Comic acts after watching himself on Taskmaster

Does fame change people? Stand-up Phil Ellis has revealed that after landing his big TV break on Taskmaster, he’s   opted to have a hair transplant.

The comic, 44, said he decided to take action after spotting just how much hair he’d lost when watching himself on Alex Horne and Greg Davies’s show.

‘They have cameras set up at every angle imaginable,’ he told Chortle, ‘including the arch nemesis of the balding person – the bird’s eye view. Wow, what an eye-opener that was.’

He added: ‘Hair transplants aren’t the stigma that they were… more and more comedians are getting hair procedures done now.

Then he joked: ‘Some comedians like Jimmy Carr are lucky - he’ll never need a hair transplant.

‘I think my new hair will help me cement myself as a primetime television comedian, showbiz personality and new host of Richard Osman’s House of Games. Failing all that, I would love to be on Tipping Point!’

Ellis revealed his move on Instagram this morning, saying he would share his ‘hair journey’ with his followers.

And striking a serious note, he told this website: ‘I think it’s important never to feel pressure to do things of this nature. I know that’s easier said than done. I got a hair transplant because I genuinely wanted to and it felt right for me.’

Ellis is getting treated by Dr Asim Shahmalak at Crown Clinic in Manchester, whose previous celebrity clients include  George Best’s reality star son Calum, TV doctor Christian Jessen and Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd.

The comic was a contestant on the recently-ended 20th series of Taskmaster, ending in joint first place with Ania Magliano and Maisie Adam, who eventually won via a tiebreaker. He embarks on a UK tour, called Bath Mat, from next month. Phil Ellis tour dates.

Carr has previously spoken about getting a hair transplant, saying: ‘My hair was socially distancing from my forehead and I’d had enough of it.

‘What they do is take hairs from the back of your head and they put them on the front. Basically I had enough hair, it was just in the wrong place. It was a bit of redistribution.’ 

Published: 21 Jan 2026