This list is a bit of a joke. This sort of list always is. Rank the 50 best anything – novels, crisps – and people start fuming. “Why isn’t Middlemarch #1?” “How dare you snub Wotsits?”
Comedy is, as any fule kno, subjective. Stand-up is a broad church, taking in character comedy (the Pub Landlord) and musical parody (Bill Bailey). But we had to set limits somewhere, so ruled out troupes and groups (sorry, Pappy’s; farewell, Flight of the Conchords).
This is not a list of the funniest sitcom actors, scriptwriters or podcast hosts. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s play Fleabag was a hilarious piece of theatre, and a terrific 12 episodes of television, but it wasn’t a stand-up comedy gig.
We bent our own rules slightly to acknowledge recorded shows made in lockdown – that awful moment when a laptop became the closest thing to a comedy club. But otherwise, this list is based purely on shows four comedy junkies have seen (and loved) since the turn of the millennium on stages across the UK, in pubs and clubs, attics and basements, community centres and West End theatres. The UK has the world’s best live comedy circuit, and we wanted to celebrate it.
Lee is the internecine, meta-minded sourpuss of stand-up, never happier (if that’s the word) than when mercilessly ripping other comedians, audiences and, for that matter, The Telegraph to shreds. I fondly (if that’s also the word) remember an hour at the Edinburgh Fringe spent squirming quietly in my seat as, well aware that I was “in”, he tore into this august publication – along with people who’d come because they’d seen him on the telly (hates them) and his loyal fans (“cackling sycophants”).
As those jibes suggest, the 55-year-old Shropshire native is also brilliant: there’s a magnificence to his point-blank refusal to ingratiate himself, great subtlety in the comic stances he takes, spectacular imagination and variety in his material. He’ll probably despise us even more for not putting him in first place. MM
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian