UK’s richest comedians revealed - see the top ten here

Virgin Radio

22 Jul 2024, 13:39

The best-paid comedians in the UK have been revealed in a new top ten list, which features some big names.

Using records from Companies House, The Sun has compiled the list of comedy stars who have the biggest earnings. 

Top of the tree is a beloved funnyman who is in the midst of a massive arena tour.

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According to The Sun’s report, Car Share star Peter Kay is the UK’s richest comedian, with an estimated fortune of £34.6 million. The beloved comedy icon’s tour carries on until December 2025.

Sitting in second place with £26.2 million is The Outlaws’ creator and star Stephen Merchant, while his Office–co-creator, Ricky Gervais is just behind him on £25.8 million.

Stephen visited the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar earlier this year, and spoke about working with Gervais on The Office. “We were worried that we would run out of stories and that somehow it would start to repeat itself, and it would feel lame and its kind of glory years would have passed, and the third series would be sort of not as good and people would sort of turn against us, and we'd never become national treasures. But now I look back. I think we could have kept on going,” he said.

In fourth position in the list is Russell Howard, followed by Jack Whitehall, and Parenting Hell star Rob Beckett.

When Rob visited Virgin Radio, he spoke to Chris Evans about his relationship with stand-up, He said: “Before, everything was wrapped up in my performance. So if it went well, I was king of the world. If it went bad, I was a complete loser. That's gone now. Now, I work hard, I write jokes, I go out and tell them and I look forward to it. And I love it. And the way it'll go is the way it will go. And at the moment it’s going well. So I'm just going to keep doing that and not overthink it.

The Wheel host Michael McIntyre is in seventh in the list, with John Bishop in eighth. Sarah Millican is the only female in the top ten, which is completed by Hugh Dennis in tenth.

Here is the full top ten: 

1 Peter Kay: £34.6 million

2. Stephen Merchant: £26.2 million 

3. Ricky Gervais: £25.8 million

4. Russell Howard: £10.1 million

5. Jack Whitehall: £.9.9 million

6  Rob Beckett: £6 million

7. Michael McIntyre: £5 million

8 John Bishop: £4.3 million

9. Sarah Millican: £3.2 million

10. Hugh Dennis: £2.7 million