Which comedians are ready to flip?

Comics again take on the beer mat challenge

comedy The line-up has been announced for this year’s Comedians’ Beer Mat Flipping Championship.

Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, Jordan Gray, Rosie Jones, Ruby Carr and Helen Bauer will be competing for the coveted title at the Pleasance in Islington, North London, on January 31.

The contest was started in 2023 by stand-up Stuart Laws, pictured, who will again attempt to break the record of 74 mats in 60 seconds, set in 2013 by Ashrita Furman, a man who holds more than 200 world records.

Previously the likes of Dara O Briain, Rose Matafeo, Nish Kumar and Mike Wozniak have taken part in the flipping championships.

Laws – who will be hosting this year’s event with fellow comic Sikisa – said: ‘I’ve been beer mat flipping since I was eight, when my little paws could barely grip a beer mat. The sport had a grip on me though, and now, 30 years later I’m again attempting the world record and to go pro as a flipper.

‘More importantly, I want to bring the sport to the wider world. It’s such a compelling and simple sport that gets fiendishly difficult under the lights and up against rivals, and comedians are the perfect competitors: eager to entertain and desperate to win/cause chaos when it becomes clear they’re not going to win. I’m thinking especially of Nish Kumar flipping the whole table.'

Two more contestants are yet to be announced.

Here’s Laws flipping 50 beer mats in one go, his personal record.

Published: 14 Jan 2025