejected from the Royal Ballet; as a result, she suffered from anorexia and spent three months in psychiatric hospital as part of her recovery. Made her stage debut at age 16 as a chorus girl at a theatre in Colchester, England. Discovered on the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are that one of her ancestors was imprisoned in the infamous Tower of London, and another was accused of plotting to kill King Charles II. Released her debut novel, Not Quite Nice, in 2015.

Trivia: Daughter of a professor of political science and a social worker. As a child, she was convinced she would grow up to be a long jumper, and aspired to be the first female manager of Aston Villa Football Club. Decided on a career in musical theatre at the age of 15 when she took part in a production of Les Miserables at school. Worked as an assistant to a florist for her first job. Won the Ian Fleming Award to study musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Worked as a backing singer for Elton John, performing at Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall. Part of the cast of the original 2004 West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White. Met her husband, Oliver Boot, on the set of the BBC drama series Hotel Babylon. In 2015, competed in the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered by professional dancer, Aljaz Skorjanec and was eliminated in week 11, finishing in sixth place.

Trivia: Is distantly related to both Jane Austen and Lord Byron. Great-great grandfather was H.H. Asquith, former Prime Minister, making her a second cousin, once removed of Helena Bonham Carter. Left the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts when she became pregnant with her daughter Poppy. In 1988, shocked TV hosts Richard and Judy, the audience and ITV bosses when she said the 'f' word while being interviewed. Met cameraman ex-husband Nigel Willoughby while filming for a beer advert in 1993. Met husband Redha Debbah when he was working as a taxi driver and took her to the West End while she was performing in The Real Inspector Hound in 1998. While appearing in an off-Broadway production of Creditors in New York in 2010, became stricken with a case of viral meningitis and had to be rushed to the hospital by the play's director, Alan Rickman. In 2013, won a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performance in Private Lives. Patron of the London childen's charity, Scene and Heard.

Trivia: Wrote her first novel, Anita and Me, in 1996. Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1997. Won the Betty Trask Award for her first novel Anita and Me and the Media Personality of the Year Award at the Commission for Racial Equality's annual Race in the Media awards in 2000. Featured on the British number one record, "Spirit in the Sky," performing with Gareth Gates and her co-stars from The Kumars at No.42, in aid of Comic Relief, in 2003. Appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2003, having chosen an eclectic range of music and opted for a piano as her luxury item to take with her to the island. Voted one of the 50 funniest people in Britain by The Guardian in 2003. While on the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?, discovered that both of her grandfathers were involved in the struggle for independence in India. Was a guest at Prince Charles' wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. Was appointed visiting professor of contemporary theatre at St Catherine's College, Oxford in 2011-12, and has honorary degrees from SOAS, University of London and from the University of Roehampton. Played Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2012. Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2015, for her services to Drama and Literature. Was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2017. Writes occasionally for The Guardian.

Trivia: Only applied to one drama school (Welsh College of Music and Drama) because she didn't believe she'd be accepted - she was. Played Eliza Doolittle in the school's production of My Fair Lady at Porthcawl Comprehensive School. Was going to give up acting, at one point in her career, and retrain to become a solicitor. Gained her Equity card by doing assistant stage manager work as well as appearing as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in the pantomime Dick Whittington in Porthcawl alongside veteran Welsh entertainer Stan Stennett. Recorded the 2009 Comic Relief single: (Barry) Islands In The Stream, a cover of the 1983 Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers song, along with Robin Gibb, Tom Jones and Rob Brydon (with Rob and Ruth as their Gavin And Stacey characters, Bryn and Nessa).

Trivia: Father John was the Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich between 1986 and 1992. Was appointed headboy in his final year at school. Was approached by a member of the intelligence services and was invited to London for interview during his final year at university. Met Steve Punt in the Cambridge Footlights, they have worked together on many projects since. Worked at Unilever before finding success as a comedian.

Trivia: Before moving to the UK in 1989, appeared in several television advertisements in Australia. Appeared in the original concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar. Was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Choreography for the musical Spend, Spend, Spend in 1999. Became a British citizen in 2011. Was diagnosed with osteoarthritis at the age of 48 and has had two hip replacements since.

Trivia: Formerly known as Jessica Stevenson (she officially changed her name in 2007 to her married name, despite having used her maiden name professionally for more than a decade), actress and screenwriter Jessica Hynes was born in Lewisham, England, but raised in Brighton. As a youth, Hynes gravitated to stage performance and enlisted in the National Youth Theatre ensemble when she was in her teens. Hynes broke into features at the age of 21, with a role in Peter Greenaway's The Baby of Macon; several years of various performance activities then ensued, including a substantial part in a straight-faced nursing drama on British television and participation in a two-woman comedy act called "the Liz Hurleys" (opposite actress Katy Carmichael). Hynes' most substantial acclaim, however, arose from two long-running comedic stints on television: the role of nutty neighbor Cheryl in the situation comedy The Royle Family and an assignment developing, writing, and starring in the popular sitcom Spaced (1999), as Daisy Steiner, alongside Simon Pegg. Taking the success of these ventures as a cue, Hynes then branched out into feature films, with small offbeat characterizations in productions including Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), Shaun of the Dead (done with several Spaced creators including Pegg), and Son of Rambow. Fantasy enthusiasts may also recall her voice work as Mafalda Hopkirk, who reprimands Harry via a letter from the Ministry of Magic for his improper use of magic in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). Off-camera, Hynes remained fully active in stage pursuits and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for her contribution to the play The Night Heron in 2003.

Trivia: While studying at the Bristol Old Vic, was told by a BBC guest lecturer that he "could be that person in a war series that doesn't come back". Co-founded the consultancy Quietroom in 2002, advising companies and government departments on how to communicate clearly. In 2012, played the role of Michael Cocks in Jeremy Herrin's production of This House at the National Theatre, London. Portrayed the British actor Charles Laughton in the play Laughton at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre in October 2013.