ARTS / Speech Marks: What they said about . . . Newman and Baddiel

'Their chief concerns, as outlined in their programme, consist of 'flirting, fumbling and football'. Pop music? Certainly. Politics? Forget it.' William Cook, The Guardian.

'Who are the most successful comedians in Britain this Christmas? . . . Who sold out more shows at the Hammersmith Odeon on their recent British tour than Bob Dylan managed the last time he was in Britain?' Jim White, The Independent.

'Comedy double acts have a reputation for falling out. Newman and Baddiel are no exception. They met at Cambridge University and admit there have been times when they've hated each other.' Steve Pratt, The Northen Echo.

'David Baddiel holds one of the better double firsts in English literature ever recorded at Cambridge.' Harry Thompson, producer of Newman and Baddiel in Pieces, Private Eye.

'Mr Baddiel shows himself to be clearly a man of rare intellect . . . and an example to us all. He's not funny, but then we can't have everything.' Prof E F Stillwell, Private Eye.

'You're Ben Elton, aren't you?' Fan to David Baddiel, Night and Day.

'Rob can be cocky in a youthful way, but he is naturally ambivalent about fame and success. Rob is in many ways less marketable, more oblique, less polished than David - although in the end, that will be what makes him more appealing. He will try stranger things, whereas you get what you pay for with David.' Friend, quoted by Giles Smith, Independent On Sunday.

'The wonder is that Newman and Baddiel became a partnership in the first place.' Stephen Pile, Daily Telegraph.

'Most likely to say: You see that telephone number? That's our bank balance, that is.' The Guardian.

'Well, Newman and Baddiel have now announced they will go their separate ways . . . They have been a sudden, spectacular and slickly marketed phenomenon. As inexplicable in their rise to mass popularity status as Watney's Red Barrel . . . and about as enduring.' Jack Tinker, Daily Mail.