Ronni Ancona and Alistair McGowan look back: ‘We would have killed each other if we’d stayed as a couple. Instead, our friendship is eternal’

<p>The comedians on their Bafta-winning sketch show, the reason they split up – and why she reminds him of Diane Keaton</p><p>Born in Louth, Lincolnshire in 1969, and raised in Troon, Ayrshire, Ronni Ancona is an actor, writer and impressionist. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and trained as a teacher before turning to comedy. Born in Evesham, Worcestershire, in 1964, Alistair McGowan studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before becoming an impressionist. The pair met on the London comedy circuit in&nbsp;the 1990s. They co-created the Bafta-winning Big Impression, which aired between 1999 and 2003 and became one of the BBC’s most popular sketch shows. Ancona’s new podcast with Hal Cruttenden – <a href="https://audioboom.com/channels/5160889-hal-ronni-in-pieces">Hal &amp; Ronni in&nbsp;Pieces</a> – is available now.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/16/ronni-ancona-alistair-mcgowan-look-back-interview-big-impression">Continue reading...</a>