13 years since it started, this is what the original Horrible Histories cast is up to now

They’ve all either had kids or got a dog, or both


Reminiscing on the TV shows you watched as a youngster is something that always seems to bring people together. Whilst many are reminiscent of simpler times and raise feelings of nostalgia, very few have references that have managed to break their way into adult life, but Horrible Histories is one of these few. With its informative storytelling packaged neatly into funny characters, comedic cliches, and catchy songs, Horrible Histories has managed to stand the test of time. Though the show is still running, the cast you remember and love are no longer a part of it and have moved on to different career prospects.

The integral original cast made-up of: Mathew Baynton, Jim Howick, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond are genuinely all best mates in real life and affectionately refer to their six-man friendship group as “The Six Idiots”. Since all leaving Horrible Histories after four years spent working on the show, The Six Idiots have seemingly grown up with their audience and gone on to make three other TV shows together: Yonderland, Bill, and Ghosts; all intended for an adult audience as opposed to children. Ghosts is currently on its fourth series and is an absolute master of TV comedy. With 13 years since Horrible Histories initially started airing, and nearly 10 years since The Six Idiots left the show, what have they done in all that time?

Here is what the original cast of Horrible Histories is up to now:

Mathew Baynton

Mathew Baynton was potentially the best actor on Horrible Histories and if you didn’t have a crush on him growing up then you’re lying to yourself. He played multiple roles in the show, most notably that of King Charles II whose rap defined a generation. Since leaving Horrible Histories in 2009, Mathew has appeared in a number of other TV shows including Peep Show, Doc Martin, Yonderland and Spy.

Mathew also appeared as Deano, a friend of James Corden’s character Smithy, in Gavin and Stacey. Mathew and James Corden worked together again as the two leads in the show The Wrong Mans that ran for two seasons. Now, Mathew is starring as Thomas Thorne, a hopelessly romantic poet, in the show Ghosts with his fellow Horrible Histories cast mates. Mathew currently lives in Southend, Essex, which is where he was born, with his wife Kelly and their two children Bo and Ida.

Jim Howick

Horrible Histories cast now

via @JimHowick on Twitter

Jim Howick was one of Horrible Histories most recognisable faces and played many notable figures including Napoleon Bonaparte, as like Napoleon, Jim is a short king at only 5’5. Since his time on Horrible Histories, Jim has continued to act and has appeared in BBC’s Here We Go and ITV’s Broadchurch. Most notably, he played the role of Colin Hendricks in Sex Education on Netflix. With news ahead of series four that four of the show’s iconic cast members aren’t returning, including Jim’s characters’ love interest Miss Sands, Jim admitted that he was unsure whether fans would be seeing his character in the upcoming season.

Currently, Jim is starring in Ghosts as Pat, a Boy Scout leader who died after accidentally getting shot with an arrow by one of his Boy Scouts. Outside of his work life, Jim lives with his wife, two children and two miniature schnauzers that he shares many photos of. Jim is a big football fan and often takes to Twitter to post photos of him at many a Tottenham match.

Simon Farnaby

Horrible Histories cast now

via @simonfarnaby on Twitter

Simon Farnaby is one of the few actors from Horrible Histories who is remembered by fans for playing a certain character, in Simon’s case: Death. To this day I can recall every word to the Stupid Deaths theme song. Since, Horrible Histories, Simon has appeared in both Paddington movies and even featured in the sketch of Paddington bear meeting the Queen, in honour of her Platinum Jubilee. Currently, Simon is starring as Julian Fawcett in Ghosts, a disgraced MP who is doomed to spend eternity without any trousers on. Outside of the world acting, Simon has published three children’s books with the latest released in 2021 called The Wizard In My Shed. Simon is married to a fellow actor Claire Keelan; they have one daughter named Eve, a Dalmatian and a guinea pig named Bubbles.

Martha Howe-Douglas

Martha is most recognised from Horrible Histories for playing the roles of famous queens, including Cleopatra, Boudicea, Queen Elizabeth I, and Queen Victoria. After Horrible Histories, Martha has continued to act and has appeared in Nativity!, Motherland and Eastenders. In Ghosts, Martha plays Fanny, a woman of nobility who is not dissimilar to the regal roles Martha portrayed in Horrible Histories. Martha is married to an artist called Guido and they have one dog, a Shih Tzu called Hughie. According to her Instagram, she does a lot of travelling and has recently been to Greece, Italy, the USA, and Thailand.

Laurence Rickard

Not only did Laurence Rickard act in Horrible Histories but he was a writer for the show as well. After, Laurence has been involved with other kids’ TV shows including Petter Rabbit and the kids’ travel show on CBBC called All Over The Place for which he was a writer. In Ghosts, Laurence is the only member of the cast to play two characters, the first of a decapitated nobleman Humphrey and the second of the wholesome and lovable caveman Robin. Laurence lives in Sussex with his partner Mary, they have one son called Isaac. Breaking the dog theme amongst his cast mates, Laurence owns two cats Dolly and Bud.

Ben Willbond

Horrible Histories cast now

via @benwillbond on Twitter

Ben Willbond has been acting for over 20 years and has appeared in many TV shows and movies both before and after Horrible Histories, most notably in St Trinian’s, Bridget Jones’s Baby, and Amazon Prime’s Good Omens. Ben plays The Captain in Ghosts, a military captain who always likes to be in charge. Ben is married with two sons and despite being a self-branded “tired dad”, stays very active with cricket and kayaking and even does sponsored runs for charity.

Sarah Hadland

Sarah Hadland is not part of “The Six Idiots” but did star in Horrible Histories alongside them and is a well-known face on British TV screens. Outside of Horrible Histories, Sarah is most recognised from Miranda where she played Miranda Hart’s feisty sidekick Stevie. The show ran for six years on the BBC and changed the nation’s sense of humour forever. After that, Sarah also acted in Waterloo Road, appearing in nine episodes. Sarah has even made her way over to Hollywood, appearing in James Bond’s Quantum of Solace before she reprised her role in 2019 in Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans. Now, Sarah lives in London and her Instagram is full of photos of her living her best life with her friends.

Featured images via @JimHowick on Twitter.

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