Comedians must stifle screams as well as laughter in Halloween special
Last One Laughing is returning with a Halloween special that adds a new challenge: comedians must suppress screams as well as laughter. The change plays on the overlap between comedy and horror, while keeping the show’s central contest intact.
Filmed at Elstree Studios over a sunny summer weekend, the special features Lou Sanders, Tom Allen, Phil Wang, Daisy May Cooper, Reece Shearsmith and Harriet Dyer, with Jimmy Carr hosting. Wang says he discovered he was prone to screaming, while Sanders found that returning to the show did not give her an advantage. The first series drew more than two million viewers per episode and won a Bafta for Best Entertainment Programme.
- The Halloween special bans contestants from laughing or screaming.
- Phil Wang says he discovered he is a screamer.
- The first series drew over two million viewers per episode.
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Last One Laughing is a comedy contest in which performers try to keep a straight face while making one another laugh. Contestants who laugh are at risk of being eliminated, so the show depends on both quick jokes and self-control.
The format brings comedians together in one room and lets their reactions become part of the entertainment. Jimmy Carr hosts, while the contestants take turns trying to break each other’s composure.
The show has attracted a large audience and won a Bafta for Best Entertainment Programme. Its mix of familiar comedians and a simple contest has made it a recognisable format for viewers.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “‘I didn’t know I was a screamer. Turns out I am’ – the spooky secrets of Last One Laughing: Halloween”.