Frankie Boyle Named ‘Most Offensive Comic’

I, for one, am not surprised, and very pleased, to read this. I think it’s progress!

Comedians have named Frankie Boyle the nation’s most offensive stand-up.

Frankie, who has caused a storm with jokes about Katie Price’s disabled son Harvey on his Channel 4 sketch show, came top in a study carried out with over 100 British-based stand-up acts.

The Scottish star of TV series Tramadol Nights was followed by US-born comic and magician Jerry Sadowitz, Jim Davidson and Roy Chubby Brown in the list.

Daniel Kitson, who rarely appears on television, beat big names such as Michael McIntyre to be crowned the favourite “comedian’s comedian”.

Billy Connolly was second, followed by comedian and actor Eddie Izzard and Tommy Cooper, who died after collapsing on stage from a heart attack at a live TV performance in 1984.

Liverpool was branded the toughest city to perform stand-up in, followed by Nottingham.

The Midlands was named the region of the UK that is most receptive to stand-up in the poll commissioned by TV channel Dave.

The north-west of England is the region with the biggest reputation for heckling, according to the survey.

Just under a third of comics (31%) said they had been so nervous before taking to the stage that they were physically sick beforehand. Over half, 55%, said that their jokes had been stolen.

The survey involved interviews with 112 comedians, including Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Tim Vine, Dave Gorman, Rhod Gilbert, Mark Watson, Jason Byrne and Greg Davies, and was commissioned by TV channel Dave to mark the new series Dave’s One Night Stand.