Ayoade, the Cambridge-educated son of a Nigerian father and Swedish mother, was briefly a stand-up on the London circuit before attracting attention in the Perrier-winning Garth Marenghi spoof horror shows.

With fellow ex-Footlighter Matthew Holness, he co-wrote the Perrier nominated Edinburgh show Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight, the sequel of which, Garth Marenghi's Netherhed, won him the award in 2001. It transferred to Channel 4, where it became a cult hit; its DVD becoming a bestseller.

The pair landed a follow-up, a six-part chat show featuring Ayoade’s urbane publisher character at home in his glamorous bachelor pad: Man To Man With Dean Learner.

Ayoade was also part of Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding's original Mighty Boosh cast, playing villain Dixon Bainbridge. However, by this time it came to air, he was under contract by Channel 4 and was only able to act in the pilot. He since returned to play the shaman Saboo in the show's second series.

In 2005, he played the role of Ned Shanks in Chris Morris' and Charlie Brooker's sitcom about trendy media types, Nathan Barley

The following year he played the technically brilliant but socially awkward Moss in Channel 4's The IT Crowd; and also landed the role when it was remade as an American TV pilot.

Ayoade also directed, co-wrote and co-starred (with Matt Berry) in BBC Three’s AD/BC: A Rock Opera.