Room 101 (British TV series)

The radio series was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 5 in 1992, where it was hosted by Nick Hancock. Hancock was also the first presenter when the series transferred to television two years later. The first ever guest on the TV version was comedian Bob Monkhouse who cast the French into Room 101.

In 1999, Hancock was replaced as host by Paul Merton (who was also the first ever guest on the original radio version). Merton's first guest was Nick Hancock and his last was his fellow regular team captain on Have I Got News for You, Ian Hislop. Usually, there were five nominations discussed in each show – represented by several surreal props. The last item usually goes in, sometimes for a forfeit.

Following Merton's departure in 2007, it was announced that a replacement would be sought; however, it was not until 2012 that a twelfth series, now fronted by Frank Skinner, was aired.[2][7]

• When Anne Robinson went on the programme she proposed to put the Welsh into Room 101. Some Welsh people complained about this accusing her of xenophobia. However, Robinson said she was putting them into Room 101 out of jealousy, as they always seemed to succeed in everything they did. The Broadcasting Standards Commission investigated and found her comments "came close to bordering on racism". Merton has since explained that before each show he hosted, he took his guests for lunch in order to discuss their nominations. The one guest who didn't go was Anne Robinson and as a result Merton had no idea that she had chosen the Welsh to go into Room 101. This was satirised in the British comic Viz, where fictional TV celebrity Roger Mellie tried to put "The Blacks" into Room 101.
• In 2002 English actress Jessica Hynes (Jessica Stevenson at the time) put Anne Robinson in to Room 101 under host Paul Merton. In 2014 under host Frank Skinner the Welsh television presenter and model Steve Jones put Robinson in to Room 101 for a second time.
• The first item ever put into Room 101 was the French, as suggested by Bob Monkhouse. Monkhouse said of France: "I would like to tilt the Channel Tunnel downwards and turn it into a sewer".
• Nick Hancock, a big fan of cricket, did not initially put the sport into Room 101 as suggested by Angus Deayton. When Deayton was told he could put another item into the room, he chose cricket again (led on by the rapturous cries of the studio audience) which Nick, reluctantly, put into the room.
• Hancock and Neil Morrissey went into a rant about American football, including Nick's observation: "They blow a whistle and then they just go everywhere. I think it's based on Runaround".
• Jonathan Ross wanted to put his dress sense into the room. However, he was presented with a hat he said he liked, but never bought. He was told he could put his dress sense in, but the hat would have to go in also. After a brief think, Ross told Paul, "I'm keeping my clothes."
• Stephen Fry attempted to put Room 101 into Room 101 (mainly because it was about people talking about things they hate). Merton found it hard to decide what to do because if he did put Room 101 into Room 101, he said, it would be like committing "professional suicide", and if he didn't put it into Room 101, he would have to give it to Stephen and it would then become his. Merton did put it into the room, which made the picture go blank followed by Merton saying "I wish I hadn't done that". In the run up to Room 101 going into Room 101, Room Lovely involved Stephen nominating things he liked, such as Kathy Burke and public libraries.
• To show the unflinchingly bad content of Children in Need telethons during Ricky Gervais' episode, Paul and Ricky were subjected to Lesley Joseph dancing and what looked liked her being "kicked up the arse by the Invisible Man" or being attracted to someone in the audience "who had a very powerful vagina magnet." Ricky also told a story (which he declared would never make the broadcast) of a friend of his who on moving out to the country was presented with a rice pudding made with his new neighbour's leftover human breast milk. He claimed that if it had been presented to himself, he would have offered to make her a "spunk sandwich."
• Harry Hill wanted to put ice cream vans into Room 101, saying the tune they always play is Greensleeves and "it ruins tea". Paul suggested a savoury ice-cream made of mashed potato, ketchup (instead of raspberry sauce) and a sausage (instead of a Flake).
• At the end of the 11th series, to mark his departure from the show, Merton cast himself into Room 101, having been nominated by Ian Hislop, his rival on TV show Have I Got News for You, but with a slight twist. Just before pulling the lever to put himself into Room 101, Merton flipped round the image of himself to reveal Hislop, hence putting himself and Hislop in together, as the final people to go into Room 101 with Paul Merton as host. Another item chosen by Hislop, Piers Morgan, was put into Room 101, but the room rejected him because he was "too toxic", so he was not allowed in.
• In the 6th series (2001) Mel and Sue put the town of Leighton Buzzard into Room 101 because of a particularly disastrous gig they once did there. This caused controversy in the local papers of the Bedfordshire town, with the council claiming that they did not have permission to use the arms of the town in the programme.
• Comedian Rhod Gilbert tried to put himself in Room 101, because of his laziness. However, he was denied.
• UK-based German comedian Henning Wehn successfully put fundraising into Room 101, because "someone going on a run shouldn't set him back". Shortly afterwards he attempted to put the Royals into Room 101, yet this time his suggestion was denied.
• Sheila Hancock also tried to put herself into Room 101.
• Comedian Josh Widdecombe tried to put the English county of Devon in to Room 101 under host Frank Skinner, but he was denied by the host.
• Sara Cox attempted to put death metal into Room 101 during the third series of the rebooted show. To demonstrate the genre, Skinner played Shadow Moses from the then metalcore band Bring Me the Horizon. This courted controversy from a number of death metal fans, who felt that the decision to use Bring Me the Horizon to represent death metal exemplified the mainstream's lack of understanding of the genre.

• Room 101 (radio series)

• Room 101 (1994–2007) at BBC Programmes
• Room 101 (2012–present) at BBC Programmes
• Room 101 Extra Storage at BBC Programmes
• Room 101 at IMDb
• Room 101 (1994–2007) at British Comedy Guide
• Room 101 (2012–present) at British Comedy Guide