The Funniest British Comedians Of 2024
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Vote on the comedians based on their recent specials and performances.
- 1
Greg Davies
Gregory Daniel Davies (born 14 May 1968) is a British stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his roles as Greg in We Are Klang, Mr. Gilbert in The Inbetweeners, Ken Thompson in Cuckoo, as the Taskmaster in Taskmaster, and Man Down playing Dan Davies, as well as for guest appearances on Mock the Week, Would I Lie to You?, and Fast and Loose. He has also performed on the Live at the Apollo series. - David James Stuart Mitchell (born 14 July 1974) is a British comedian, actor, writer and television presenter. He is half of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, alongside Robert Webb. The duo starred in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, in which Mitchell plays Mark Corrigan. Mitchell won the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Performance in 2009 for his performance in the show. The duo have written and starred in several sketch shows including Bruiser, The Mitchell and Webb Situation, That Mitchell and Webb Sound and also That Mitchell and Webb Look. Mitchell and Webb also starred in the UK version of Apple's Get a Mac advertisement campaign. Their first film, Magicians, was released in 2007. In 2013, the duo starred in the short-lived Ambassadors. Mitchell also starred as Owen in Think the Unthinkable. He currently hosts the BBC Radio 4 panel game The Unbelievable Truth (2007–), stars in the Channel 4 comedy-drama Back (2017–) alongside Robert Webb, and the critically acclaimed Ben Elton-penned BBC Two historical comedy Upstart Crow (2016–). Mitchell is a frequent participant on British panel shows, being a team captain on Would I Lie to You?, and the former host of The Bubble and Was It Something I Said?, as well as a frequent guest on other panel shows, including QI, The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Have I Got News for You. He was also a co-host of the comedy news programme 10 O'Clock Live. As a writer, Mitchell regularly contributes comment articles to The Observer and The Guardian.
- James William Acaster (born 9 January 1985) is an English comedian, writer, and presenter. Acaster has performed for several consecutive years at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where he has been nominated for Best Show five times. In 2018, Acaster released Repertoire, a serialised Netflix special consisting of four separate hour-long stand-up comedy performances: "Recognise", "Represent", "Reset", and "Recap". He won the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show in 2019 with Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, which was also later released on Netflix. He has also won four Chortle Awards and has appeared on panel shows such as Mock the Week, Taskmaster, 8 out of 10 Cats, and Would I Lie to You?More James Acaster
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- Lee Gordon McKillop (born 4 August 1968), known by his stage name Lee Mack, is an English comedian and actor. He is known for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on the BBC One comedy panel show Would I Lie to You?, hosting the Sky One panel show Duck Quacks Don't Echo and for presenting the panel show They Think It's All Over. He has been guest host on Have I Got News for You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, guest captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and a guest panellist on QI.
- Richard Ellef Ayoade (born 23 May 1977) is a British actor, broadcaster, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his role as socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd (2006–2013), for which he won the 2014 BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance.More Richard Ayoade
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- Rhodri Paul Gilbert (born 18 October 1968) is a Welsh comedian who was nominated in 2005 for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award. In 2008 he was nominated for the main comedy award (as the Edinburgh Comedy Awards were then branded).Gilbert appears on television and radio panel shows, has performed stand-up on the Royal Variety Performance, and hosted a weekly show on BBC Radio Wales.In September 2014 Gilbert started presenting the BBC Two panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, ending a run of five series without a permanent host, although the show ended in May 2015.More Rhod Gilbert
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- James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners, for which he has been both praised and criticised. He began his comedy career in 2000, at the age of 28, and has regularly appeared on television since 2002 as the host of Channel 4 panel shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.More Jimmy Carr
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- 8
Romesh Ranganathan
Jonathan Romesh Ranganathan is an English actor, comedian and presenter. He is known for his deadpan and often self-deprecating comedy. In 2020, Ranganathan won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Features for The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan; in 2021, he won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Entertainment Performance for The Ranganation. - Mark Robert Bailey (born 13 January 1965), known by his stage name Bill Bailey, is a British comedian, musician, singer, actor, TV and radio presenter and author. Bailey is well known for his role in Black Books and for his appearances on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You and QI, as well as his extensive stand-up work. Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in 2003. In 2007, and again in 2010, he was voted the seventh greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups.More Bill Bailey
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- 10
Rob Brydon
Robert Brydon Jones, (born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh comedian, actor, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist. He played Dr Paul Hamilton in the Australian/British comedy series Supernova, Bryn West in the sitcom Gavin & Stacey and Keith Barret in the BBC comedy series Marion and Geoff and its spin-off The Keith Barret Show. He has appeared in a number of shows for the BBC with Steve Coogan, including The Trip series in 2010, released as a feature film later that year; and The Trip to Italy in 2014 and The Trip to Spain in 2017, also edited and released as feature films. Since 2009, Brydon has presented the BBC One comedy panel show Would I Lie to You? He played himself in Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, a satirical series about a fictional panel show, which ran on BBC Three from 2006 until 2007. Between 2010 and 2012, Brydon presented his own BBC Two late-night chat show called The Rob Brydon Show. In 2014, Brydon hosted the Saturday-night game show The Guess List for BBC One.More Rob Brydon- #26 of 154 onThe Funniest British and Irish Comedians of all Time
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- Kevin Andrew Bridges (born 13 November 1986) is a Scottish stand-up comedian. His 2012 television series Kevin Bridges: What's the Story? was based on his stand-up routines. He has appeared on many television panel shows including Would I Lie to You?, Have I Got News for You and has performed on Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow.
- Sarah Jane Millican (née King; born 29 May 1975) is an English comedian. Millican won the comedy award for Best Newcomer at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In February 2013 she was listed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and in the same year married fellow comedian Gary Delaney. Her first book, How to Be Champion, was released in 2017, and Millican has performed on various tours mainly throughout the United Kingdom over the years.More Sarah Millican
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- Aisling Clíodhnadh O'Sullivan (born 16 March 1984), known professionally as Aisling Bea, is an Irish comedian, actress and writer. She created, wrote and starred in the comedy series This Way Up, broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. As a stand-up comedian, she won the "So You Think You're Funny?" award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012, being only the second woman to win the award in its, then, twenty-five year history. She also regularly appears on light entertainment comedy panel shows such as QI and 8 Out of 10 Cats.More Aisling Bea
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- Ricky Gervais, a British comedian, actor, writer, and producer, has firmly established himself as one of the most significant figures in the entertainment industry. Born on June 25, 1961, in Reading, England, his journey to stardom began with music before transitioning into comedy. Gervais initially pursued a pop career in the 1980s as part of the duo Seona Dancing, achieving minor success. However, it was in comedy where he found his true calling and subsequently rose to international prominence. Gervais's breakthrough came when he co-wrote and starred in the British television series The Office which aired from 2001 to 2003. His portrayal of David Brent, an awkward and often cringe-worthy office manager, resonated with audiences and critics alike. The show's unique mockumentary style and sharp, observational humor paved the way for numerous adaptations worldwide, including a popular American version. Following the success of The Office, Gervais went on to create other notable series like Extras, Derek, and After Life, further cementing his reputation as a prolific creator. In addition to his work on television, Gervais has also made a mark in film and stand-up comedy. He lent his voice to various animated films, including Valiant and Escape From Planet Earth, and starred in movies such as Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying. As a stand-up comedian, Gervais has released several acclaimed specials, known for their irreverent humor and keen social commentary. Furthermore, his role as a frequent host of the Golden Globe Awards, where his controversial and unapologetic monologues have garnered both praise and criticism, has contributed to his global recognition.More Ricky Gervais
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- 15
Joe Wilkinson
Joe Wilkinson is a British comedian, actor and writer. Wilkinson began his comedy career in his local village pub in 2004 and has supported Alan Carr and Russell Howard on tour since. He has also made numerous appearances on television on programmes such as Live At The Apollo and Live At The Electric and has been touring solo since 2011. He currently appears in 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown as Rachel Riley's assistant. Wilkinson's appearances include Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You. In 2006, Wilkinson won the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year. He is also one half of the comedy duo 'Two Episodes of Mash' alongside Diane Morgan. - Peter Hugh Dennis (born 13 February 1962), known professionally as Hugh Dennis, is an English comedian, actor, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for being one half of Punt and Dennis with comedy partner Steve Punt, and playing Pete Brockman, the father in the BBC One sitcom Outnumbered. Is banned from Chessington World of Adventures Since 2005, Dennis has been a regular panellist on the BBC Two satirical comedy show Mock the Week. Since October 2014, Dennis has appeared in the sitcom Not Going Out as Toby. He also starred as the narrator in CBBC's The Zoo. In 2019 he was a narrator in ITV’s Yorkshire Airport.
- 17
Micky Flanagan
Michael John Flanagan (born 7 October 1962) is an English comedian. Flanagan has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and toured Britain with stand-up shows. He presented Micky Flanagan: What Chance Change? for Radio 4 and has appeared on various TV shows including Mock the Week, A League of Their Own, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Was It Something I Said? and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow. - Jon Richardson may refer to: Jon Richardson (comedian), British comedian Jon Richardson (footballer), English footballer
- Joe Harry Lycett (born 5 July 1988) is a British comedian and television presenter. He has appeared on TV shows including Live at the Apollo, Taskmaster, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, 8 Out of 10 Cats, QI, as the announcer on Saturday BBC One show Epic Win, the narrator for Ibiza Weekender and as the presenter on BBC Two's The Great British Sewing Bee and Channel 4's consumer rights show, Joe Lycett's Got Your Back. In February 2020, Lycett briefly changed his name by deed poll to Hugo Boss as part of a protest against the fashion brand of the same name.More Joe Lycett
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- Francis Martin Patrick Boyle (born 16 August 1972) is a Scottish comedian and writer. He is known for his pessimistic and often controversial sense of humour.Boyle first gained recognition as a permanent panellist on the comedy panel show Mock the Week from its beginning in June 2005 until his departure in September 2009. After his departure from Mock the Week, Boyle created and starred in the Channel 4 sketch show Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights (2010) and currently presents the BBC Two satirical chat show Frankie Boyle's New World Order (2017–present). He has embarked on a number of stand-up tours, releasing several stand-up specials.More Frankie Boyle
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- Born on November 24, 1974, in Bristol, England, Stephen James Merchant is a remarkable figure in the world of entertainment. Renowned for his towering height and wry wit, Merchant has etched his name in the annals of comedy, television, and film. He began his journey into the world of performance at the University of Warwick, where he studied Film and Literature. It was there that he ventured into radio, hosting a student radio show, which sparked his interest in broadcasting. His talent and perseverance eventually led him to a career at the BBC, where his life took a significant turn. Stephen Merchant's partnership with Ricky Gervais proved to be a game-changer. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of the groundbreaking mockumentary, The Office, where Merchant served as the co-writer and co-director. The series became a cultural phenomenon, earning numerous accolities, including Golden Globes and BAFTAs. Not just resting on the laurels of The Office, Merchant continued to flaunt his creative prowess by co-creating and co-writing the hit television shows Extras and Life's Too Short, both of which received critical acclaim. Apart from writing and directing, Merchant also showcased his acting talents. He starred in the critically acclaimed HBO series Hello Ladies, based on his stand-up comedy routine. Additionally, he voiced the character Wheatley in the popular video game Portal 2, further expanding his versatile portfolio. His directorial debut in the film industry came with Fighting With My Family, a biographical sports comedy-drama that was well-received by audiences and critics alike.More Stephen Merchant
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- Dara Ó Briain (; Irish: [ˈd̪ˠaɾˠə oː ˈbʲɾʲiənʲ]; born 4 February 1972) is an Irish comedian and television presenter based in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He is noted for hosting topical panel shows such as Mock the Week, The Panel, and The Apprentice: You're Fired!. His TV work also includes starring in and writing of television comedy and documentary series. Ó Briain has also been a newspaper columnist, with pieces published in national papers in both Britain and Ireland. In 2009, the Irish Independent described Ó Briain as "Terry Wogan's heir apparent as Britain's 'favourite Irishman'" and in 2010, Ó Briain was voted the 16th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups.
- Russell Joseph Howard (born 23 March 1980) is an English comedian, television presenter, radio presenter and actor, best known for his TV shows Russell Howard's Good News and The Russell Howard Hour and his appearances on the topical panel TV show Mock the Week. He won "Best Compère" at the 2006 Chortle Awards and was nominated for an if.comedy award for his 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show. Howard cited comedians Lee Evans, Richard Pryor and Frank Skinner as influences.
- Michael Joseph Pennington (born 5 September 1970), known professionally as Johnny Vegas, is an English actor and comedian, known for his portly figure and his alter-egos' angry rants, surreal humour and husky voice.His television roles have included playing Al in the ITV Digital and PG Tips adverts, drug dealer Moz in the BBC black comedy Ideal, Geoff Maltby in the ITV comedy series Benidorm and Eric Agnew in the BBC sitcom Still Open All Hours.
- Rob Beckett is a British stand-up comedian and actor, best known as a co-host on the ITV2 spin-off show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW!, a role which he took up in 2012.
- Catherine Tate (born Catherine Ford; 12 May 1968) is an English comedian, actress, and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and seven BAFTA. Following the success of The Catherine Tate Show, Tate played Donna Noble in the 2006 Christmas special of Doctor Who and later reprised her role, becoming the Tenth Doctor's regular companion for the fourth series in 2008. In 2011, she began a recurring role as Nellie Bertram in the U.S. version of The Office and was a regular until the series ended. She now provides the voice of Magica De Spell in the 2017 reboot of Disney's DuckTales animated series.More Catherine Tate
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- Alan Roger Davies (; born 6 March 1966) is an English stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He has played the title role in the BBC mystery drama series Jonathan Creek since 1997, and has been the only permanent panellist on the BBC panel show QI since 2003, outlasting hosts Stephen Fry (2003–16) and Sandi Toksvig (2016–present) who took over after Fry's exit.
- Kerry Anna Godliman (born November 1973) is an English comedian and actor best known for her roles in Derek, Bad Move, and After Life.
- Stephen John Coogan (born 14 October 1965) is an English actor, comedian, and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, working as a voice artist on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image and providing voiceovers for television advertisements. In the early 1990s, he began creating original comic characters. In 1999, he co-founded the production company Baby Cow Productions with Henry Normal. While working with Armando Iannucci on On the Hour and The Day Today, Coogan developed Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality. Partridge has featured in several television series, and a 2013 film; Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. Coogan grew in prominence within the film industry in 2002, after starring in The Parole Officer and 24 Hour Party People. He portrayed Phileas Fogg in the 2004 remake Around the World in 80 Days and with Rob Brydon in The Trip, The Trip to Italy, and The Trip to Spain, as well as A Cock and Bull Story. He also performs voice work.More Steve Coogan
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- Noel Fielding (born 21 May 1973) is an English comedian, writer, actor, artist, musician, and television presenter. He is known for being part of The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe alongside comedy partner Julian Barratt. Born and raised in London, Fielding was educated at Croydon School of Art and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (now Buckinghamshire New University), through which he met Barratt, with whom he established the Mighty Boosh. He went on in the 1990’s to do stand up comedy. Together, Noel and Julian produced a 2001 radio series, The Boosh, for BBC Radio London. This was followed by a television series, The Mighty Boosh, producing three series for BBC 3 from 2004 to 2007. The show generated a cult fan following and won a variety of awards. During the 2000s, he also had smaller roles in a number of comedy shows for Channel 4 including Nathan Barley, The IT Crowd, AD/BC: A Rock Opera and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. After The Mighty Boosh, he wrote and starred in two series of a solo show for Channel 4, Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy, between 2012 and 2014. He also moved into other television avenues, appearing as himself; from 2009 to 2015, he appeared as a team captain on the BBC Two music/comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and since 2017 has co-presented The Great British Bake Off with Sandi Toksvig. Aside from his comedic and television work, Fielding has also exhibited his paintings in London. He is the founder of the band Loose Tapestries, formed with Kasabian's Sergio Pizzorno. He has also starred as a guest in Richard Ayoade's Travel Man series.More Noel Fielding
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