A former Oxford Scholar, President of the Oxford Union & MP for the City of Chester, Gyles Brandreth's career has ranged from being a Whip & Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in John Major's government to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London's West End!

A prolific broadcaster (programmes ranging from Just A Minute to Have I Got News For You), an acclaimed interviewer (principally for the Sunday Telegraph), novelist, children's author & biographer featuring his best-selling diary, Breaking the Code & author of two acclaimed Royal biographies; Philip & Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage & Charles & Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair. In 2008 both the UK & US published The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries, Gyles series of Victorian murder mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde as the detective.

As a performer Gyles Brandreth has been seen most recently in Zipp! One Hundred Musicals For Less Than The Price Of One at the Duchess Theatre & on tour throughout the UK as well as Malvolio & the Sea Captain in Twelfth Night The Musical at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Gyles is one of Britain's busiest after dinner speakers & award ceremony hosts. He's won awards & been nominated for awards as a public speaker, novelist, children's writer, broadcaster (Sony), political diarist (Channel 4), journalist (British Press Awards), theatre producer (Olivier) & businessman (British Tourist Authority Come to Britain Trophy).

He is married to writer & publisher Michele Brown with whom he co-curated the exhibition of 20th Century children's authors at the National Portrait Gallery & founded the award-winning Teddy Bear Museum now based at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon. He is a trustee of the British Forces Foundation & a former chairman and now vice-president of the National Playing Fields Association.

Gyles Brandreth's forebears include George R Sims (the highest paid journalist of his day who wrote the ballad Christmas Day in the Workhouse) & Jeremiah Brandreth (the last man in England to be beheaded for treason). His great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Brandreth promoted Brandreth's Pills (a medicine that cured everything!) & was a pioneer of modern advertising & a New York state senator. Today, Gyles Brandreth has family living in New York, Maryland, South Carolina & California. He has been London correspondent for Up to the Minute on CBS News & his books published in the United States include the New York Times best-seller, The Joy of Lex & most recently Philip & Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage.