Jimmy Carr is an award-winning comedian, writer and television host, famous for his dark humour and one-line jokes. You may think of him as either a politically incorrect equal opportunities offender or a fake-toothed donkey-laugh plastic-haired comedy mannequin. Either way he was scientifically proven to be the funniest comedian in the UK.
Getting to Know Jimmy…
The best way to get to know the man behind the jokes is to listen to his interviews. The small selection below showcases his kinder, more thoughtful side and will also give you a recommended reading list (from a very well-read man).
In 2021’s Diary of a CEO he talked about topics like depression, flow state, happiness, the meaning of life and being a new father. In this follow up 2024 DOAC chat the topics included men’s mental health, life goals, imposter syndrome, success, and the experience of being on stage with Dave Chappelle, when someone with a knife rushed the stage. Jimmy’s thought on people being “…jealous of what you’ve got. They’re not jealous of how you got it” has been repeatedly shared through social media quotes and motivational sites.
Jimmy is obsessed with music and you can get a feel for his musical tastes from his selection on Desert Island Discs
Ask yourself “what do you want” is a strong takeaway from the Modern Wisdom podcast that covers discussions about the modern obsession with the individual, young men in crisis, cancellation, kindness, quarter life crises in men and much more.
Appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience Jimmy gives his thoughts on, amongst other things, gratitude, JFK, Nuclear power, religion, his love for comedy and how he’d like to see it taught in schools, to help children find their voice.
Jimmy is a household name in UK television, well known for hosting Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, in addition to presenting Comedy Central’s Roast Battle UK and Your Face or Mine.
He is a regular on all the top panel shows, including QI and A League of Their Own, has performed as a part of The Royal Variety Performance three times. He is a judge on hit BBC1 entertainment series I Can See Your Voice, host of Channel 4 gameshow I Literally Just Told You and U&Dave’s Battle In The Box. The IMDB listing highlights his phenomenal worth ethic.
2025 has seen the launch of LOL: Last One Laughing UK on Prime Video with Jimmy as host.
North America and Netflix
Jimmy is also a high-profile name in North America. He was the first UK comedian to sign a stand-up deal with streaming behemoth Netflix in 2015, releasing three specials on the platform, Funny Business (2016) and Best Of Ultimate Gold Greatest Hits (2017) and His Dark Material (2021 – taken from an early iteration of his Terribly Funny tour).
Netflix launched his 4th special, Natural Born Killer, on 16th April 2024 and it held Top 10 positions in 29 countries. In its first week it clocked up 2.3m viewing hours and was 8th in the Global Top 10 of TV (English).
He also presented and produced an original panel show format for Netflix, The Fix, and has been a guest multiple times on US staples such The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show and Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
He has performed at the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival 17 times since 2002 (2020 was a virtual festival) with more appearances than any other UK act in that time. He regularly drops in to perform on The Nasty Show, Kill Tony and Midnight Surprise – and is a feared Roast Battle competitor.
Before making the move to streaming, Jimmy was one of the bestselling acts in the comedy DVD market. These shows are now all available on Jimmy’s YouTube channel, where he has accrued over 1 million subscribers and 460+ million views, since launching in 2018. New video content is posted daily and the over 1,300 clips and shows include full episodes of 8 Out of 10 Cats, I Literally Just Told You and Big Fat Quizzes.
- Live 2004 (Charm Offensive tour)
- Stand up 2005 (Public Display of Affection tour)
- Comedian 2006 (Gag Reflex tour)
- In Concert 2008 (Repeat Offender tour)
- Telling Jokes 2009 (Joke Technician tour)
- Making People Laugh 2010 (Rapier Wit tour)
- Being Funny 2011 (Laughter Therapy tour)
- Laughing and Joking 2013 (Gagging Order tour)
