Edinburgh funniest fringe joke award scrapped for 2025
A statement from UKTV, which owns the channel formerly known as Dave, said: 'U&Dave's Joke of the Fringe was originally created to celebrate and spotlight grassroots comedy talent. As our commissioning focus evolves, we're taking the opportunity to reflect on how we continue to support comedy in the best way possible.'
The award was launched in 2008 and has been held every year since apart from during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, Mark Simmons won for his nautical one-liner 'I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship but I bottled it'. The shortlist of jokes was chosen by a panel of UK comedy critics and comedians, then submitted anonymously to 2,000 members of the public who were asked to pick their favourites. Upon winning last year's prize, Simmons said: 'I needed some good news as I was just fired from my job marking exam papers, can't understand it, I always gave 110%.'
Previous victors include Masai Graham (three times), Tim Vine (twice) and Olaf Falafel (a regular on the shortlist). Lorna Rose Treen, the second woman to win the award, triumphed in 2023 for the joke 'I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.' Treen later said that when she later performed the joke in her show, an audience member 'shouted along … It was like I was a band!'
The annual pun-heavy list of jokes brings gripes as well as groans, for not capturing the full spectrum of comedy on offer at the Edinburgh fringe. 'It's a welcome addition to the fun of the festival,' wrote the Guardian's comedy critic Brian Logan in 2012. 'But by suggesting that the immeasurable range of Edinburgh comedy can be captured by these few words on a printed page, it sells the wild world of comedy short.' The festival's most prestigious prize is the Edinburgh comedy award (formerly known as the Perrier), now in its 43rd year. Last summer it was won by Amy Gledhill.
UKTV's statement on the cancellation of the joke of the fringe continued: 'While we're resting the award this year, we remain committed to championing great comedy across U&Dave and beyond, and we'll always look for ways to bring laughter to audiences in exciting ways.'
Within hours of the announcement, the production company Need to Know Comedy announced that it was reviving its (Some Guy Called) Dave award, previously held during the pandemic. It called for fringe acts to email five one-liners from their show, with the winner receiving £250. The Edinburgh fringe officially begins on 1 August, with some comedians starting previews later this month.
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