Mathew Baynton

Acting and writing

Baynton is one of the performers of the children's television series Horrible Histories, appearing in the first five series as an actor, singer, and occasional writer.^[6] Baynton and the other five members of the main Horrible Histories cast form the Them There troupe, which has since created other shows.

Along with the other members of the troupe, Baynton is the creator, writer, and star of Yonderland, a family fantasy comedy series that premiered on Sky One on 10 November 2013.^[7] He starred with the same troupe in Bill, a BBC family comedy film based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare, who ventures to London to pursue his dream of becoming a playwright.^[8][9] The troupe also reunited in 2019 to create the BBC series Ghosts, with Baynton appearing as a Romantic poet named Thomas Thorne.

Baynton teamed with friend and fellow Gavin & Stacey alumnus James Corden to create, write, and star in The Wrong Mans, a comedy thriller for BBC Two that premiered in autumn 2013.^[10] The series is co-produced by online television provider Hulu.com in the United States, where it premiered in November 2013.^[11] The first six-part series proved a critical and commercial success, and a similarly well-received two-part sequel was broadcast in December 2014.^[12]

Other notable TV comedy roles include Deano in Gavin & Stacey; Chris in the Darren Boyd sitcom vehicle Spy; and William in the 2017 black comedy series Quacks.

In 2009, he appeared in a music video for Mercury Prize-nominated band The Bees.^[13]

Baynton appeared at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, starring in the world premiere of Tom Basden's play Holes.^[14] He reprised his role of Gus in a London revival of the same play in summer 2014.^[15]

In late 2015, Baynton portrayed Jamie Winton and his brother Ariel Conroy in Sky One's science fiction comedy-drama miniseries You, Me and the Apocalypse.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2024, Baynton made his Royal Shakespeare Company debut in Eleanor Rhode's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream as Nick Bottom at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, before transferring to the Barbican Centre in December 2024.^[16][17]

In January 2025, it was announced that Baynton would appear as a contestant on the nineteenth series of the Channel 4 show Taskmaster alongside Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jason Mantzoukas, Rosie Ramsey, and Stevie Martin.^[18] Baynton would go on to win the series. Bayton also participated in Taskmaster Champion of Champions 4, which aired in December 2025. He won, beating Andy Zaltzman, Maisie Adam, Sam Campbell and John Robins.^[19]

Music

Baynton is a former member of the band Special Benny as a vocalist and guitarist.^[20] Their debut album Toys was released in 2010.

He has also performed as a solo act under the name Dog Ears. His debut solo EP, So It Goes, was released in November 2011.^[21] It consists of four self-penned songs.

Radio

He appeared in 'John Finnemore's Double Acts'.

Film

Television

Theatre

Radio