The Ted Lasso star is co-presenting Comic Relief: Funny for Money alongside Davina McCall, Joel Dommett and Catherine Tate.
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
11:45, 20 Mar 2026
Comic Relief: Funny for Money does Strictly sketch
Nick Mohammed returns to television screens tonight, sparking interest amongst viewers eager to learn more about the multi-talented actor, comedian and magician.
Comic Relief: Funny for Money broadcasts tonight, Friday, March 20, on BBC One aiming to generate funds for deserving causes both domestically and internationally, and as tradition dictates, features an array of celebrity appearances.
This year’s presenting team comprises Nick Mohammed alongside Davina McCall, Joel Dommett and Catherine Tate reprising her beloved character Nan from The Catherine Tate Show.
Before tonight’s charitable broadcast commences, here’s a glimpse into the background of actor, comedian and now presenter Nick Mohammed.
Magic
Raised in Leeds by his Cypriot mother and Trinidadian father, Nick Mohammed’s passion for magic ignited during childhood following the gift of a Paul Daniels magic set.
Magic remained a constant throughout his formative years and subsequently became integral to his celebrated character Mr Swallow, who is also a magician.
Characterising it as his “superpower” during his youth, Mohammed revealed to The Guardian: “I needed one, really. I was a short, brown kid growing up in Leeds in the 80s and 90s, and was the only person of colour in my primary school.
Actor Nick Mohammed is best known for playing Nathan Shelley in Apple TV’s Ted Lasso.(Image: APPLE TV)
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“I was performing to overcompensate for being an outsider. Not that I was bullied – I had a wonderful and idyllic childhood, in general.
“But, much like comedy, magic is a defence mechanism, and a helpful way to survive the playground.”
Leaving Cambridge University
Mohammed’s academic journey began with geophysics at Durham University, followed by a PhD in seismology at Cambridge University, but fate had other plans when a BBC producer discovered him performing with the Cambridge Footlights comedy troupe.
“It was all geared towards a life of academia or working for an oil company, which didn’t sit well with me,” the star told The Observer.
“When I joined Footlights, it ignited an inner fire and made me dare to believe that a career in comedy might be possible.
Actor Nick Mohammed made it to the final of last year’s Celebrity Traitors on BBC One.(Image: BBC)
“When I got into the Footlights tour show, I had to take two months off my PhD. I had this romantic moment, walking away from the Bullard Laboratories [in Cambridge], knowing deep down I was never coming back.”
Acting career
Now 45, Mohammed has built an impressive portfolio across television, featuring in Disney+’s Renegade Nell, Intelligence alongside David Schwimmer, Reggie Perrin with Martin Clunes, Douglas Is Cancelled, Celebrity Traitors and Apple TV’s Slow Horses, amongst others.
However, it’s his portrayal of Nathan Shelley in the Emmy Award-winning comedy Ted Lasso that has truly cemented his status, with anticipation building for his return in the show’s fourth season expected later this year.
His IMDb profile reveals Mohammed is set to appear in the forthcoming psychological thriller Control, starring alongside James McAvoy and Julianne Moore.
Actor Nick Mohammed with is wife Becka Mohammed at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards.(Image: GETTY)
Family life
Nick is married to Becka Mohammed, whom he met during their time at St Aidan’s College at Durham University, where they both played in the orchestra together.
The couple got hitched in 2014 and now have three children together, with Becka pursuing a career in teaching.
He previously confessed to The Guardian that his wife is the “funniest person I know”, admitting: “Pretty much every day she’ll say something that makes me roar with laughter (which I’ll then secretly write down).”
Comic Relief: Funny for Money premieres on Friday, March 20, at 7pm on BBC One.
