Mock The Week comedian hangs up his mic

Canadian one-line merchant Stewart Francis has announced his farewell comedy tour.

The comic, who won  Dave’s Funniest Joke Of The Fringe in 2012 and has made a dozen appearances on Mock The Week, will go on the road with Into The Punset this autumn.

Francis has been speaking about quitting comedy since 2013, saying  he wanted to pursue his first love of being a cartoonist.

In an interview with Chortle he said: ‘Plan A was always to be a syndicated cartoonist but after getting rejection letters I shifted to Plan B

‘But stand-up – I've been there and done it now. I'm grateful for everything it's given me, including the chance to be what I always wanted to be – a cartoonist. It'll be a step back financially but personality-wise and creatively, a step forward as far as I'm concerned.’

He released his first book of illustrations, Pun Direction, in 2013 It was billed as a collection of '500 jokes, 30 cartoons and one recipe’.

Francis played last year as part of the All-Star Stand-Up Tour alongside Justin Moorhouse, Jarred Christmas and Mike Gunn.

Into The Punset will play 41 dates from October to December this year, and tickets will go on sale on Friday. Click here for the full schedule.

The joke that won him the Dave title was: 'You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks.'

Published: 24 Jan 2018