A CANADIAN COMEDIAN’S one-liner has topped a public poll of the funniest jokes at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Stewart Francis, a regular panellist on BBC’s Mock the Week, picked up a fifth of public votes to top the poll – while also contributing another gag which came in eighth place.

Other comics who featured in the top 10 include Tim Vine, Rob Beckett, Chris Turner, George Ryegold, Lou Sanders and Nish Kumar.

Last year’s gong was taken by Nick Helm, who observed:

I needed a password eight characters long, so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Here’s this year’s Top 10, in reverse order:

• 10: “My mum’s so pessimistic, that if there was an Olympics for pessimism … she wouldn’t fancy her chances.”
  – Nish Kumar
• 9: “I waited an hour for my starter so I complained: ‘It’s not rocket salad.”
  – Lou Sanders
• 8: “I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. Riveting!”
  – Stewart Francis
• 7: “Pornography is often frowned upon, but that’s only because I’m concentrating.”
  – George Ryegold
• 6: “I took part in the sun tanning Olympics – I just got Bronze.”
  – Tim Vine
• 5: “I’m good friends with 25 letters of the alphabet … I don’t know Y.”
  – Chris Turner
• 4: “You know you’re working class when your TV is bigger than your book case.”
  – Rob Beckett
• 3: “I was raised as an only child, which really annoyed my sister.”
  – Will Marsh
• 2: “Last night me and my girlfriend watched three DVDs back to back. Luckily I was the one facing the telly.”
  – Tim Vine
• 1: “You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks.”
  – Stewart Francis

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