Latest news with #MashReport
Scotsman
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe 2025 Hot Comedy Tickets: Here are 17 of the biggest comedians with shows
August is fast approaching which means it's time to scour the Edinbugh Festival Fringe programme for the best shows to see. The physical programme was launched earlier this month, with 3,352 show across 265 venues, and some are already selling out. It can be a fairly daunting prospect to narrow those down when organising your Fringe. It's always nice to take a chance on something, hoping to be the first to see a hot new act - but sometimes it's just nice to see a couple of familiar faces from television. Edinburgh has been the launching pad for a host of household names - everybody from Emma Thompson to Graham Norton started out with shows in the city. Many enjoy returning with their latest show in August - or to try out a work on progress in front of a comedy-literate crowd before heading out on a nationwide tour. Here are 17 of the biggest, most famous, names performing this year. 1 . Jenny Eclair Jenny Eclair became the first woman to win the Perrier (now the Edinburgh Comedy Award) in 1995 for her show 'Prozac & Tantrums'. This year, she'll be appearing for two shows only to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Gilded Balloon. She'll be talking about her career, which as seen her branch out into acting, writing and presenting, at the Gilded Balloon from August 8-9. | Getty Images Photo Sales 2 . Rosie O'Donnell First finding fame in a television talent show in 1984, Rosie O'Donnell became one of the most famous faces on American television, winning mumerous Emmy Awards for her daytime talk show that saw her nicknamed the 'Queen of Nice'. She's now a prominent gay rights campaigner who is also a successful actor and author. See her at the Gilden Balloon from August 1-10 where she'll be performing new show 'Here and Now'. | Getty Images Photo Sales 3 . Nish Kumar Former Mash Report host Nish Kumar brought work in progress show to Edinburgh last year. Now he's back with the finished product, 'Nish, Don't Kill My Vibe' at Assembly George Square from August 1-10. | Getty Images Photo Sales 4 . Smack the Pony Emmy Award winning sketch trio Smack the Pony - Sally Phillips, Fiona Allen and Doon Mackichan - will be reforming for four shows only, entitles 'Back in the Saddle'. They'll be chatting to Kirsty Wark and "having a gallop through a few favourite sketches" at the Gilded Balloon from August 17-20. | Channel 4 Photo Sales
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Strictly's first ‘amateur professionals' to perform Red Nose Day comedy sketch
Comedians Russell Kane and Rachel Parris will become part of the Strictly Come Dancing professional cast in a new Red Nose Day sketch. The pair will portray Strictly's first amateur professional dancers, Melissa (Parris) and Johnny (Kane), who have been selected due the BBC One show's 'inclusivity rules, which require a certain percentage of professionals to be amateurs' in the observational documentary-style skit. It will see Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman take part, with Melissa and Johnny auditioning and then having their celebrity partners pull out at the last minute because of 'identical farcical injuries'. But their luck will be turned around by Daly and Winkleman's quick thinking. Essex-raised Kane, 49, said: 'After physio, red light therapy, sports massage, heat rub and an acupuncture mat session, I'm really looking forward to my spine taking part in Strictly for Red Nose Day.' Money raised by the BBC variety show goes to charity Comic Relief, which is marking its 40th year having raised more than £1.6 billion. Former Mash Report star Parris said: 'I am over the moon to be involved with Comic Relief this year. Strictly Come Dancing and Red Nose Day are two cultural icons so Russell and I knew that we had to bring our most iconic dance moves to the table. 'I think you will agree that they will go down in history, one way or another. Comic Relief remains a brilliant cause and I'm honoured to be a very small but very glittery part of it.' Daly said they 'had such a giggle filming this sketch' and Parris and Kane's Strictly journey had 'us all in stitches'. Strictly professional dancers Johannes Radebe and Karen Hauer, and judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke will also appear in the skit. Hauer said: 'Rachel and Russell brought bags of energy to the rehearsal room and I was genuinely wowed by their enthusiasm and… talent. They certainly showed us Strictly pros a thing or two.' Red Nose Day is co-hosted by celebrities including The Masked Singer stars Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Joel Dommett, This Morning presenter Alison Hammond, BBC Radio 2 DJ Rylan Clark and singer Alesha Dixon. Other sketches will feature stars from BBC shows Gladiators, Not Going Out and Beyond Paradise. The show is on Friday March 21 from 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
