The funniest British and Irish comedians of all time is a geographically restricted subset of the funniest people of all time, and some of these funny people from across the pond can make you pee yourself with laughter just by looking at you. Many of these comedians from the UK and Ireland have appeared in the funniest movies ever as well as some of the funniest TV shows of all time. These hilarious entertainers represent comedians from the UK, and they are all here together in this list of the funniest people from Britain and Ireland.
There's a lot that goes into deciding who the best comedians from Ireland and Britain are: do they have a funny stand-up act, a great special, a memorable character, and/or a generally funny public persona? Do they appear in any of the best British sitcoms? Do you factor in the truly awful projects they've taken part in when deciding their overall ranking (cough*Bruno*cough)? Being funny is serious business, and so is deciding who the most hilarious British and Irish comedians truly are.
Who are the funniest comedians from the UK and Ireland? What comedians are from Ireland and Great Britain - and are English comedians funnier than their collegues from Scotland and Wales? Are British and Irish comedians funnier? This list of the funniest comedians from Britain and Ireland should answer some of these questions and, at the lease, point you towards some of the funniest people ever to come from a pair of smallish islands. If your favorite British or Irish comedian isn't on the list, make sure to add them so they can compete for the title of funniest comedian from Ireland and the UK.
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2,9281,591Billy Connolly
Brave, The Last SamuraiAge: 77
Birthplace: Anderston, Scotland
Sir William Connolly, (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish stand-up comedian, musician,... more2
3,2691,969Rowan Atkinson
The Lion King, BeanAge: 65
Birthplace: Consett, United Kingdom
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born January 6, 1955), CBE is an English actor, comedian, and... more3
1,9911,148Ronnie Barker
Porridge, Open All HoursAge: Dec. at 76 (1929-2005)
Birthplace: Bedford, United Kingdom
Ronald William George Barker, (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor,... more4
1,515867Rik Mayall
An American Werewolf in London, Guest House ParadisoAge: Dec. at 56 (1958-2014)
Birthplace: Harlow, United Kingdom
Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English comedian, actor and writer.... more5
2,3201,381Lee Mack
Not Going Out, Would I Lie to You?Age: 52
Birthplace: Southport, United Kingdom
Lee Gordon McKillop (born 4 August 1968), known by his stage name Lee Mack, is an English... more6
1,7311,021Richard Ayoade
Submarine, The WatchAge: 43
Birthplace: Eurasia, United Kingdom, London, England, Whipps Cross
Richard Ellef Ayoade (, born 23 May 1977) is an English comedian, actor, singer, writer,... more7
2,9531,956John Cleese
A Fish Called Wanda, Monty Python and the Holy GrailAge: 80
Birthplace: Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom
John Marwood Cleese (; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, voice actor, comedian,... more8
2,2421,376Sean Lock
QI, 15 Storeys HighAge: 57
Birthplace: Chertsey, United Kingdom
Sean Lock (born 22 April 1963) is an English comedian and actor. He began his comedy career as... more9
1,377880Michael Palin
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of BrianAge: 77
Birthplace: Broomhill, United Kingdom
Sir Michael Edward Palin, (; born 5 May 1943), is an English comedian, actor, writer and... more10
1,474971Eric Idle
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of BrianAge: 77
Birthplace: South Shields, United Kingdom
Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English comedian, actor, voice actor, author,... more11
2,1941,322Peter Kay
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 24 Hour Party PeopleAge: 47
Birthplace: Farnworth, United Kingdom
Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English comedian, actor. Kay has written, produced,... more12
1,599949Tommy Cooper
The Plank, It's Tommy CooperAge: Dec. at 63 (1921-1984)
Birthplace: Caerphilly, United Kingdom
Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a British prop comedian and... more13
1,279783David Jason
Danger Mouse, Only Fools and Horses....Age: 80
Birthplace: Edmonton, London, London, England
Sir David John White, (born 2 February 1940), known professionally by his stage name David... more14
1,346549Greg Davies
The Inbetweeners, The Inbetweeners MovieAge: 52
Birthplace: St Asaph, United Kingdom
Gregory Daniel Davies (born 14 May 1968) is a British stand-up comedian and actor. He is best... more15
1,300839Spike Milligan
Life of Brian, Dot and the KangarooAge: Dec. at 84 (1918-2002)
Birthplace: Ahmednagar, India
Terence Alan Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002), known as Spike Milligan, was a... more16
2,3471,684Stephen Fry
QI, V for VendettaAge: 63
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, United Kingdom
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He and Hugh... more17
1,6721,111Rob Brydon
Shaun of the Dead, LockAge: 55
Birthplace: Baglan, Neath Port Talbot
Robert Brydon Jones, (born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh comedian, actor, radio and television... more18
1,7981,282Bill Bailey
Hot Fuzz, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyAge: 56
Birthplace: England, Bath
Mark Robert Bailey (born 13 January 1965), known by his stage name Bill Bailey, is a British... more19
1,222740Dave Allen
Freaks and Geeks, Dave Allen at LargeAge: Dec. at 69 (1936-2005)
Birthplace: Firhouse, Republic of Ireland
David Tynan O'Mahony (6 July 1936 – 10 March 2005), better known as Dave Allen, was an Irish... more20
1,162775Ronnie Corbett
Casino Royale, Fierce CreaturesAge: 89
Birthplace: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish stand-up comedian,... more21
1,6981,204Peter Sellers
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Being ThereAge: Dec. at 55 (1925-1980)
Birthplace: South East England, Eurasia, South West England, Dorset, United Kingdom
Peter Sellers, CBE (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an... more22
3,2312,390Ricky Gervais
The Office, The Invention of LyingAge: 59
Birthplace: South East England, Eurasia, Reading, United Kingdom, England
Ricky Dene Gervais (; born 25 June 1961) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, director,... more23
1,5101,004Eric Morecambe
The Morecambe & Wise Show, The Magnificent TwoAge: Dec. at 58 (1926-1984)
Birthplace: Morecambe, United Kingdom
John Eric Bartholomew, (14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984), known by his stage name Eric Morecambe,... more24
1,8121,292Simon Pegg
Shaun of the Dead, Hot FuzzAge: 50
Birthplace: Brockworth, United Kingdom
Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian,... more25
2,5061,896David Mitchell
Peep Show, QIAge: 46
Birthplace: Salisbury, United Kingdom
David James Stuart Mitchell (born 14 July 1974) is a British comedian, actor, writer and... more
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