Remember the cheeky, Malcolm Hardee Award-winning stunt by comedian Will Mars at the post-pandemic Edinburgh Fringe 2021? 

While the well-known annual “Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe” took a hiatus due to COVID uncertainty in 2021, comedian Will Mars (pictured) stepped in with a comedy coup:

“(some guy called) Dave Joke of the Fringe” — a completely independent joke competition, with big punchlines and an improvised trophy.

And now, it’s BACK for 2025.

And now that U&Dave will not be running their joke of the Fringe award this year Will Mars said: “The Fringe should be about recognising all comedians — the amazing performers with their full-length, finely tuned masterpieces, the new comedians stretching their legs with their first few minutes, the club comedians doing their bullet-proof headline hours, and yes, it should continue to recognise the wordsmiths that put their efforts into every single syllable.”

In 2021, the competition crowned the brilliantly witty Masai Graham and gave the public a fresh laugh with this unforgettable Top 10:

2021’s Top 10 Jokes

(As judged by Some Guy Called Dave)

1. "I thought the word 'Caesarean' began with the letter 'S' but when I looked in the dictionary, it was in the 'C' section." – Masai Graham
2. "My therapist told me, ‘A problem shared, is a hundred quid’." – Ivor Dembina
3. "Me and my ex were into role play. I’d pretend to be James Bond and she’d pretend she still loved me." – Tom Mayhew
4. "The Roman emperor's wife hates playing hide and seek because wherever she goes, Julius Caesar." – Adele Cliff
5. "Marvin Gaye used to keep a sheep in my vineyard. He'd herd it through the grapevine." – Leo Kearse
6. "Getting a Caesarean is dangerous in Russia. If they open you up and find a little girl, they open her up to see if there’s another." – Ben Clover
7. "My grandparents were married for forty years, everything took longer back then." – Will Mars
8. "I think Chewbacca is French because he understands English but refuses to speak it." – Sameer Katz
9. "I don’t know what you call a small spillage from a pen but I have an inkling." – Rich Pulsford
10. "People say zoos are inhumane. But that's because they're for animals." – Sameer Katz

(Note: Will is no longer allowed to enter his own jokes)

Submissions for 2025 Are Now Open.

Open Access:
Any comedian with a registered show at the Edinburgh Fringe can submit up to 5 one-liner jokes.

Submissions aren't limited to those with top agents or those lucky enough to cross the path of a chosen reviewer. This is pure joke-based merit.

SUBMISSION INFO

Deadline: Midday, Monday 11th August 2025

Email to: [email protected]

Judges

All entries will be judged anonymously by a panel of top-tier one-liner comics:

• Gary Delaney (Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week)
• Mark Simmons (Mock the Week, Dave’s Joke of the Fringe Winner 2014)
• Darren Walsh (Dave’s Joke of the Fringe Winner 2015, UK Pun Champion 2014)

They will carefully craft a Top 50 Longlist, from which our founder Will Mars will select — yes — some guy called Dave to choose the final Top 10 and crown our 2025 Winner.

The Prize

• £250 Cash
• A Beautiful New Trophy 
• The Respect of Wordsmiths Across the Fringe