U to host Clash of the Comics
First ever UK television screening for sellout live event
9th October 2025, London: Clash of the Comics, the wild, unpredictable award-winning live event that sees some of the biggest names in comedy wrestling against each other and some of the UK's top professional wrestlers, will air on British TV for the first time next month on U and U&Dave as a special produced by Expectation (1x160'). Having previously appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Just for Laughs London and Melbourne International Comedy Festival as The Wrestling, Clash of the Comics is created by comedians Max & Ivan and its largest event to date was filmed last night at London's Eventim Hammersmith Apollo.
Clash of the Comics features Ed Gamble wrestling against Phil Wang in the headline title match, with James Acaster issuing an open challenge to fight any comedian or wrestler who can handle him, and Maisie Adam up against multi-time champion wrestler Nina Samuels. Other comics taking part include Max Olesker, Ivan Gonzalez, Ania Magliano, Harriet Kemsley, Amy Gledhill, Sarah Keyworth, Abi Clarke, Max Fosh, Mark Silcox, Adam Kay, Rose Matafeo and Rosie Jones. There is commentary in the venue from Greg James, Sara Pascoe and Nish Kumar and backstage reporting from Olga Koch and Matthew Crosby. Ivo Graham isthe event MC and Joe Lycett oversees as Clash of the Comics' CEO.
Max & Ivan's Max Olesker says, The grandest spectacle in the comedy universe at the UK's most iconic comedy venue, and being broadcast thanks to the UK's wisest, most astute and physically attractive comedy commissioners - it's a (wrestling) match made in heaven. For a comedian who was, many years ago, the UK's youngest professional wrestler, this has been the journey of a lifetime.
Ivan Gonzalez says, The line-up's looking packed, Max is looking stacked, and I have repeatedly panic attacked. Let's rock.
Joe Lycett says, After enjoying a crisp Riesling one evening, I awoke the next day to discover I have purchased the world's finest wrestling-and-comedy league - and I have no regrets. Your favourite comedians will be battling for your pleasure and mine, and I, the all-powerful CE-JOE, will have final say. People say immense wealth has changed me, but honestly, I just have those people taken away.
The television rights to Clash of the Comics have been acquired for UKTV by Jason Dawson, commissioning executive and ordered by Gerald Casey, genre general manager, comedy and entertainment, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Clash of the Comics is produced by Expectation and Ben Wicks, Tim Dean and Hannah Layton are executive producers. Clash of the Comics is directed by Ben Hardy, with Marc Shuttle as wrestling consultant and Jo Bucci as head of production.
Jason Dawson says, Clash of the Comics has established itself as one of the most unforgettable live comedy experiences in the last decade, and Max & Ivan and Expectation are pulling out all the stops to make sure this first televised event truly brings all the chaos, hilarity, and violence it's known for.
Gerald Casey says, The lineup for Clash of the Comicsreadslike a who's who of the finest comedians in the country, but viewers can rest assured they're all taking their training incredibly seriously.
Ben Wicks says, We are overjoyed to be working with visionaries Max & Ivan, and the wonderfully passionate people at U&Dave to bring what's been a massive hit at comedy festivals to television. It's the right move to make. With cliff hanger endings, outrageous storylines, and - most importantly - the funniest people in Britain demonstrating an unquenchable thirst physical violence. We see this being a huge hit in every sense - and a bingeable one at that - and we'll fight anyone who says otherwise (providing it's in at least 6 months-time once Max and Ivan have had time to train us properly).
Clash of the Comics will air on U&Dave with an exclusive debut on U. U is UKTV's free streaming service with over 9000 hours of content from UKTV's free-to-air channels U&Dave, U&Drama, U&Yesterday and U&W, as well as programming exclusive to U. U&Dave is UKTV's free-to-air entertainment channel that is home to Will & Ralf Should Know Better, Guy Martin: Proper Jobs, and BAFTA-winning Big Zuu's Big Eats. U&Dave has just announced its first ever scripted drama commission, Hit Point, is coming to the channel next year.
Clash of the Comics will air later this year on U and U&Dave.
*ENDS*
For more information please contact:
Ben Duncan, Consumer publicity manager
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UKs most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the worlds leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
corporate.uktv.co.uk | press.uktv.co.uk | @uktvpress
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
U to host Clash of the Comics
