Find Live comedy

Live Comedy in London |
Manchester | Scotland

Richard Ayoade

The Cambridge-educated son of a Nigerian father and Swedish mother, Richard Ayoade first came to prominence starring in and co-writing the 2000 Edinburgh Fringe show Garth Merenghi's Fright Knight with Matthew Holness, winning the Perrier Award for its sequel, Garth Merenghi's Netherhead, the following year. The show transferred to Channel Four in 2004 as Garth Merenghi's Darkplace, before spawning the spin-off 80s chat show spoof, Man to Man with Dean Learner, fronted by Ayoade's 'smut-peddler' character.

Appearances in The Mighty Boosh and Nathan Barley were followed by his highest profile role to date in Graham Linehan's sitcom The IT Crowd, playing socially inept tech support worker Moss, a role he reprised for an unaired US adaptation in 2009.

Establishing a parallel career as a music video director for the likes of The Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, he directed his first film, the coming-of-age comedy-drama Submarine in 2010, and his second, The Double, a nightmarish, dystopian comedy-drama, loosely based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's novella, in 2014.

Who's taking part in Last One Laughing UK?

Amazon's Prime Video reveals line-up of top comedians

The line-up has been announced for the British version of Amazon Prime Video’s reality TV series Last One Laughing.

Taking part are Bob Mortimer, Daisy May Cooper, Joe Lycett, Judi Love, Rob Beckett, Sara Pascoe, Lou Sanders, Joe Wilkinson, Harriet Kemsley and Richard Ayoade.

Jimmy Carr had previously been announced as host, and today it has been revealed that he will be joined by Roisin Conaty.

The show challenges ten comedians to spend a day in a house together, trying to make each other laugh – whoever cracks is eliminated until only one remains.

There have been more than 20 international versions in countries including Ireland, hosted by Graham Norton, Australia, hosted by Rebel Wilson and South Africa, hosted by Trevor Noah and the UK version will air sometime next year.

Carr previously said: ‘Usually when I make a TV show with ten brilliant comics, I’m expecting everyone to have a bloody good laugh - but not in this series. The last one laughing wins. It’s a great format and it’s been a huge hit around the world. I can’t wait to see who cracks up first.’

The format started life as a Japanese show entitled Documental, created by and starring Hitoshi Matsumoto, in which comedians staked their own money.

Last year’s Irish version featured Aisling Bea, Jason Byrne, Catherine Bohart, David McSavage, Deirdre O’Kane, Emma Doran, Amy Huberman, Martin Angolo, Paul Tylak and Tony Cantwell. Read our review here.

Australia’s version, hosted by Rebel Wilson in 2020, featured the likes of Sam Simmons, Frank Woodley, Anne Edmonds and Joel Creasey; while the line-up from the English-language Canadian incarnation, from 2022, included Tom Green, Colin Mochrie and Mae Martin.

Dermot O’Leary is soon to host a similar idea called Silence Is Golden for U&Dave, in which a green room of 30 acts, including team captain Katherine Ryan, will try to make an audience crack up. Each time someone makes a noise, the initial £250,000 prize pot will be reduced.

Amazon today also announced that Jack Whitehall would be making a Christmas special, featuring a host of guest stars.

Published: 2 Oct 2024