Jimmy Akingbola can currently be seen taking on hosting duties in SORRY, I DIDN’T KNOW, a classic comedy panel show commissioned by ITV to mark Black History Month. Episodes 1, 2 and 3 have aired, all trending on Twitter, receiving a positive reception across the board and strong audience figures. First piloted in 2016 on ITV2, created and produced by Jimmy and his producing partner at TriForce Productions, Fraser Ayres, this new four part series tests and tease players’ and audience’s knowledge of untold stories and unsung heroes, embracing the gaping lack of knowledge we all have when it comes to black history. The final episode of Sorry, I Didn’t Know airs on Tuesday 27th October at 10.45pm on ITV.

A respected and versatile actor, Jimmy just recently returned to his much-loved and ‘scene-stealer’ character of ‘Valentine’, exuberant younger brother to Idris Elba’s Walter in the third series of much-loved comedy IN THE LONG RUN, created by and also starring Elba for Sky One. Jimmy was praised by Metro, who stated that he ‘proves that African characters can be funny just because they are funny and not because they are ‘other’” whilst the BBC Entertainment stated that he is a ‘very welcome presence on screen’.

Prior to that, he led the cast as an asylum-seeking African doctor who forms an unexpected and sparky friendship with the owner of a seaside café, Kate (Golden Globe Winner Brenda Blethyn) in KATE AND KOJI,ITV’S biggest sitcom success since Birds of a Feather and Benidorm with 5 million viewers for its first episode. He also took on a key role in EMMY nominated MOST DANGEROUS GAME for streaming platform Quibi in which he featured alongside Liam Hemsworth and Christopher Waltz; the series was nominated at this year’s EMMYs in the category of ‘Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series’ . He was also seen in TED LASSO for Apple TV+, a new comedy series starring Jason Sudekis as the popular, idealistic and clueless American football Coach Ted Lasso who Sudekis played in NBC Sports videos previously.

His previous television includes BAFTA Award-Winning Comedy REV. (BBC2) which also starred Olivia Colman and Tom Hollander, ARROW (CW) in which he played the archvillain Baron Reiter, CHEAT (ITV).

Jimmy also has prolific onstage experience. Variety praised his performance in OTHELLO at the Hammersmith Lyric Theatre on saying “Pumped up and sporting a scary mohawk, Akingbola is equally physically effective in the title role, and is a convincing Shakespearian actor”. The Guardian lauded his performance in BLUE/ORANGE at The Crucible Theatre, which was directed by Kathy Burke, in saying“Jimmy Akingbola turns in an exquisitely unpredictable performance as the pawn in the power struggle”. Jimmy was also seen in THE ISLAND at The Young Vic, which was praised in Metro as “meticulous and performed with taut, sweaty intensity by Jimmy Akingbola”.

Additionally, alongside TriForce Productions, he is widely regarded as the founder of the TriForce Creative Network, which has multiple initiatives such as TriForce Short Film Festival, WriterSlam UK, and MonologueSlam UK that help to provide opportunities to discover diverse talent including actors, writers, directors and producers. Some of these initiatives have been supported by Spotlight, Equity, Channel 4. C21 Media, ITV, Sky and BBC.

Instagram: @jimmyakingbola

Host: Jamie Neale @jamienealejn Discussing rituals and habitual patterns in personal and work life. We ask questions about how to become more aware of one self and the world around us, how do we become 360 with ourselves?

Host Instagram: @jamienealejn

Podcast Instagram: @360_yourself

Music from Electric Fruit

Produced by Tom Dalby

Composed by Toby Wright