He's a strange brew, at once funny, then turning on a dime, as serious as a prophet. Born in Belfast in 1963, Michael Smiley grew up in a cultural atmosphere which fed his ire, and ultimately, his humour.

Are we witnessing a return to the bad old days of British comedy? This week found the impressionist Rory Bremner criticising the BBC panel show Mock t...

I respect a person's right to hold any opinion, even if I don't respect the opinion itself. Which means Frankie Boyle's repertoire of jokes about Madeleine McCann, BabyP, Katie Price's disabled son Harvey and children with Down's Syndrome don't send me into paroxysms of rage.

There is a serious trend for rape jokes in comedy clubs. On an average night, you'll hear the word "rape" more often than "David Cameron", "the NHS" or "Mitt Romney".

Banning any jokes about anything is a bad idea. Trying to get comedy club owners to ban comedians who (they believe) tell or have told or may tell 'rape jokes' is not just a bad idea, it is actively dangerous. Where does the censorship end?

We never thought we'd say this, but gawd bless ya, Jim Davidson. Because the controversial '80s comedian (copyright: all papers) has taken to his b...

Following the popular surprise appearance by Chancellor George Osborne at a Paralympics medal ceremony on Monday night, bookies are now offering odds ...

The central character in Punch is the most heinous, twisted, barbarous person I have ever tried writing. He's impervious to any shred of empathy, tact or compassion and yet I agree with (almost) everything he says.