
Tom Allen writes his first novel
Common Decency is set in leafy suburbia
Tom Allen has written his first novel, ‘a love letter to suburbia’…
Common Decency is set in leafy suburbia
Tom Allen has written his first novel, ‘a love letter to suburbia’…
Jack Docherty films a second series of The Chief
Jack Docherty is to reprise his role as Chief Commissioner…
Short book tour for Rhys James
Rhys James has announced a short eight-day tour to…
Teams of comedians will take on a series of challenges…
Short film to celebrate Barry Cryer through his jokes
Barry Cryer’s son Bob is to launch a crowdfunding…
Documentary to go behind the scenes with John Cleese on tour
John Cleese has made a behind-the-scenes documentary…
Laura Smyth and Jen Brister join Celebrity Hunted
Comedians Laura Smyth and Jen Brister are to go on…
Channel 4 travel show for stand-up Louise Young
Comedian Louise Young and YouTuber Hayley Morris plan a trip to Europe on the hoof…
Reginald D Hunter in court over 'antisemitic' posts
Reginald D Hunter has been told he will have to wait until November to find out whether…
New accolade for techs working at the Edinburgh Fringe
Technicians who run the sound and lights for Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows are to…
Oh say can you see... American comedians n the UK
The best of the week's live comedy, picked from the thousands of events Chortle…
Lindsey Santoro gets her own Radio 4 series
Our pick of the comedy on TV, radio and streaming this week…: Monday July…
Michael Palin performs a Life Of Brian deleted scene
Michael Palin performed a deleted scene from Life Of Brian yesterday, the first time…
Suzi Ruffell has revealed she didn’t realise she was gay until she watched…
Continuing our preview pieces about shows heading for the Edinburgh Fringe, here…
Test your comedy knowledge with our weekly multiple-choice trivia quiz, compiled –…
Kicking off our annual season of Edinburgh Fringe previews is this list of ten Australian…
Comedy Knockout: Champion Of Champions
There’s an inevitable brutality to most of the…
Tim Minchin: Songs The World Will Never Hear
Two decades at the top of his game, and Tim Minchin…
Depending on which echo chamber you inhabit, trans…
There’s a great idea at the core of Pushers:…
Kieran Hodgson: Voice Of America
Like it or not, we, as a nation, are culturally and…
People apparently shout ’legend’ to Greg…
Gig of the day
Jason Manford: A Manford All Seasons
Chatham Central Theatre
from 19:30
Book Now
Tim Minchin: Songs The World Will Never Hear
Manchester Opera House
Sunday 13th Jul from 19:30Book now
Coming Soon
Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf
Royal Festival Hall
Sunday 13th Jul from 15:30
Book Now
Ian Smith: Foot Spa Half Empty
Edinburgh Monkey Barrel
Saturday 19th Jul from 20:00Book now
Book Now
Ben Pope: The Cut
Leeds Hyde Park Book Club
Monday 22nd Sep from 19:30Book now
Book Now
Alex Kealy: The Fear
Leeds Hyde Park Book Club
Thursday 17th Jul from 20:00Book now
Comedians lined up for Edinburgh Fringe talk series
Guests have been named for an interview series celebrating…
Mini tour for ’Allo ’Allo stars
Some of the original cast of ’Allo ’Allo…
Rosie Jones to host Comic Relief Live
Comic Relief has revealed the line-up for its live show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Rosie…
The Cheerful Earful comedy podcast festival and the London Podcast Festival have…
Happy 100th birthday, Peter Sellers!
Two classic Peter Sellers comedies are to be released on Blu-Ray to mark…
Comics help celebrate Gilded Balloon's 40th birthday
Comedy stars including Bill Bailey, Jenny Eclair and Fred MacAulay are to be interviewed…
Alan Partridge is back in the oasthouse
The fourth series of From the Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast…
Altitude announces its 2026 line-up
Alpine comedy festival Altitude has announced its 2025 line-ip. Those heading…
He’s a comedian, writer, presenter, artist, campaigner… and now designer of beer cans. Joe Lycett worked with with London-based LGBTQ+ brewery Queer…
Frank Skinner ends up A&E with sunburn
Frank Skinner has revealed that he ended up in A&E…
The Edinburgh Fringe is so manic you might wish you…
Yvette Fielding: I chat to Eric Morecambe every time I sit at his old desk
Most Haunted presenter Yvette Fielding says she communicates…
Step aside, PG Tips Monkey, Johnny Vegas has a new animal sidekick.
The comedian this morning showed off what he calls the ‘best thing I've ever bought in my life’ – an antique, 70-year-old Thirsty Bear toy that shakes with alcohol tremors when you wind it up.
Vegas appeared on Radio X this morning when he described it as 'a toy that reminds you why mum and dad aren't together anymore'.
Toby Tarrant, who was sitting in for Chris Moyles on the breakfast show, described the item for listeners, saying: 'It's basically a bear that's supposed to be drinking lemonade, but seems to… Basically, yeah, it’s pouring itself a very stiff drink before embarking on another day."
Vegas revealed he paid £85 for the Thirsty Bear, and had subsequently been offered £220 for it.
Vegas was on air to promote the Little Shop of Antiques, which starts on Quest tonight,
He also spoke about Thirsty Bear in an interview with the Daily Express, saying: 'Whenever you go into a gift shop and you see an object like a giraffe with a clock in its chest, you just think, "Why?" Thirsty Bear is the same.
'I imagine its inventor walking into a toy manufacturer and saying, "I’ve got an idea that’s going to turn this company’s fortunes around. I’ve been working on this all weekend. It’s a bear that’s thirsty, and it also has the DTs." I just don’t know how Thirsty Bear got past the first stage of development.'
And he admitted he will never be parted from it now, saying 'The coffin will be going into the ground, and you’ll hear this rattling. "Stop, stop, Johnny is alive." "No, it’s Thirsty Bear. Something has triggered his clockwork mechanism."
'Thirsty Bear is pouring himself a drink going, "I didn’t sign up for this."'
• The Chris Moyles Show is on Radio X weekdays from 6:30am to 10am and on Global Player
Comic shows off the ‘best thing I've ever bought in my life
Vir Das has the perfect response to those who say: Just make me laugh, don't make me think
In the trailer for his new Netflix special Fool Volume
From Broken News
With Danny Dyer and Harriet Webb and Ryan Sampson
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