The Secret World is a comedy radio series using impressionists broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Using many of the creative team from the long-running series Dead Ringers, and originating as part of Radio 4’s Happy Mondays pilot strand in 2008, the Secret World takes a subtler, more naturalistic approach, using famous figures in various bizarre yet humdrum situations, the comedy arising from the juxtapositions of contrasting characters and situations.

The sketches and characters often overlap to create an interwoven narrative during the episode.

The series won the Gold award for Best Comedy the 2014 Radio Academy Awards. The organisers explained: “The judges felt that the greatest joy of The Secret World was in the sharpness of the writing and the highly entertaining performances. This wasn’t just satire. It was satire with great imagination. Eavesdropping on the imagined lives of the famous, set in fanciful situations, provided the perfect vehicle for the team’s excellent impressionist skills which stayed in the judges’ minds long after the programme was over.