3 days ago
The ‘funniest' one-liner from Edinburgh Fringe
A comedian has said his father was blissfully unaware of a one-liner at his expense that has now been crowned the funniest of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Andy Gleeks, from Antrim, Northern Ireland, has won the (some guy called) Dave Joke of the Fringe 2025, for which 10 were shortlisted.
He won with the joke: 'I had to visit the trauma unit last weekend. He prefers the term dad.'
The comedian, who takes home the title, a trophy and a £250 cash prize, said: 'The first thing I've had to do today is message my father to tell him about the joke I wrote about him.
'He never knew I wrote it and was telling it to thousands of strangers up and down the country.'
The competition invited comedians performing at the Fringe to submit their best jokes.
A longlist was then selected by a panel of comics including Gary Delaney, of Mock the Week fame, and former winners Mark Simmons and Darren Walsh.
The shortlist was then taken to Edinburgh's Cowgate, where Will Mars, the competition's founder, wandered the streets looking for 'some guy called Dave' and found Fringe-goer Dave Humphrys.
Mr Humphrys judged the shortlist with his family over a pre-show drink and said of his choice: 'I absolutely love dad jokes, puns, and one-liners and this list has really given us a good giggle.'
The (some guy called) Dave competition was relaunched this year by Mr Mars after UKTV's Dave announced they would put their long-running Joke of the Fringe competition on hold this year.
Mr Mars had previously run the alternative competition in 2021, during the partial post-pandemic Fringe, when UKTV also pulled out.
He said: 'I had to bring the (some guy called) Dave competition back. It's important to comedians, it gives their work a little more recognition and placing on the list gives performers a lift just when they need it, when the fringe starts to get tiring and tough.
'It's little lifts like these that help us all get through the fringe experience and I wanted to help continue lifting those comics up when they need it most. It's also a great chance to get some more jokes to tell you pals in the pub or at work.'
The last winner of the (some guy called) Dave competition in 2021 was Masai Graham with the joke: 'I thought the word 'Caesarean' began with the letter 'S' but when I looked in the dictionary, it was in the 'C' section.'
Gleeks has been performing his show Fragments daily at 12.30pm in the Boston Bar.
