Skip to main content

Laugh battle

Laugh battle

TV, TV, on the wall, who’s the funniest of them all?

By Laura Rutkowski, Staff Writer

From David Brent’s cringe-worthy dance moves and Fleabag’s fourth-wall-breaking smirk, to Alan Partridge’s “Dan!” disaster, comedy characters make for brilliant telly –  the kind you quote incessantly, recommend to anyone who will listen and laugh along to until you’re gasping for breath.

 

Well, now the public has voted, assembling the top 30 of these lovable rogues for the one-off special Britain’s Greatest Comedy Character. A jury, made up of funny men and women, has the unenviable task of deciding on a winner during the three-hour show. Expect a lot of bickering, jokes of their own and reasoning (from the head and the heart) as they battle it out to decide: Who will come out on top as the cream of the comedy crop?

The jury is chaired by actor and comedian Sally Phillips and includes comedy performers Shappi Khorsandi, Nina Wadia, John Thomson, Peter Egan, Lucy Beaumont, Marcus Brigstocke and Emily Atack; writer David Quantick; and critic Grace Dent.

 

It’s time to back your corners in this race of The Fast And The Funniest. Refresh your memory on why you fell in love with these characters in the first place with our graphic below. Simple click/hover over each name in the top 30 to reveal clips of some of their funniest bits.

 

When is GOLD’s Britain’s Greatest Comedy Character on TV?

Britain’s Greatest Comedy Character airs on GOLD HD (CH 124) on Sunday 24 May at 8pm. It is also available for 30 days in Catch Up > Channels > GOLD.

You might also like

TV channels: Channels, content and features available depend on your chosen package. Channel line-ups and content are subject to change at any time and to regional variations.

HD: HD TV set, V HD Box, TiVo box or Virgin TV V6 connected with HDMI cables required for HD channels. Number of inclusive HD channels depends on package.

Catch Up TV: Catch Up TV content available for up to 7 days or up to 30 days after broadcast, depending on content.

Image credits: Britain's Greatest Comedy Characters © UKTV / Kevin Baker