Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Dave's Joke Of The Fringe 2023

22/08/2023

22nd August 2023

Comedian Lorna Rose Treen wins Daves Funniest Joke of The Fringe Award with zookeeper joke

A shortlist of jokes were chosen by a panel of UK comedy critics from shows at this years Fringe and anonymously voted for by the British public

Other jokes in the Top 10 include one-liners from the likes of Liz Guterbock, Amos Gill and Masai Graham

Themes such as overly apologetic Brits and inflation also feature in the winning list

2023 marks the fourteenth year of Daves Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award

Dave, the BAFTA-winning UKTV entertainment channel, has announced the winner of its fourteenth Daves Funniest Joke of the Fringe award.

Comedian, Lorna Rose Treen, was voted the winner with her witty pun: I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah. The joke, taken from her show Skin Pigeon at Pleasance Courtyard, topped the list of funniest of the Fringe with 44% of Brits surveyed voting it the most hilarious rib-tickler.

To seek out the best one-liners and wisecracks for the greatly anticipated Joke of the Fringe award, Dave recruited an expert panel of acclaimed judges made up of some of the leading comedy critics in the UK.

These panellists attended hundreds of shows across the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, listening out for those jokes which tickled them the most, then submitted their ten favourites. This shortlist was then submitted anonymously - without the name of the comic involved - to a public vote of 2,000 Brits, after which the funniest was revealed.

When asked to select a top three, Daves Top 10 Funniest Jokes of the Fringe Festival 2023 revealed:

I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah. Lorna Rose Treen - 44%

The most British thing Ive ever heard? A lady who said Well Im sorry, but I dont apologise. Liz Guterbock - 41%

Last year I had a great joke about inflation. But its hardly worth it now. Amos Gill - 40%

When women gossip we get called bitchy; but when men do its called a podcast. Sikisa - 34%

I thought Id start off with a joke about The Titanic - just to break the ice. Masai Graham - 33%

How do coeliac Germans greet each other? Gluten tag. Frank Lavender - 32%

My friend got locked in a coffee place overnight. Now he only ever goes into Starbucks, not the rivals. Hes Costa-phobic. Roger Swift - 29%

I entered the How not to surrender competition and I won hands down. Bennett Arron -29%

Nationwide must have looked pretty silly when they opened their first branch. William Stone - 28%

My grandma describes herself as being in her twilight years which I love because theyre great films. Daniel Foxx - 26%

Lorna Rose Treen, a London based comedian, writer, and actor, originally from Redditch, has won numerous awards for her creative one liners. Lorna became the first ever double award winner at the Funny Women Awards in 2022, then went on to win Chortles coveted Best Newcomer Award in early 2023.

At the Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Lorna is debuting at The Pleasance Courtyard with her nonsensical escapist character show - SKIN PIGEON - throughout the month, until 27th August.

Speaking about her joke claiming the top spot, Lorna said:

I am blooming chuffed to have won Daves best joke of the fringe! Are you kidding! I cant wait to tell my mum! It is already such a wonderful joy to be debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, and this is a lovely thing on top. A huge thank you for awarding my stupid joke with this title!

Now in its fourteenth year, previous winners of the coveted Joke of the Fringe Award include Masai Graham, Ken Cheng, Olaf Falafel, Tim Vine, Rob Auton, Stewart Francis, Zoe Lyons and Nick Helm.

Recognising comics both established and up-and-coming, the Joke of the Fringe award celebrates the art of joke writing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and acknowledges the talent it requires to create knee-slapping one-liners. To ensure that there is no bias towards well-known or household name comedians during the public vote, the jokes are listed with no reference to the comedian that wrote and performed them - meaning it is purely judged on the humour of the jokes themselves.

Cherie Hall, Dave channel director, said:

Its that time of year again - Daves Joke of the Fringe - and this year we are thrilled to award Lorna Rose Treens joke with the win. Weve got an amazing mix of jokes and comedians in our Top 10 list this year, the quality of submissions will keep us laughing until next year! This is the 14th year of our sponsorship of the Joke of the Fringe, and Dave remains as committed as ever to showcasing the best in new comedy on the channel. We are really excited for the return of Outsiders and Big Zuus Big Eats in the next few months.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest arts festival in the world and takes place every August for three weeks in Scotlands capital city.

2023 marks the fourteenth year of Daves Funniest Joke of the Fringe. New content coming to the channel in the next few months include the return of Outsiders and Big Zuus Big Eats. Find the best of Daves programming on UKTV Play.

-ENDS-

For more information contact: Abi Beaton 07707 810658 or abi.beaton@taylorherring.com at Taylor Herring PR

Notes to editors

The 76th Edinburgh Fringe Festival takes place 4th - 28th August 2023.

The Dave Joke of the Fringe Panel:

Steve Bennett (Editor, Chortle.co.uk)

Mark Boosey (Editor, British Comedy Guide)

Bruce Dessau (Comedy Critic, Evening Standard)

Polly Glynn (Comedy Editor, The Skinny)

Mark Monahan (Arts Editor, Daily Telegraph)

Dominic Maxwell (Comedy Critic, The Times)

James Walker (Journalist, The National)

Brian Logan (Comedy Critic, The Guardian)

Kate Stone (Editor, FunnyWomen.co.uk)

Andrzej Lukowski (Editor & Critic, TimeOut)

The Dave panel each submitted their ten best jokes nominations. These were then put anonymously to a vote of 2,000 Br
LINK: https://corporate.uktv.co.uk/news/article/daves-joke-of-the-fringe-202...
See more stories from uktv

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

02/09/2026

Manfrotto Showcases New Video Support Solutions at IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Mediagenix Rebrands Spideo as Mediagenix Curation

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Creative Technology Group Founder Graham Andrews Sets Year-End Exit

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

San Antonio Spurs, DAZN Ink Exclusive Streaming Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

DPA Launches 6388 CORE Headset Microphone With Shifted Ac...

KOKKEDAL, DENMARK, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 DPA Microphones announces its new 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, a high-performance directional headset designed for dema...

02/09/2026

Pliant Technologies Spotlights CrewCom CXD 32CF Dante AES...

Pliant Technologies will highlight its CrewCom CXD 32CF 32x32 Dante /AES67 Digital Audio Network Interface, a powerful connectivity solution designed to expand ...

02/09/2026

iWedia Enhances Teatro Pulse with Edge AI Self-Healing an...

iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced two enhancements to Teatro Pulse, its end-to-end TV service operation...

02/09/2026

Signiant Accelerates More Than File Transfers at IBC2026

Signiant, trusted by the media industry for accelerated content movement for more than 20 years, will showcase the latest evolution of the Signiant Platform at ...

02/09/2026

Calrec Argo M Powers Cloudbass Next Generation OB Fleet

With a contractual agreement to supply a leading UK sports broadcaster with outside broadcast services for 104 football matches per season over the next four ye...

02/09/2026

IBC2026 puts sport at the winning end of media innovation

IBC2026 will put sport firmly at the centre of the global media and entertainment technology conversation with the strongest sports showing in the event's h...

02/09/2026

PTZOptics Demonstrates the Power of Intelligent Multicame...

PTZOptics will bring a hands-on showcase of intelligent video production to IBC2026 (11-14 September, RAI Amsterdam), with demonstrations spanning new camera te...

02/09/2026

OOONA Launches OOONA Go

OOONA, a global provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, today announced the launch of OOONA Go, a ready-to...

02/09/2026

EON Media launches AI media activation and monetization s...

EON Media will make its European debut at IBC2026 (September 11-14, RAI Amsterdam) in the show's Future Tech Zone (Hall 14.FT5). The company is launching it...

02/09/2026

Frequency Defines the Intelligent Channel at IBC2026

Frequency, the engine behind many of the worlds leading streaming television channels, will demonstrate at IBC2026 how integrating intelligence throughout chann...

02/09/2026

FOR-A Introduces Go Vertical AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub Und...

On-device AI platform gives broadcasters and content creators purpose-built tools for real-time vertical video production and AI-enhanced sports coverage...

02/09/2026

Shotoku To Introduce Aura E2 PTZ Elevator At IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

AJA to Launch New openGear SDI/Fiber Conversion Cards at IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

GoPro to Merge with Starman Optical

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

AIMS, EBU Completes Latest IPMX Certification Testing

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

EVS To Showcase New Neuron 4X Processor At IBC 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Sony Launches 100+ FAST Channels on Playstation 5 in the U.S.

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Canon Unveils PTZ Camera Firmware Updates

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

EverPass Media Expands NFL Offering with Netflix Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/09/2026

Imagine Communications Unveils Latest Control Portfolio A...

Next-Generation Freeform Control Surfaces Lay the Foundation for AI-Enabled Media Operations At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B73), Imagine Com...

02/09/2026

Friedrichstadt-Palast Relies on Riedel for IP-Centered Pr...

Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, the world's largest theater stage, has modernized its backstage production infrastructure with a comprehensive Riedel solut...

02/09/2026

WiM to Host Reel Forward Production Conference at CSU Los...

Women in Media announces that it will host the two-day Reel/Forward in-person conference devoted to navigating today's production scene. Guests can enjoy pa...

02/09/2026

Teradek and New Media AV Expand Partnership with Full Liv...

The expanded partnership brings Teradek's Live Production solutions to New Media AV's European dealer and integrator network, opening new opportunities ...

02/09/2026

QuickLink Expands StudioEdge With WhatsApp Cisco Webex an...

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, announces a major expansion to its award winning Studio...

02/09/2026

Vipe by BCNEXXT Gives Foxtel a New Playout Model for its...

BCNEXXT, the developers of the advanced playout platform Vipe, today announced that premium entertainment brand Foxtel has selected Vipe to underpin playout for...

02/09/2026

HOT Telecommunications supercharges localisation efficien...

SubtitleNEXT helps HOT Telecom's subtitling team keep a cool head with reliable QC capabilities Profuz Digital, global developer of digital media and local...

02/09/2026

Case Study - Mission Digital Strengthens Battery Safety w...

Case Study: Mission Digital Strengthens Battery Safety with Safe-ion As productions become increasingly dependent on battery-powered equipment, the safe storag...

02/09/2026

New design strategy expands nanoparticle vaccine approach to influenza viruses

LA JOLLA, CA-Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutini...

02/09/2026

New AI algorithm could improve detection and prediction of heart diseases

LA JOLLA, CA-Clinicians often use a medical test called a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose heart problems, which uses electrodes placed on the chest ...

02/09/2026

Where milliseconds matter: Scripps Research scientists build new ML model to predict protein movements essential for biological function

LA JOLLA, CA-Proteins may look like rigid molecular structures, but inside our c...

02/09/2026

Lidl steps into the ring for Katie Taylor fight on RT

RT has today announced a major media partnership with Lidl around Katie Taylor's historic Croke Park clash with Flora Pili on Saturday, September 5th. The...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: Bridge Technologies Adds Blackmagic IP10 Support to VB440 Production Probe

Bridge Technologies will announce at IBC2026 (Booth 1.A71) that its VB440 produc...

01/09/2026

DAZN to Acquire EverPass Media to Expand U.S. Commercial Venue Distribution

DAZN has announced an agreement to acquire EverPass Media, a commercial sports distribution platform serving bars, restaurants, hotels, and other venues in the ...

01/09/2026

Kalshi Named Official Prediction Market Partner of the US Open

The USTA and Kalshi have announced a multi-year partnership making Kalshi the Official Prediction Market Partner of the US Open, beginning with the 2026 US Open...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: MASV to Showcase Sports Video Transfer Workflows

MASV will exhibit at IBC2026 (Booth 5.B40, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14). CTO Majed Alhajry will appear on a panel session, A Tale of Two Feeds: Automation o...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: FingerWorks Telestrators Partners with Broadcast Rental for European Distribution

FingerWorks Telestrators has announced a partnership with Broadcast Rental to ex...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: FOR-A Expands viztrick AiDi into Two Dedicated Products

FOR-A has announced the expansion of viztrick AiDi into two dedicated products: Go Vertical! AiDi and AiDi Sports Hub. Developed by Nippon TV and delivered glob...

01/09/2026

Sony Launches Live TV on PS5 with Free Ad-Supported Streaming in the U.S.

Sony Pictures Television has launched Live TV on PS5, a free ad-supported streaming experience available to PS5 players in the United States. The service is acc...

01/09/2026

Friedrichstadt-Palast Installs Riedel Production Infrastructure

Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin has installed a Riedel production infrastructure spanning video, intercom, control, and I/O across the venue, implemented in col...

01/09/2026

IBC 2026: Arkona Partners with BFE for Arkona-Branded Control Panels

Arkona technologies GmbH has announced an OEM partnership with BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH to offer arkona-branded control panels for its SDI-IP routing ...

01/09/2026

Cricket Australia Launches Cricket TV Streaming Service on Eluvio Platform

Cricket Australia has launched Cricket TV, a direct-to-consumer streaming service built on Eluvio's Content Fabric platform. The service is currently in ear...

01/09/2026

Eluvio Selected to Power Pasifika+ Streaming Service for Pacific Island Communities

Eluvio has announced it was selected to power Pasifika , a new direct-to-consume...

01/09/2026

Layercake Names Jon Marquard as Director/Chairperson

Layercake, the company behind the intelligent media workflow platform Streamcake, has appointed Jon Marquard as Director and Chairperson. The appointment marks ...