Cooper voted top comic

Tommy Cooper has been voted Britain’s favourite comic of all-time – beating Peter Kay into second place.

Other favourites in the Reader's Digest  include Morecambe and Wise, Bob Monkhouse and Ken Dodd.

But, bizarrely, Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown, Jim Davidson and Freddie Starr were in the top 20, although the likes of Peter Cook, Frankie Howerd, Tony Hancock and Peter Sellers were excluded.

The only woman in the top 20, voted on by 2,000 people, was Dawn French.

Spike Milligan also made the grade – even though he was Irish, not British.

A spokesman for the magazine said: "Comedy fashions come and go but you obviously can't beat Tommy Cooper's classic one-liners.  For Cooper to still be popular, even among younger voters, is incredible."

The top 20 were:

1. Tommy Cooper

2. Peter Kay

3. Billy Connolly

4. Morecambe and Wise

5. Bob Monkhouse

6. Ken Dodd

7. Roy "Chubby" Brown

= 8. Norman Wisdom

= 8. Les Dawson

10. Lee Evans

= 11. David Jason

= 11. Dawn French

= 13. Jim Davidson

= 13. Rowan Atkinson

15. Benny Hill

16. Jasper Carrott

17. Lenny Henry

18. Spike Milligan

19. John Cleese

Published: 25 Aug 2004