Comedians by Country Trivia Quiz

Answer: Scottish

Sir William Connolly, as he is now known since being knighted in 2017, was born in Glasgow. He was given the nickname of 'The Big Yin', meaning the big one, as his father was also Billy Connolly and this transferred into his professional career.

Connolly was a folk singer at one time and worked in a band called the Humblebums, which included fellow Scot Gerry Rafferty. He then made the transition to full time comedy in the 1970s, relying on observational comedy to make his mark. Connolly remained popular for many years, although ill health has brought his career to an end in the 2010s.

Answer: Scottish

Kevin started his stand-up career at a young age, being only seventeen when he began performing in Glasgow. He was an instant success, progressing to larger venues with each year that passed. His performances include the Edinburgh Fringe and he has performed tours throughout the UK.

Like the other comedians in this quiz, Bridges has been a regular on comedy panel shows, including 'Mock the Week' and 'Would I Lie to You'. He has also appeared on 'Live at the Apollo', a BBC television show which features different stand-up comedians.

Answer: Scottish

Francis Boyle was born in Scotland in 1972, and is known as a somewhat controversial comedian. He has regularly caused offense with jokes about such things as rape, Down's Syndrome, and the Queen. Despite his history, Boyle still appears regularly in comedy panel shows, including 'Mock the Week' and 'Taskmaster'.

Although he claimed his 2015 live tour was his last, Boyle has gone on to perform more tours in 2019 and 2023. He remains unrepentant about his act and those who go to see him are well aware of what to expect.

Answer: Irish

The much loved and missed Dave Allen was born in Dublin in 1936. He was a pioneer of observational comedy, known for sitting on a bar stool while telling his stories and sipping from a glass which appeared to contain whiskey (the Irish spelling). Dave Allen also introduced the sketches which later comedians, such as Morecambe and Wise, adopted for their own shows.

Allen was a regular on television during the1960s and 1970s. His mockery of the church and the establishment didn't always make him popular, but he was always funny.

Answer: Irish

Graham was born in the Republic of Ireland and has made his name primarily as a talk show host in recent years. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe, before moving into radio panel shows.

Graham expanded his career by appearing in 'Father Ted' alongside Dermot Morgan. He has also become the regular presenter and commentator for the BBC's coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest. Norton has presented his self-titled comedy chat show on the BBC since 2007.

Answer: Irish

Another comedian from the Republic of Ireland, Moran also began as a stand-up comedian before branching out into television and films. He wrote and appeared in the television sitcom 'Black Books' with Bill Bailey and Tamsin Greig. The series, set in a book shop, ran from 2000 until 2004.

Moran has also worked closely with Simon Pegg appearing in 'Shaun of the Dead', a film released in 2004, and in 'Run Fatboy Run', which was directed by David Schwimmer in 2007. DVDs of his stand-up tours are also widely available.

Answer: Welsh

Whitehouse may not immediately have sprung to mind when thinking of comedians from Wales, but he was born in Glamorgan - his family moved to England when he was four years old. Whitehouse is known for his participation in 'The Fast Show', a collection of comedy sketches which ran from 1994 until 1997. He was the creator of the series, along with Charlie Higson.

In more recent times, he has appeared regularly with follow comedian Bob Mortimer in 'Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing', which began in 2018. The two friends, both recovering from heart problems, exchange anecdotes while highlighting hidden parts of the UK as they fish in various rivers.

Answer: Welsh

The spelling might have pushed you towards Wales if you were unsure about this one. Rhod is short for Rhodri, and he comes from Carmarthen. He broke into comedy later than most, being in his mid-thirties before making it his profession.

Rhod's initial work was as a stand-up comedian with an observational style. He often builds his comedy around a village called Llanbobl, which he has created. Gilbert has branched out into television with appearances on 'Would I Lie to You' and 'Never Mind the Buzzcocks'. He went on to present the final series of the latter show, which aired in 2015 on BBC2, although it has been revived on Sky Max where Greg Davies is the presenter.

Answer: Welsh

Max Boyce became particularly popular in the 1970s with his comedic songs based around rugby union and Wales. He was helped by the dominance of the Welsh team at that time. Boyce was born in Glynnneath, near Port Talbot, which was a mining town at the time, like much of the south Wales area. Boyce himself worked in the mines as a young man.

Boyce's breakthrough album was called 'We All Had Doctor's Papers', issued in 1975, which had a mixture of his original poems, set to music, and traditional Welsh songs. The title refers to the habit of skipping work to watch rugby by getting a doctor to sign you off as sick. Boyce's easy going nature and patter mixed with his songs made him one of the most popular Welsh entertainers, even in England.

Answer: English

Born in Kettering, England, Hugh Dennis has worked extensively with his comedy partner Steve Punt. They met while at Cambridge University in the 1980s - the university is known for its 'Footlights' sketch comedy group which has been the starting point for many comedians.

Dennis has also appeared as an actor in comedy series such as 'Not Going Out' and 'Outnumbered'. As with the others in this quiz, Hugh is a regular on comedy panel shows, being a team captain on 'Mock the Week' for the entirety of its run from 2005 until 2022. He began presenting the archaeology show 'The Great British Dig' in 2020.

Answer: English

Atkinson was born in County Durham, in the north-east of England. He began his comedic career while at Oxford University, performing at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Oxford Revue, the equivalent to Cambridge's Footlights.

Rowan turned to acting, primarily in comedy sketches, appearing in 'Not the Nine O'Clock News' with Pamela Stephenson (who later married Billy Connolly), Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. He then appeared in the four series of 'Blackadder', which ran from 1983 until 1989. Atkinson's conniving character, Edmund Blackadder, was set in different eras from the fifteenth century, the Elizabethan era, the Regency period before ending in World War I. He also played the hapless 'Mr Bean' on television and on the big screen. Atkinson has also appeared in films such as 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' (1994) and 'Love Actually' (2003).

Answer: English

Mark Robert Bailey was born in Bath, Somerset, and adopted the forename of Bill for his professional life. He is known for being a comedian, singer and actor, as well as presenting television shows. Bailey is a regular on shows such as 'QI' and 'Have I Got News For You'.

Bailey has appeared in television shows as an actor, including 'Black Books' with Dylan Moran and in films such as 'Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang' (2010). He was a contestant on 'Strictly Come Dancing' in 2020, winning the series with Oti Mabuse.