Talent
Ian Smith
About Ian
Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show Nominee 2023
Ian Smith is a multi-award winning comedian, actor and writer as heard on BBC Radio 4’s The
News Quiz, The Now Show, Just A Minute and his own comedy-documentary Girl Stuck in
Basketball Hoop - as well as being a regular guest on The Bugle.
He is the co-host of the Northern News podcast, alongside Amy Gledhill - which hit the top 20 in
the Apple comedy podcast charts after just two weeks and featured in The Guardian’s “best
podcasts of 2023 so far”.
Ian’s 2023 Edinburgh Fringe show Crushing was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award,
shortlisted for the (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Award and runner-up in Next Up's Biggest Award
in Comedy. His sold out run is transferring to Soho Theatre, followed by a UK tour in 2024.
Ian’s previous Fringe shows have received critical acclaim, an Amused Moose Comedy Award,
ThreeWeeks Editors’ Award and seen him invited to New Zealand Comedy Festival and to
perform as part of Best of the Edinburgh Fest at Adelaide and Melbourne Comedy Festivals.
In 2015 he was also part of the hugely successful, multi-award winning Fringe show, Richard
Gadd – Waiting for Gaddot.
He has appeared on Comedy Central Live, BBC3’s Sweat the Small Stuff and on the prestigious
New Zealand Comedy Gala (TVNZ).
Ian is also a talented actor – starting off as a lead in BBC2 sitcom Popatron. He has gone on to
star alongside Katherine Parkinson in Sky comedy Officially Special and have a leading role in
BBC1 drama, The Ark - as well as a number of supporting roles including The Emily Atack Show,
Siblings, Pls Like and BBC drama The Syndicate.
Ian has written on The News Quiz, The Now Show, Newsjack (BBC Radio 4), Have I Got News
For You (BBC1) and writes for various other comedians (including on Mock the Week). In 2022 he
directed Amy Gledhill's Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominated show, The Girl
Before The Girl You Marry. He’s also written two of his own web series – Hope You Come Up
Here and the Chortle Award nominated 100 Reasons to Hate…
He has a forthcoming Radio 4 stand-up series commissioned for 2024.
“One of the best you will see” ★★★★★ The Mirror
“Excellent, pure stand-up performed by a comedian at the top of their game” ★★★★★ QR
“Stories flow seamlessly from Ian’s brilliant mind. His tales are relatable, plentiful and downright
hilarious” ★★★★★ Edinburgh Festivals
“Sheer brilliance.” ★★★★.5 Chortle
“There are few fringe shows as purely funny as this” ★★★★ The Guardian
“An effortlessly brilliant stand-up” ★★★★ The Scotsman
“An outstanding and stressed-out hour of stand-up” ★★★★ Fest
“Ian Smith turns incredulity into an art form, confirming his status as the undisputed sultan of
nerve-shredding stress” Rolling Stone
“You’d do well to catch him now before his inevitable jump to the big time” The Telegraph
“The hilarity just keeps coming… he has excelled himself” Beyond the Joke
Credits
| TELEVISION | |||
| PLS LIKE | IAN | SHINY BUTTON PRODUCTION | TOM KINGSLEY |
| SIBLINGS | PIZZA GUY | BWARK/BBC THREE | DAN ZEFF |
| THE ARK | HAM (Lead) | RED PLANET/BBC 1 | KENNY GLENAAN |
| GIVE OUT GIRLS | HOMELESS JOE (Guest Lead) | BIG TALK/ COMEDY CENTRAL | Chloe Thomas |
| RUN | AARON | ACME TV/CHANNEL 4 | CHARLES PALMER |
| OFFICIALLY SPECIAL | DOUG WICK | CHANNEL X/SKY | CHRIS COTTAM |
| WIZARDS SLEEVE | YANNI | ANGEL EYE/CHANNEL 4 | JOHN HENDERSON |
| SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF | SELF | TALKBACK/BBC 3 | TOBY BAKER |
| THE SYNDICATE |
WAYNE | BBC1 | KAY MELLOR |
