Just a Minute appeared on the panel, and others have acted as chairman including Sir Clement Freud, Geraldine Jones, Andrée Melly "as our contribution to the women's liberation movement", and Kenneth Williams. Ian Messiter was chairman on one occasion in 1977, when Freud arrived late and Nicholas Parsons took his place on the panel. Parsons had appeared on every show, either as chairman or panelist, until Series 81 Episode 4 when he was absent for the first time in the show's 51 year history. That show, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 18:30hrs on the 4th June 2018, was hosted by Gyles Brandreth
Ian Messiter Ian Messiter Ian Cassan Messiter (2 April 1920 – 22 November 1999) was a BBC Radio producer and the creator of a number of panel games, including "Just a Minute", and "Many a Slip". Messiter also brought the successful "Twenty Questions" format to BBC Radio. He was also the Programme Associate on "Family Fortunes". Messiter was born in Dudley, Worcestershire and educated at Sherborne School in Dorset. He acted as whistle blower on both "One Minute Please" and "Just a Minute". He appeared in the first series of the BBC science-fiction quiz show "The Adventure Game" in 1980 as the