Funniest Non-Comedians?

[tom_exorcisto]

Richard Dawson's between song stage patter and Louis Theroux on the Adam Buxton podcast both made me laugh more than many comedian's sets.

[grassbath]

Ringo Starr

All the Beatles were funny, but Ringo is particularly likeable with it, and very quick. Here he is, drunk and attention-seeking next to George on telly in the 80s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQaqcLPAI_s

[Shaky]

Terry Hall is fucking hilarious on RHLSTP. Dry, perfectly timed wit.

[zomgmouse]

Pang started as a radio presenter and has never done stand-up per se but I'd argue he does enough hosting and writing these days to be classed as a comedian.

I've seen him do some stand-up if that counts

[Shaky]

I've seen him do some stand-up if that counts

It certainly would.

[Famous Mortimer]

I've seen him do some stand-up if that counts

Screw you guys

I feel picked on, cos Paul O'Grady was a standup for fucking years and no-one mentioned that. I was just trying to get more people to watch HYBPA?

[samadriel]

It's a funny show.  Do you torrent it, FM, or does the Ten website allow British viewers or something?

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Taylor Parkes

[Famous Mortimer]

It's a funny show.  Do you torrent it, FM, or does the Ten website allow British viewers or something?

I did a VPN round the Ten site for a few of them that didn't show up, but mostly torrenting.

[nw83]

Bowie's been mentioned, but I'll just add how funny he is in his interviews with Mark Riley in particular
Mark E Smith (if we can name dead people)
Bob Dylan in his early press conferences
The Gallaghers
Robbie Williams used to be notably quick-witted in old interviews, probably not now and obviously music's shite
Werner Herzog
David Lynch (although probably not face-to-face)

[thecuriousorange]

Boris Johnson.

[Blue Jam]

Ringo Starr

All the Beatles were funny, but Ringo is particularly likeable with it, and very quick. Here he is, drunk and attention-seeking next to George on telly in the 80s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQaqcLPAI_s

That's great.

I realised some time ago that Ringo is the best Beatle.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

That's great.

I realised some time ago that Ringo is the best Beatle.

I loved his crisps which had a caveman picture on them in the 70s.

[Jockice]

Terry Hall is fucking hilarious on RHLSTP. Dry, perfectly timed wit.

Never seen him on that but I've seen him live a few times (with Fun Boy Three, Colour Field, solo and lastly with the Specials) and he's totally deadpan and very funny indeed. It's one of the big regrets of my music journo days that I never got the chance to interview him. Was in a lift with him once though and didn't realise until my companion mentioned it after we got out. He's only my favourite pop star ever...

[Brundle-Fly]

Taylor Parkes

God yes. If Charlie Brooker wanted to relinquish the 'Wipe format to anybody it could be to Parkesy. Mind you, I think Al Needham could host any number of comedy panel shows too.

[oy vey]

Gordon Ramsay, the cunt's cunt.

The idiot sandwich has obviously been damaged by becoming a meme but there's a rich texture of insults to plunder across his most pointless TV series (all of 'em). I try to make notes of his most colourful explanations of shit-worthy food. The bison's penis is my favourite to date. You need the visual for it to work. I don't have it sorry... I could just take a pic of my own cock.

[Jackson K Pollock]

Terry Hall is fucking hilarious on RHLSTP. Dry, perfectly timed wit.

Talking of RHLSTP, Adrian Chiles' recent one was absolutely hilarious, if he counts (aside: he does, obviously).

I also thought the Nicholas Parsons one was absolutely one of the most surprisingly funny things I've heard in years, and I would've nominated him, but it turns out he's actually got a long and established career in comedy (believe it or not, I only knew him from vague memories as a smarmy 80's game show host, had no idea he was actually properly funny).

I'd also be tempted to nominate Weird Al. One of my weird guilty pleasures is searching for podcasts where he's the guest - I've discovered some really good, and some not so good, ones that way. Although I suppose seeing as he made a career as a comedy musician, made a comedy movie, and is now a regular on Comedy Bang Bang, it might be a stretch to label him a non-comedian.

[Terryfuckwit]

Anthony Cumia if radio host counts. His politics are crazy sometimes and he is racist but man he has made me belly laugh so hard sometimes and he's quick as hell

[thecuriousorange]

Some musicians/frontpeople are funny on stage, but I suppose you have to have a certain amount of charisma to end up in that situation.

[Terryfuckwit]

Some musicians/frontpeople are funny on stage, but I suppose you have to have a certain amount of charisma to end up in that situation.

On that, Jonathan Richman is hysterical in an uncopyable way

[hummingofevil]

Mentioned this elsewhere but Lizzo's stage patter is hilarious. She has a pattern but she is naturally funnier than most comedians.

It's hard to think of people though who whilst they might not be comedians are involved in producing context that is funny. Wrestling commentator Bobby Heenan wasnt "a comedian" but consistently produced some of the funniest broadcast material going.

Who is funny but whose work is rarely so? Or is that even possible? Erm...

[DrGreggles]

John Otway?

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Does Paul O'Grady count? I don't consider him a "comedian"

But he was, in the guise of Lily Savage, an actual comedian before he became Mr 'aww, dogs' ITV. A very funny man, yes, but that sharp timing was honed performing stand-up.

[Shaky]

Never seen him on that but I've seen him live a few times (with Fun Boy Three, Colour Field, solo and lastly with the Specials) and he's totally deadpan and very funny indeed. It's one of the big regrets of my music journo days that I never got the chance to interview him. Was in a lift with him once though and didn't realise until my companion mentioned it after we got out. He's only my favourite pop star ever...

The full show is here if interested (and it sounds like you might be). Tez walks on stage around the 8.20 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSvxztG1Lv8

[Jockice]

The full show is here if interested (and it sounds like you might be). Tez walks on stage around the 8.20 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSvxztG1Lv8

I watched it last night thanks. Very amusing. Especially the bit about being abducted by a gang of paedophiles.

[Jockice]

John Otway?

His autobiography's great. Seen him live a couple of times though and he just leaves me cold. He reminds me of a kid in my class at school who would just never ever shut the fuck up even though probably only about 5% of what he said was actually funny. But with music.

(This kid ended up being a barrister and about quadrupling in weight. He's a coronary in waiting.)

[up_the_hampipe]

Tyler The Creator and some of the other Odd Future guys. Adult Swim even gave them a sketch show that was intermittently funny. This is still regularly quoted amongst me and my fwends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwyKQ_j7Vew A perfect encapsulation of all Real Housewives shows in less than a minute.

[chrispmartha]

Chris Isaak's a super funny guy.

Agreed

[chrispmartha]

Some musicians/frontpeople are funny on stage, but I suppose you have to have a certain amount of charisma to end up in that situation.

Richard Hawley is a funny guy, I like Hawley's music but I saw him once and it was a bit boring, the in between song banter was the best bit.

[chveik]

George Sanders