ABOUT

Ian Smith is an award-winning comedian, actor and writer…

As seen on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You and The Stand Up Sketch Show – and heard on BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, The Now Show, The Unbelievable Truth, Just A Minute and his own stand-up series Ian Smith is Stressed.

He is the co-host of the Northern News podcast, alongside Amy Gledhill – featured in The Guardian’s “best podcasts of 2023 so far” and nominated for Best Podcast at the 2024 Chortle Awards.

Ian’s 2023 Edinburgh Fringe show Crushing was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, shortlisted for the (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Award, nominated for a Chortle Award for Best Show and runner-up in Next Up’s “Biggest Award in Comedy”. His sold out run transferred to Soho Theatre, where its run was extended and followed by a UK tour and run at New Zealand Comedy Festival.

His previous Fringe shows have received critical acclaim, an Amused Moose Comedy Award, ThreeWeeks Editors’ Award and seen him invited 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.

Ian is also a talented actor – starting off as a lead in BBC2 sitcom Popatron and award-winning short film, Bonsai. He has gone on to star alongside Katherine Parkinson in Sky comedy, Officially Special, and have a leading role in major BBC1 drama, The Ark, starring David Threlfall – as well as a number of supporting roles including Siblings, Pls Like and BBC drama The Syndicate.