The Funniest Female Comedians in the UK

It's International Women's Day! and what better way to celebrate that than by letting you in on all the women in the UK who know how to grab onto your funny bone and unleash snorts of giggles?

From household names to up-and-comers, comics who toe the line to others who bask in their own innate silliness, character comics to straight-talking realists; the women in the UK comedy scene hold no bounds and we've got them all, and whatever your sense of humour, there's bound to be a woman on here who will make your sides split.

So have a scroll down, and check out who we here at Skiddle think are the funniest women in the UK!

Katherine Ryan

Where to start with Katherine Ryan? One of the biggest and most instantly recognisable women in UK comedy. Canadian by birth but firmly cemented in the UK scene, she is award-winning and has appeared on absolutely every show designed to make you laugh that you could think of.

A true expert of her craft who is self-loving, comically cynical, razor-sharp and always with a point to prove, Katehrines comedy shines brighter than most in the country, and firmly deserves her place on any list like this!  

Maisie Adams

Fresh from being a central part of the media around the Lionesses, Maisie Adam is on a rampage of the UK comedy scene at the minute, and her Yorkshire-tinged witty observations, high-octane energy and some brilliant anecdotes on modern-day living leave very few without aching sides.

Maisie has been on all the panel shows, has been nominated for Fringe's best newcomer, and is destined for all the biggest stages, so, if you are not aware of her yet, whilst you may be slightly late to the party, there's still more than enough room in her fan club, and after you've watched just one of her bits, you'll see what we're all on about. Infinitely likeable, with an awkward Yorkshire delivery that endears and makes the jokes all the funnier, Maisie is a true icon.

Michelle De Swarte

Michelle has moved country four times, been homeless three times, been a fashion model, a cleaner, a reporter, presenter, writer, cat sitter and actor. Married, divorced, on drugs, off drugs; now, she has firmly cemented herself as one of the Queens of UK comedy. 

With an aurora of pure confidence and an infectious charm, her stand-up is just so damn entertaining, and never fails to make us snort out a giggle. Now on her first-ever tour (about time if you asked us), ‘Moved’, Michelle breaks down the highs and lows of burning your life to the ground and starting again when forty is around the corner. Go and see her, and you'll see every single reason why she is on this list!

Fern Brady

The Scottish queen that is Fern Brady is often described as brutal, blunt, and forthright, and every single time she takes the stage, the laughs come thick and fast and ferns dead-pan Scottish delivery makes them all the funnier, a thing she is a true master at. Themes from her work often include feminism, existential despair, porn, past relationships, animals, and the creepiness of men, in an amalgamation of dark and light that'll have you trying to toe the line in your head whilst steadying yourself from the giggles.

She's scathing, painfully honest, and hilariously uncompromising, and we want to see her at every opportunity possible. 

Sophie Duker

Sophie Duker is a comedian and writer whose favourite things include breaking hearts, taking names and telling jokes with the confidence of a cis straight middle-class white man.

Whether it be her 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Show, Venus, which saw her nominated for the Best Newcomer award, or her TV appearances, most notably her series of Taskmaster; Sophie Duker has won the hearts and laughs of many and is truly one of the best comics in the game.

Her latest show 'Hag' outlines Sophie's metamorphosis into the confident, self-assured, and redefined woman her twentysomething self would never have dared believe she could be, and anyone who's seen it will know she's still killing it and easily one of the funniest women in the country.

Laura Smyth

Fresh from supporting Jack Whitehall and Michelle De Swarte, Laura Smyth is one of the UK comedy scene's most hilarious straight talkers, she is one of the best up-and-comers ever since becoming a Funny Women award-winner!

In her brand-new show, Laura explores all aspects of modern life. She has fun mugging off all the madness of parenting, childhood, school, marriage, social media, work, and chasing her dreams. In her own inimitable style, she gets to the truth of the human experience, treading the line between bluntness and warmth throughout. 

Jen Brister

Jen Brister is a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian and writer whose rages against life have become something of comedic legend. Filled with hilariously placed scorn and rage for the facets of life and the people in life that annoy her the most, she is effortlessly relatable and always manages to pick up on the most incredible details.

She has been seen on BBC’s Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, Hypothetical and Sara Pascoe’s comedy Lectures on Dave; Jen Brister is one of the very best. 

Lindsey Santoro

Sometimes, comedy can get a bit pompous and stuck in trying to be too clever. Well, Lindsey Santoro is here to cut the crap and indulge you in some proper filthy, fun, and outrageous comedy; accentuated by her hearty brummie giggles.

Having been crushing the club scene for years, this year she brought her debut hour to the Fringe and was deservedly nominated for the best-newcomer award. Lindsey is unashamed and unpretentious where others might be, and the second you see her on stage you feel like you’ve known her for years. We hope this tour shoots her into the spotlight as it's what she deserves. Truly one of the funniest women in club comedy! 

Lorna Rose Treen

What better female comic to recommend than the one that has won a Chortle Best Newcomer and Best Joke of the Edinburgh Fringe Award? Of course, we're on about Lorna Rose Treen, aka, the greatest thing to come out of Redditch since the fishing tackle. The Birmingham-based comic operates on the character side of the art form, embodying a multitude of different characters, and digging down to their inherent humour effortlessly.

Whether it's her character, Skin Pigeon, from her debut Edinburgh Fringe show, or the equally absurd array of acts she has become throughout her blossoming comedy career, we think Lorna is one of the most exciting women in the scene and definitely deserves a spot on a list like this!

To find some of the funnuest comedy shows from across the UK, check out our Things To Do page and our UK Comedy Guide Inspire Me.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.