Saturday Night Live UK faces an uphill battle
William Garbett on how cultural differences could be an issue
19/03/2026 … A tall, well-built man saunters past a band and onto the stage.
Latest Opinions
Chortle's Opinions section is an arena for fans to share their views on any aspect of comedy.
We invite general comment pieces about particular aspects of the comedy scene (although reviews of individual shows or performers tend not to be suited to this section except in very rare circumstances). Contributions should be at least 500 words in length, in a similar tone to something you might read in a broadsheet newspaper, and emailed to steve@chortle.co.uk
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Thu 19 March 2026
© Sipa US/Alamy How to fix the Oscars monologue
Ray Nielsen on Conan O'Brien and the myth of the finished joke
19/03/2026 … There’s a peculiar kind of sympathy that only exists among comedians, and it tends to surface at the strangest moments.
Tue 17 March 2026
'This was a significant moment for comedy'
Geoff Rowe on an industry roundtable with the creative industries Minister
17/03/2026 … This time last week, a bunch of people who work in comedy gathered at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in Westminster to meet with the Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts,…
Fri 13 March 2026
Is comedy outside the London bubble ignored?
Mark Muldoon responds to Christopher Macarthur-Boyd's comments
13/03/2026 … In an interview for this website yesterday, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd told me: ‘I just think the Edinburgh Comedy Awards are a kind of morally bankrupt enterprise…
Mon 09 March 2026
The night AI stole my show
Comedian Benjamin Bello - aka President Obonjo - on a worrying development
09/03/2026 … It was such a wonderful experience performing at Utrecht International Comedy Festival over the weekend – a festival I would highly recommend.
Wed 11 February 2026
Ableism is alive and well in comedy
Comedian Alex Mitchell on his experience of abuse, judgment and stigma
11/02/2026 … Alex Mitchell tells his experience of abuse, judgment, treatment and stigma as a professional comedian who just happens to be disabled.
Thu 05 February 2026
I won't turn my heritage into cabaret for trauma tourists
Esther Manito on defying the expectations put on brown comedians
05/02/2026 … We need to talk about trauma porn.
Tue 27 January 2026
The fear of nobody turning up
Jules O'Brian on the terror of putting on your own show
27/01/2026 … There’s a specific kind of terror that only comedians who put on their own shows understand.