{{short description|British podcaster}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Anna Ptaszynski | image = Anna Ptaszynski (cropped).jpg | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date ={{birth date and age|1986|5|16|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | relatives = André Ptaszynski (father) | occupation = {{hlist|Podcaster|host|writer}} | years_active = }} '''Anna Rosemary Ptaszynski''' (born 16 May 1986) is a British podcaster, television host and television writer. She is one of the four regular hosts of the podcast ''No Such Thing as a Fish'' alongside Dan Schreiber, Andrew Hunter Murray and James Harkin. She was also a presenter of the BBC Two television show ''No Such Thing as the News'' and is a researcher and writer for the television show ''QI''.
==Early life== Ptaszynski was born on 16 May 1986,<ref>{{Citation |title=265: No Such Thing As A Hole In The Bowl |date=2019-04-19 |url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Gk1Gwa8xQM6UH5PO33R9W |access-date=2023-07-21 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=oxmail/> the daughter of Judith Terry and theatre producer André Ptaszynski (1953–2020).<ref name="Guardian Obit">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/aug/04/andre-ptaszynski-obituary |title=André Ptaszynski obituary |date=4 August 2020 |work=The Guardian |last=Coveney |first=Michael |access-date=22 September 2022}}</ref> Her paternal grandfather, Władysław Ptaszynski, was a Polish officer who spent time in a prisoner of war camp in Russia.<ref name="Guardian Obit" /> She has three younger siblings and attended Oxford High School.<ref name=oxmail>{{cite news|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/leisure/theatre/13947770.qi-elves-coming-oxford-tackle-general-ignorance/|title=The QI Elves are coming to Oxford to tackle general ignorance|date=5 November 2015|first=Katherine|last= MacAlister|newspaper=Oxford Mail}}</ref> Before working at ''QI'' and ''No Such Thing as a Fish'', she worked in Scottish politics and in advertising.<ref name=book/>
==Career== Ptaszynski is a researcher, writer, and script-editor for the BBC quiz show ''QI''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.culturecalling.com/uk/features/no-such-thing-as-a-fish-interview |title=There's No Such Thing as a Fish Interview |date=18 January 2019 |work=Culture Calling |last=Johnston-Flint |first=Rosa |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Graham Lawton |author2=Tiffany O'Callaghan |title=QI's little helpers |journal=New Scientist |volume=224 |issue=3000–3001 |date=December 2014 |pages=40–41 |doi=10.1016/S0262-4079(14)62445-3}}</ref>
Ptaszynski has been one of the four regular hosts of the podcast ''No Such Thing as a Fish'' since it was launched as a spinoff of the BBC quiz show ''QI'' in March 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/mar/23/no-such-thing-as-a-fish-freakonomics-podcast-reviews |title=No Such Thing As a Fish; Freakonomics – podcast reviews |date=22 March 2014 |work=The Guardian |last=Sawyer |first=Miranda |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://themedium.ca/arts/no-such-thing-as-a-fish/ |title=No Such Thing as a Fish |date=11 March 2019 |work=The Medium, University of Toronto Mississauga |last=Abit |first=April Joy |access-date=22 March 2020 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323000324/https://themedium.ca/arts/no-such-thing-as-a-fish/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Five years later, at the end of 2019, episodes of ''No Such Thing as a Fish'' had been downloaded over 250 million times, with 1.5 million listeners every week.<ref name=book>{{cite news |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwbooks/article/No-Such-Thing-As-A-Fishs-THE-BOOK-OF-THE-YEAR-2019-Out-Now-20191125 |title=No Such Thing As A Fish's 'THE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019' Out Now |date=25 November 2019 |work=Broadway World |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/qi-elf-anna-ptaszynski-reveals-her-favourite-ever-fact-what-its-like-working-with-stephen-sandi-19284679 |title='QI' Elf Anna Ptaszynski Reveals Her Favourite Ever Fact & What It's Like Working With Stephen & Sandi |date=1 November 2019 |work=Bustle |last=Henley |first=Rowena |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> Ptaszynski has gone on several national and international tours to record live episodes of ''No Such Thing as a Fish''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://metro.co.uk/2017/07/01/exclusive-the-no-such-thing-as-a-fish-team-talk-qi-podcasts-and-men-with-two-penises-6743962/ |title=EXCLUSIVE The No Such Thing As A Fish Team talk QI, podcasts and men with two penises |date=1 July 2017 |work=Metro UK |last=Westbrook |first=Caroline |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/mar/08/anna-ptaszynski-i-dreamed-i-served-a-baby-for-lunch |title=Anna Ptaszynski: 'I dreamed I served a baby for lunch' |date=8 March 2019 |work=The Guardian |last=Gibsone |first=Harriet |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>
Ptaszynski was a co-author of three books published by the podcast's co-hosts: ''The Book of the Year 2019'', ''The Book of the Year 2018'', and ''The Book of the Year 2017''.<ref name=book/><ref name=tristram>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/qi-elves-aka-no-thing-fish-talk-new-book-share-10-weirdest-facts/ |title=The QI Elves, aka No Such Thing as a Fish, talk their new book and share 10 of their weirdest facts |date=2 November 2017 |work=The Telegraph |last=Fane Saunders |first=Tristram |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> She also co-authored the book: ''Everything to play for,'' with co-host James Harkin. Along with the other main hosts of ''No Such Thing as a Fish'', Ptaszynski hosted ''No Such Thing as the News'', a BBC Two television program based on the podcast.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07cc8yk |title=No Such Thing as the News |publisher=BBC |date=20 May 2016 |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>
Facts shared by Ptaszynski on ''No Such Thing as a Fish'' have been cited in media outlets as the ''Daily Express'', and she has published facts in ''The Telegraph''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1246585/climate-change-worms-damage-planet-global-warming-carbon-dioxide-spt |title=Climate change shock: How worms could be answer to planet's future |date=24 February 2020 |work=Daily Express |last=Saunders |first=Josh |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://checkersaga.com/michael-jackson-myth-why-japanese-police-dont-wear-white-gloves-because-of-thriller-star/17084/ |title=Michael Jackson myth: Why Japanese police don't wear white gloves because of Thriller star |date=27 February 2020 |work=Checker Express |last=Wilson |first=Olivia |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/how-to-have-interesting-dinner-party-chat-this-christmas---from/ |title=How to have interesting dinner party chat this Christmas - from a real-life QI elf |date=23 December 2015 |work=The Telegraph |last=Ptaszynski |first=Anna |access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref> Ptaszynski has been noted for her dry humour on the podcast.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/going-out/review-no-such-thing-as-a-fish-podcast-norwich-theatre-royal-1-5955211 |title=Review: No Such Thing As A Fish at Norwich Theatre Royal |date=23 March 2019 |work=Eastern Daily Press |last=Betts |first=Marc |access-date=22 March 2020 |archive-date=22 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322234820/https://www.edp24.co.uk/going-out/review-no-such-thing-as-a-fish-podcast-norwich-theatre-royal-1-5955211 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Ptaszynski was the curator for the 17th{{nbsp}}series of the Radio{{nbsp}}4 show ''Museum of Curiosity,'' which she co-hosted with its creator John Lloyd.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Steve |title=Anna Ptaszynski joins Museum of Curiosity : News 2023 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2023/02/07/52484/anna_ptaszynski_joins_museum_of_curiosity |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=www.chortle.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>
Episode{{nbsp}}467 of ''No Such Thing as a Fish,'' released in February 2023, was Ptaszynski's last episode of the podcast before her temporary departure for maternity leave.<ref>{{Cite web |title=@nosuchthing |url=https://twitter.com/nosuchthing/status/1629088756409028609 |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref> She returned for the 500th episode in October 2023. She permanently returned in episode 504.
In July 2024, Ptaszynski and fellow ''No Such Thing As a Fish'' host James Harkin released the first episode of their podcast ''Quite a Good Sport''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PodcastingToday |date=2024-07-23 |title=New podcast Quite A Good Sport launches to coincide with the Olympics - PodcastingToday |url=https://podcastingtoday.co.uk/new-podcast-quite-a-good-sport-launches-to-coincide-with-the-olympics/ |access-date=2024-07-27 |language=en-GB}}</ref> The podcast is produced by QI.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Steve |title=QI team launch sports podcast : Other news 2024 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/other-news/2024/07/23/56128/qi_team_launch_sports_podcast |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=www.chortle.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ptaszynski, Anna}} Category:British podcasters Category:British women podcasters Category:British women television writers Category:English people of Polish descent Category:Living people Category:1986 births