Ed Byrne (comedian) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ed Byrne
Byrne in 2023
Birth name	Edward Cathal Byrne
Born	April 1972 (1972-04) (age 53) Dublin, Ireland
Medium	Actor, comedian
Years active	1993–present
Genres	Observational comedy, social satire
Spouse	Claire Walker (m. 2008)
Children	2

Edward Cathal Byrne (born in April 1972) is a well-known Irish actor and comedian. You might have seen him hosting TV shows like Just for Laughs or Uncut! Best Unseen Ads. He's also been a guest on many fun TV panel games and even some cooking shows!

Ed Byrne's Early Life

Ed Byrne was born in April 1972 in Dublin, Ireland. He grew up in a town nearby called Swords. His dad worked with metal and later became a supervisor, and his mom was a radiographer, which means she worked with X-rays. She also taught others about it.

Ed Byrne's Career Highlights

Starting Stand-up Comedy

Ed first went to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow to study how to grow plants. In his second year, he became the person in charge of entertainment at the Students' Union. He also helped out at the Student Association Welfare Office in his first year.

Ed started a comedy night called The Comedy Cellar in a pub basement in Glasgow. He performed there on the very first night! Other comedians like Ford Kiernan and Phil Kay also performed there later. After a few months, Ed decided to leave university and move to London to focus on comedy.

He became known for his observational comedy, which is when comedians make jokes about everyday life. In 1998, he was nominated for the famous Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In 2006, Ed toured the UK and recorded a DVD called Pedantic and Whimsical. This DVD featured many of his best jokes from over the years. He also did voice-overs for adverts and appeared in the TV show Father Ted. Ed has performed many sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and on UK tours. He's even performed in countries like Canada, Australia, and the United States.

He has appeared on many TV shows, including five times on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in the U.S. In 2009, he recorded another live DVD called Different Class in Glasgow. Ed was also a very frequent guest on the BBC stand-up comedy show Mock the Week, appearing in 73 episodes!

Ed Byrne on Television

Ed's first TV appearances were on shows like The Big Big Talent Show and Blind Date. He also had a small part in an episode of Father Ted.

He has hosted TV shows like Uncut! Best Unseen Ads and Just for Laughs. He's also been a regular guest on many popular panel shows such as The Panel, HeadJam, Mock the Week, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. You might have also seen him on Have I Got News for You or The Graham Norton Show.

In 2010, Ed appeared in a BBC2 show called Three Men Go to Scotland. He was trying to reach the Cuillin mountains on Skye to climb all the mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet, which is called Munro bagging.

In 2012, Ed was a guest on The One Show and presented parts of Volcano Live. He also appeared on a celebrity version of The Chase in 2013, where he won a record amount of money for charity!

In 2015, Ed and his best friend, fellow comedian Dara Ó Briain, starred in a TV series called Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure. They traveled by car down the Pan-American Highway.

Ed has also shown off his cooking skills! In 2013, he was a contestant on The Great Comic Relief Bake Off and won a challenge with his lemon meringue pie. He even hosted an episode of The Great Sport Relief Bake Off in 2014. In 2021, he competed on Celebrity Best Home Cook, where he was praised for his delicious smoked pork ribs.

Ed Byrne as an Actor

Ed Byrne at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in 2013

Ed played the main character in the 2000 TV version of the pantomime Aladdin. He also had a small role in the comedy film Rat in 2000. In 2001, he was the main character in an Irish TV show called The Cassidys.

In 2005, he starred in the film Zemanovaload ^[cs]. In this movie, Ed played John Davies, a character with obsessive compulsive disorders. He tries to meet a famous model named Veronika Zemanová ^[fr].

Ed also played Luke Dyson in the comedy film Are You Ready For Love. For this role, he won an Angel award at the Monaco Film Festival for best supporting actor. In 2010, he played a radio presenter named Dylan Dale in the film Round Ireland with a Fridge.

Ed Byrne as a Writer

Since 2011, Ed has written a column for TGO, a magazine about hillwalking. In each column, he tries a different outdoor activity with an expert. He also used to write a column for the Metro newspaper.

Ed Byrne's Personal Life

Ed Byrne married Claire Walker, who works in theatre, in 2008. They live in Essex and have two sons. His good friend, fellow comedian Dara Ó Briain, was his best man at the wedding. Ed had also been Dara's best man in 2006.

In 2022, Ed shared that his younger brother, Paul, had passed away at 44 years old. Paul also worked in comedy as a writer, producer, and director. Ed is an atheist and supports Humanists UK, an organization that promotes humanism.

Ed Byrne's Stand-up Shows

DVD Releases

Ed Venturing Videos

Ed Byrne's Filmography

Films

Television Shows

Radio Shows

Books by Ed Byrne

• Sit-Down Comedy (Ed contributed to this collection of writings by comedians), Ebury Press/Random House, 2003.