Actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe was born in London in 1989 and trained at the East 15 Acting School. He has starred in BBC One’s Ghosts and the Channel 4 comedy Stath Lets Flats, and was a contestant on series 15 of Taskmaster. Later this year he will host the 10th series of The Great British Sewing Bee. He is a member of improvised comedy troupes such as Battleacts! and his improv comedy show Kiell Smith-Bynoe & Friends: Kool Story Bro comes to Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London SE11, 21-24 February.
1. TV
Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount+)
I watched the first few episodes of this on a plane, and my mouth was wide open. I couldn’t believe what was going on. It was just so good. So I then subscribed to Paramount+ and watched both series in a week. Jeremy Renner plays a guy whose job it is to keep the peace on the streets. People are always trying to get hold of him – the government, the police, prisoners, gangs. There’s an episode where he takes one day to turn his phone off – that’s a really good one.
2. Music
Apple Music do a “for you” playlist of things you might like – one of her songs came up, Clear My Mind, and I felt like I’d stumbled across a gem. I love everything she makes: I can just play her songs on shuffle. Obsessed has been on repeat quite heavily. She also does not look the way she sounds: she looks like she’d be a gangsta rapper but sings really soulful R&B. I think she’s going to blow up and I will be proud to say I was listening to her from the start.
3. Food
Berwick Street Market, London W1
Whenever I’m in central and looking for lunch, I’ll always go to this food market: I love the variety, the people. There’s a great Caribbean stall, a paella one; I recently had a lamb wrap – the food feels like it’s made with love. It’s a great vibe: they play music and it’s always busy. Someone I saw there last week asked me for music recommendations, then I came back and he was like: “I listened to that album.” It reminds me of an old-school market: my mum used to drag me with her, but now I understand the idea.
4. Film
Bottoms (dir Emma Seligman)
We don’t get many out-and-out comedies any more: since Fleabag, they are all becoming comedy dramas. Most of them are very good, but I do miss stuff just to laugh at – Peep Show was never trying to make you cry. That’s why I love this film – it’s funny non-stop. It’s about two friends who create a fight club because they fancy some girls in their school. There’s a great scene where they plant a bomb under the main jock’s car and everyone’s freaking out – it’s a chaotic but really well choreographed and thought-out set piece.
5. Book
I’m really enjoying this memoir – I’m getting close to the end and it’s making me want to go back and savour it. When I started the book I was working with Katy [on Ghosts]. We never spoke about it – I just knew she had a book out and started reading it, but it felt a bit like I was reading her diary, so I had to stop when I was seeing her every day. It’s a brilliant book: funny and poignant and sad at times. It’s relatable to anyone for loads of different reasons: it’s about relationships, loneliness, parents and grief.
6. Podcast
Lucy and Sam’s Perfect Brains
I’m really looking forward to this. Sam Campbell and Lucy Beaumont met on Taskmaster [series 16] and realised they have a very similar sense of humour – they’re both insane. I think everything Lucy Beaumont says is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. There’s a Sam Campbell sketch where he’s being interviewed by someone whose name tag says “Anthea D”. He stares at it for 15 seconds, then says “ant head”. It’s just so dumb and so funny. It’s like watching a magician and not understanding how they came to that trick, but being really impressed by it.
7. Fashion
Percival has a little store just off Carnaby Street in London. It does really nice, well-fitting clothes, and it’s also good for TV appearances because they don’t have big logos. I feel like there’s a big difference between casual wear and what’s “fashionable”. My style hasn’t really changed over the past 15 years and Percival has slotted right into that. What I’ve got from them is mostly shackets, jumpers, hoodies. The Off Menu podcast did a collaboration with them and brought out some T-shirts, and I’ve got two of those.
