Comedian and regular on Radio 2's Pause For Thought on the mend

Comedian Paul Kerensa is recovering at home after having a stroke.

The 47-year-old stand-up and writer for sitcoms such as Not Going Out and Miranda suffered the medical emergency at the weekend, his agent Nick Ranceford-Hadley confirmed to Chortle.

Kerensa had recovered sufficiently by late afternoon today to alert his followers on Bluesky to the stroke, posting: 'Medical update: I've had a stroke. I couldn't stand; balance + coordination affected; re-learning walking will take time.

'Excuse delay in replying to things + changes to gigs/worklife.

'Onward: Therapy, meds, patience, rest, recuperation + putting one foot in front of the other.'

Sketch comic Gemma Arrowsmith, with whom he worked on various BBC radio shows, was among those replying to the post wishing him well.

A Christian and regular Pause For Thought contributor on Radio 2's Breakfast Show, Kerensa had been due to perform at Guildford Diocese Triennial conference this week.

A committed chronicler of the BBC's origins in recent years, he has also been on a mini-tour of his stand-up show about the Corporation, An Evening of (Very) Old Radio: The First Firsts of British Broadcasting and writing his latest book, Aunties and Uncles: The Bizarre Birth Of The BBC.

Winner of ITV's Take The Mike Award in 2002, he took six shows to the Edinburgh Fringe between 2005 and 2015 and has written on more than 60 episodes of Not Going Out since it began in 2006.

Winner of a British Comedy Award for Miranda, which he also had a cameo in as a customer in her shop, his other credits include Dead Ringers, The Now Show and The News Quiz, as well as writing lines for The Royal Variety Performance and working with Chris Evans on TFI Friday and Top Gear.

He is the author of several books, including So a Comedian Walks Into A Church and a range of children's books about faith.

– by Jay Richardson

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Published: 14 May 2026