Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog

My radio comedy writing career began with gags and sketches for Radio 4's topical 'Week Ending' in 1990 (my first broadcast sketch was performed by Alistair McGowan and producers who regularly used my work included Armando Iannucci). I eventually became a commissioned gag writer, contributing regularly until the programme came off the air 8 years later. I also began writing for Radio 2's 'News Huddlines' in 1990, becoming a commissioned sketch writer for 20 series and a commissioned gag writer for 21. Other national comedy credits include every show in the Radio 2 topical series 'What On Earth?', 'June Whitfield's Variety', 'Turns of the Century' (Radio 3), 'Two Cheers for...' (World Service) and pilot recordings for Nicholas Parsons and David Jacobs. Altogether I have had around 1,000 original sketches, gags, observations and parody songs used on national radio. My most recent BBC credit has been for one-liners and sketch material for Radio Scotland's 'Watson's Wind-Up' in late 2009.

My confidential and exclusive daily show prep service has been running since 1 August 1994. Presenters stay with it for many years (fifteen years in one case!)

My own radio appearances have ranged from stand-up comedy on 'The Radio 2 Arts Programme' (where George Melly described my performance as 'Wonderful!' to numerous interviews on Radio Solent, Wave 105, 2CR, Wiltshire Sound, Vale FM and Express FM.

I have written the popular, fortnightly 'Radio Gagster' column for the Radio Magazine since March 2006 and I have been a guest lecturer on the M.A. (Hons) in Radio Production at Bournemouth University. I have also taught many comedy writing courses for adult learning providers, leading to students gaining their own national radio scriptwriting credits.

On the non-comedy side, I conceived, researched and scripted the highly-acclaimed Radio 2 music documentary 'Well Above Average: the Continuing Story of 10cc', presented by Justin Hayward and featuring contributions from Sir George Martin and Peter Noone.