HOLD on to your sides, the funniest gag of this year’s Fringe has been announced.
Judges sat through 7,200 jokes each to find their favourite one-liner, before putting the best to a public vote.
Yesterday little-known stand-up Masai Graham took the top spot after cracking: “My dad has suggested that I register for a donor card. He’s a man after my own heart.”
The annual Funniest Joke of the Fringe contest is run by TV channel Dave, with members of the ten-strong panel each viewing 60 shows to make the selection.
Previous winners include Tim Vine, Rob Auton, Stewart Francis, Zoe Lyons and Nick Helm.
Other contenders this time included Arthur Smith, who quipped: “Back in the day, Instagram just meant a really efficient drug dealer.”
Meanwhile, Mark Smith told his audience: “Apparently one in three Britons are conceived in an Ikea bed which is mad because those places are really well lit.”
Stuart Mitchell, who came in second, joked: “Why is it old people say ‘there’s no place like home’, yet when you put them in one…”
Reacting to the win, Graham, from West Bromwich, said: “It’s an incredible honour to land Joke of the Fringe. Not bad for someone from West Brom.”
Meanwhile, comic Darren Walsh – last year’s best-joke winner – was said to have delivered one of the worst lines this year, saying: “What do you call three members of ABBA in a French slaughterhouse? ABBA trois.”
Steve North, general manager of Dave, said: “The Fringe is renowned for being the best place to spot new and emerging comedy talent, and although there are some returning contenders in our top 10 this year, there is a high volume of new talent which is very exciting to see.”
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