Laughing all the way to the bank

Tracey Ulman and Rowan Atkinson have been named as the richest people in British comedy.

The pair are the only comedians to make the Sunday Times rich list today.

Ulman - who became famous in Britain through Eighties sketch show Three Of A Kind - made her name in the States with a character-driven show which spawned The Simpsons.

The 42-year-old now has an American cable TV show, Visible Panty Lines, linked to a fashion website.

She and husband Allan McKeown, a fellow Brit who is now a Hollywood player after producing a string of UK television shows including Porridge and Auf Wiedersehen Pet, are said to be worth £75million.

That fortune ranks them 465th in the Sunday Times top 1,000 - but still makes them the richest people in comedy.

Atkinson is ranked 595th with an estimated weatlth of £60million.

But the good news is that the figure has almost doubled in a year - in 2001 his fortune was put at £35million.

His film Mr Bean grossed £165million at the box office, and he has a £14million stake in production house Tiger Aspect, who made Billy Eliot, The Vicar of Dibley and Gimme Gimme Gimme.

He also has a valuable sports car collection and property interests to add to his wealth.

Published: 7 Apr 2002