Editing Rory McGrath (section)

==Career==
McGrath became a member of the [[Footlights]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Interview: Rory McGrath |url=http://cambridgetab.co.uk/culture/interview-rory-mcgrath|work=[[The Tab]]|date=15 May 2012}}</ref> while at Cambridge and met [[Jimmy Mulville]], with whom he wrote and performed. After university, they wrote BBC radio scripts for [[Frankie Howerd]] and [[Windsor Davies]]. McGrath also co-wrote ''[[Black Cinderella Two Goes East]]'' with [[Clive Anderson]] for [[BBC Radio 2]] in 1978. McGrath and Mulville went on to write for shows such as ''[[Not the Nine O'Clock News]]'' and ''[[Alas Smith and Jones]]'', and they were part of the team of writer/performers behind ''[[Injury Time (radio series)|Injury Time]]'' (1980–1982),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/media-centre/transcripts/emma-thompson-a-life-in-pictures|title=Emma Thompson: A Life in Pictures|date=24 November 2013}}</ref> and the [[Channel 4]] comedy sketch series ''[[Who Dares Wins (TV comedy)|Who Dares Wins]]''. In 1981 McGrath wrote and performed in the radio show Glompus Van De Hloed's Tales From The Crypt alongside Andrew Sachs, Chrissy Roberts, Griff Rhys Jones and Mel Smith, from which an album was produced.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/Various-Glompus-Van-De-Hloeds-Tales-From-The-Crypt-/release/4532686 Glompus Van De Hloed's Tales From The Crypt], Discogs</ref>

In 1986, McGrath, with Jimmy Mulville and [[Denise O'Donoghue]], co-founded the independent British TV production company [[Hat Trick Productions]]. An early production was ''[[Chelmsford 123]]'' (1988 and 1990), which McGrath and Mulville wrote and performed. In 1990, he hosted the game show ''Trivial Pursuit'' on [[BBC One]], but in 1992 he was dismissed from Hat Trick. The confrontation came days after McGrath had left his wife and two young children.<ref name="bbcprofile">{{cite news |title=Rory McGrath profile |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1149958.stm |publisher=BBC |access-date=3 February 2009 |date=3 February 2001}}</ref> He was a panel member on the BBC comedy sports quiz ''[[They Think It's All Over (TV series)|They Think It's All Over]]'' (1995–2006). He was presenter of the series ''Rory's Commercial Breakdown'' (1997), where humorous adverts were shown from different countries. He has made two football DVDs, ''Own Goals and Gaffs – The Premiership'' in 2002 and ''More Own Goals and Gaffs'' in 2003.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hurrey|first=Adam|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/babb/11700506/Whatever-happened-to-the-football-blooper-DVD.html|title=Whatever happened to the football blooper DVD?|date=26 June 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> McGrath also appeared in an episode of the Sooty Show (Time Capsule), as a scuba diver who appeared from anywhere to stop Matthew Corbett and Sooty from burying their time capsule.

From 2006 to 2011, McGrath starred in the BBC's ''[[Three Men in a Boat (TV series)|Three Men in a Boat]]'' series, alongside [[Dara Ó Briain]] and [[Griff Rhys Jones]]. The series has included the trio rowing up the [[River Thames]] (similar to the eponymous 1889 novel ''[[Three Men in a Boat]]'' by [[Jerome K. Jerome]]), sailing from London to the [[Isle of Wight]] for a sailing yacht race, borrowing numerous [[Marine vessel|vessels]] to make their way from [[Plymouth]] to the [[Isles of Scilly]], taking to the Irish canals and rivers along with Ó Briain's dog ([[Snip Nua]]), travelling in the [[Mediterranean]] to [[Venice]] and attempting to find a boat to take to the anniversary of the [[Statue of Liberty]], where in response to a challenge between Ó Briain and Rhys Jones (who had each secured a boat and refused to give it up to use the other's), he secured permission to use the [[Nantucket Lightship]]. He also hosted [[Industrial Revelations]]: Best of British Engineering, series 5, first broadcast in 2008.

His first book, ''Bearded Tit – Confessions of a Birdwatcher'', was published by Ebury Press on 1 May 2008 and was serialised by BBC Radio 4.

First airing in August 2008, McGrath co-starred in a four-part television series with British comedian [[Paddy McGuinness]], broadcast on [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]], ''[[Rory and Paddy's Great British Adventure]]''. In the series McGuinness and McGrath embarked on a nationwide road-trip, "on a mission to explore Britain's sporting heritage by probing the hidden life of its towns and villages". The series documented numerous arcane sports such as [[Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake|cheese rolling]], [[toe wrestling]] and [[Swamp football|swamp soccer]]. In 2011, McGrath presented ''Pub Dig'' for [[History (UK TV channel)|History]]. He presented two series of ''The Lakes'' for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] and in 2016, he took part in ITV's ''Sugar Free Farm'' which saw him go sugar free for two weeks.