 On 15 September 2010, Byrne, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in "The Guardian", stating their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.Byrne frequently appears on BBC stand-up comedy programme "Mock the Week" as the most common guest panellist, having appeared on 60 episodes as of December 2019.Byrne's earliest TV appearances included the ITV shows "The Big Big Talent Show" and "Blind Date".