Just For Laughs London Announces Initial Line Up For The Graham Norton Variety Show and More

Global leader in comedy, Just For Laughs, in collaboration with leading live entertainment company, AEG Presents, and The O2, the world's most popular music, leisure and entertainment venue, have announced the second slate of 2023 programming for the Just For Laughs LONDON festival which is taking place from 2nd - 5th March 2023 at The O2. Tickets go on general sale Wednesday 14th December at 10:00am (GMT) and are available from www.jfllondon.com.

As part of the festival, the nation's most loved TV and radio host is set to become the UK's favourite live variety show host - with the Graham Norton Variety Show taking place on The O2 arena's illustrious stage. Sure to be a highlight of the star-studded four-day comedy event, Graham will be inviting some of the biggest stars of stand-up comedy, music and drag to join him for a night of entertainment, laughter and surprises. Today the festival is excited to announce that American drag queen, comedian, actor, costume designer and winner of the sixth series of RuPaul's Drag Race, Bianca Del Rio will be setting The O2 Arena Stage alight. She will be joined by comedian and star of this year's Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One) Jayde Adams as well as winner of the fourth series of Drag Race UK, Danny Beard! More stars will be added to the Graham Norton Variety show line up in the coming weeks.

Graham Norton said: "I can't wait to be a part of this amazing comedy event. I can guarantee people a night of big names and even bigger laughs. London in 2023 just got a whole lot funnier!!"

The iconic and much-loved family favourite, Basil Brush, will be taking over the Fortuna Spiegeltent as he celebrates 60 years in showbizness. The wonderfully suited and booted stand-up comedian, Suzi Ruffell joins the lineup for Aisling Bea and Friends at indigo at The O2, together with Star of ITV's Britain's Got Talent comedian, Nabil Abudulrashid. Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, Felicity Ward will delight audiences at All Bar One at The O2 which will also be home to the hit podcast, Shame is Delicious, hosted by comedians Eshaan Akbar and Darren Harriott. is also set to thrill audiences and last but by no means least the charmingly straight-talking, quick-witted and star of Netflix's After Life Kerry Godliman is preparing to join Katherine Ryan and Friends at indigo at The O2.

Just for Laughs LONDON also today announces the preliminary lineup for The Wrestling. It's punchlines versus clotheslines, as the grandest spectacle in the comedy universe comes to London for the very first time. Calling the action at ringside will be Aisling Bea! Making his wrestling debut is Ed 'The Gambler' Gamble! And, whilst the lineup of matches is yet to be announced, it has been confirmed that MAX & IVAN will be appearing in tag team action, and Rosie Daddy Jones will be defending her championship belt! Meanwhile, hot scoops and reportage will come from the fearless Olga Koch and the fearful Matthew 'The Pacifist' Crosby.

With more competitors to be announced, competition for Rosie Jones' championship promises to be fierce - but Rosie Jones is unfazed. "In Edinburgh I pushed Nish Kumar through a table to win The Wrestling championship, and on March 5th you're going to see why I'm the champ!" says Rosie Jones. "Daddy's coming to JFL London, and she's going to defend her big shiny gold belt! Bring it on, baby!"

In the coming weeks more stars of music, comedy and drag will be announced - this is a stellar line up and one not to be missed. Full festival slate below.

Just For Laughs LONDON is taking place in various venues covering the full campus of The O2 - from club shows at indigo at The O2 to London's largest cinema, Cineworld to the installation of Fortuna, an intimate wood and mirror Spiegeltent as an additional performance space, as well as the world-famous arena - and featuring a mix of notable headliners, multi-comic shows, live podcast recordings, 'In Conversations', cast panels and more, Just for Laughs LONDON promises to deliver larger-than-life laughs as it unites today's funniest UK and international comedy stars.

Just For Laughs LONDON is also joining forces with major charity Comic Relief to raise money to help Comic Relief support people through the toughest times of their lives in the UK and around the world.

American Express Cardmembers' can get access to presale tickets from Tuesday 13th December at 10:00am GMT this is purely for those purchasing tickets for Graham Norton's Variety show. O2 and Virgin Media customers can access presale tickets via the Priority app for events taking place in The O2 arena, indigo at The O2 and Superscreen, Cineworld at The O2 from Monday 12th December at 10:00am GMT. Tickets for the additional shows go on general sale Wednesday 14th December 2022 at 10:00am GMT and are available from www.jfllondon.com. Tickets for Katherine Ryan and Friends and Aisling Bea and Friends are on sale and available to buy now.

More details on the first slate of programming for Just For Laughs LONDON, a four-day festival being held between March 2-5 2023 inclusive at The O2 can be found below. Many shows are on sale now with tickets available from www.jfllondon.com. Further additions to the festival will be announced in due course.

The Graham Norton Variety Show

Friday 3rd March I The O2 arena I 8:30 PM - NEW, UPDATED LINE UP

Just For Laughs LONDON is thrilled to announce that for the first time in many years, Graham Norton will be taking the stage to host a special curated variety show. American drag queen, comedian, actor, costume designer and winner of the sixth series of RuPaul's Drag Race, Bianca Del Rio will be setting The O2 Arena Stage alight. She will be joined by comedian and star of this year's Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One) Jayde Adams as well as winner of the fourth series of Drag Race UK, Danny Beard! More names will be added to the line up in the coming weeks.

Katherine Ryan and Friends

Thursday, March 2, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 9:30 PM NEW, UPDATED LINEUP

Join the Creator, Writer, Star and EP of Netflix Original hit series, The Duchess (along with two global Netflix comedy specials: In Trouble and Glitter Room) comedian Katherine Ryan as she hosts a very special line-up of brilliant comedians. As seen on Live At The Apollo, Would I lie To You (BBC), 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4), and hosting Backstage with Katherine Ryan (Amazon Prime).

Joining Katherine will be the Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and star of Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo (both BBC) Darren Harriott as well as the charmingly straight-talking, quick-witted Kerry Godliman is one of the country's best performers and has just been added to the line up. An incredibly talented comedian and actor, Kerry is best known for her appearances on Mock The Week,Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Taskmaster,Hypothetical, Ultimate Worrier, TheJonathan Ross Show, The Royal Variety Performance and 8 Out of 10 Cats. She has appeared on Frankie Boyle's New World Order as well as Sky Max's A League Of Their Own, There's Something About Movies. She has also starred in series 1 and 2 of Netflix's After Life alongside Ricky Gervais and Richard Osman's House of Games.

Aisling Bea and Friends

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 8:00 PM - NEW, UPDATED LINE UP

Join the Bafta award winning creator and star of Channel 4's This Way Up, comedian Aisling Bea, as she hosts a starry line-up of fantastic comedians. As seen regularly on QI (BBC), 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4), and featured on Netflix's Comedy Line-up. Aisling also can be seen playing one of the leads in the Netflix series, Living With Yourself, starring opposite Paul Rudd.

Joining Aisling will be two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee and Host of The Mash Report (BBC) Nish Kumar as well as suited and booted stand-up comedian Suzi Ruffell has had five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, racking up critical acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike. Nominated for Best Stand Up Show in the National Comedy Awards 2021, she's now touring the UK with her brand-new show Snappy and is joining the line up with Aisling Bea and Nish Kumar. Joining them is also Nabil Abdulrashid who is an award-winning comedian, writer, presenter, and actor. Nabil competed in the 2020 series of Britain's Got Talent, enjoying a triumphant run to the competition's final, drawing praise from the show's judges for his hilarious and uncompromising brand of stand-up comedy.

Max and Ivan's 'The Wrestling'

Sunday, March 5, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 8:00 PM - NEW, UPDATED LINE UP

The Wrestling is a death-defying, Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning, sell-out mega-show - the grandest, most outrageous spectacle in the comedy universe. Stemming from Max's misspent youth as the UK's youngest professional wrestler (Max Voltage, the Human Dynamo), it's a world of spectacular high-flying action featuring your favourite comedians as you've never seen them before. Since The Wrestling began, Aisling Bea has been hurled over the top rope, Sara Pascoe has been carried in on the back of an entire semi-nude team of acrobats, and Max & Ivan has done battle atop a ladder - all in front of a feral live crowd. Good versus evil. Clotheslines versus punchlines.

Taking part in this year's wrestling are comedians Ed Gamble, Rosie Jones, Olga Koch and Matthew Crosby - more names to be announced in due course. Aisling Bea will be acting as commentator of the evening's events.

Basil Brush's Family Fun Show

Sundya, March 5, 2023 I Fortuna Spiegeltent I 2:00 PM - NEW ADDITION

Britain's most loveable fox takes you on a journey of laughs, storytelling and song in a show for all the family, specially written for the live stage and packed with fun and excitement. Come join in the mayhem!

Shame is Delicious I Saturday, March 4,, 2023 I All Bar One at The O2 I 4:00 PM - JUST ANNOUNCED

Comedians Darren Harriott and Eshaan Akbar revel in shame - yours, and theirs in this hit podcast. Taking a close look at the shameful, the shameless, and those who embody both, every week.

Ryan Reynolds "Maximum Effort" moderated by Rob Delaney

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I The O2 arena I 8:30 PM

Global super-star Ryan Reynolds will transport us into his creative multiverse as he talks about everything from his accomplished acting career to being a producer and screenwriter to a successful entrepreneur. This is sure to be a fun-packed conversation filled with laughter, anecdotes, and insight into the Hollywood superstar. Reynolds' acting career includes nominations for a Golden Globe and Grammy Awards for his work on the billion-dollar franchise Deadpool. He is the only actor with 3 films on Netflix's all-time top 10 list (Red Notice, The Adam Project, Six Underground). After beginning his acting career in 1991, Ryan Rose to prominence in the comedy series Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place and dozens of films. But there's more as Reynolds is also an award-winning marketer, creating breakthrough campaigns for Deadpool as well as Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile and the Match Group. And if you think he's not busy enough, he is also an owner of Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile, Wrexham Football Club, Chief Creative Officer of MNTN and a co-founder of Maximum Effort Productions. It's no wonder that he's been recognized as one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company, Wall Street Journal and AdWeek among others. Don't miss this exciting, funny and insightful conversation with Ryan Reynolds as he talks about his passions, future projects, his road to and secrets of his success.

Moderating the conversation will be Ryan's Deadpool 2 co-star, Rob Delaney. Rob is the Emmy nominated co-creator and co-star of the critically acclaimed Channel 4 and Amazon Prime comedy Catastrophe and is currently filming Showtime's drama series The Man Who Fell To Earth. He recently wrapped Judd Apatow's upcoming comedy The Bubble opposite Karen Gillan, and his stand-up special Rob Delaney: Live at the Bowery Ballroom, is available on Netflix.

Reggie Watts

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 11:00 PM

Reggie Watts, internationally renowned vocalist, beatboxer, musician, comedian and improvisor amazes audiences with his unpredictable performances, which are created on-the-spot using only his formidable voice and loop pedals. Blending and blurring the lines between comedy and music with his unique lyrical style, LA Weekly calls Reggie "the most wildly inventive new talent of the past five years." Reggie's Netflix comedy special, Spatial, released in 2016 is available worldwide. He also has appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Conan, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, John Oliver's Stand-Up New York, HBO's The Yes Men Save The World, IFC, Comedy Central's Michael and Michael Have Issues, UK's Funny Or Die, and PBS' Electric Company.

Comic Relief - The Truth & Everything Except the Truth, Hosted by Richard Curtis

Sunday, March 5 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 4:00pm

Richard Curtis, co-founder of Red Nose Day, is joined by Comic Relief stars as they reveal "Comic Relief - the Truth & Everything Except the Truth" - an afternoon of comedy, memories and mishaps.

The Horne Section

Friday, March 3, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 7:30 PM

Following The Horne Section TV Show on Channel 4, their hit BBC Radio 4 series, their own TV Special at the London Palladium, appearances as house band on Save Our Summer Crouchy's Year Late Euros and The Last Leg, an iTunes chart-topping podcast and many years of sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and London's West End, don't miss everyone's favourite Dictionary Corner regulars on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the first band to ever host Never Mind The Buzzcocks at Just for Laughs London this March.

Five outstanding musicians, one non-musical stand up, there'll be comedy, songs, enthusiastic dancing and a lot of mucking about. A unique show from the hugely talented band and Alex Horne, the creator and co-host of The Bafta and Emmy nominated Taskmaster, which won Best Entertainment Show at last year's Broadcast Awards.

Adam Buxton Best of Bug I Thursday, March 2, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 7:00 PM
British writer, comedian and podcast host Adam Buxton brings BUG, the long running, sell out BFI music video show to the Indigo stage. Expect a selection of outstanding videos from the last few years, variously unhinged comments from the online community and other nonsense from Adam's laptop.

Craig Robinson In Conversation

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I Screen 16, Cineworld at The O2 4:00 PM

Notable actor, writer, performer, Craig Robinson is best known for his role in the U.S. version of NBC's The Office, as well as his roles in such blockbuster movies as Knocked Up, This is the End, Hot Tub Time Machine, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, just to name a few! In addition to his acting career, he travels the world performing with his band "The Nasty Delicious."

Come hear directly from Craig as he shares hilarious career stories, discussing his journey to comedy stardom with hit global TV and film roles which have been ranked some of the most binged- watched comedy series and films in history.

Craig Robinson and The Nasty Delicious

Friday, March 3, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 11:00 PM

Funnyman actor/comedian Craig Robinson (NBC's The Office/NBC's Brooklyn 99) introduced his band, The Nasty Delicious, in 2007. The nine-piece crew have been electrifying audiences around the globe with their powerful fusion of Chicago-House, funk, hip hop and R&B, all topped off with Craig's soulful voice, edgy humour, and improved crowd participation. All the members of the band have their own creative projects and have also toured and recorded with countless legendary artists across the genres, including Stevie Wonder, Lionel Ritchie, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Chaka Khan, Beyonce, Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, and many more. They have also been featured on Seth Rogen's Hilarity For Charity on Netflix, NBC's The Office & Last Comic Standing, just to name a few.

The Receipts Podcast - Live

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I indigo at The O2 I 5:00 PM

The Receipts Podcast are thrilled to be part of the Just For Laughs comedy festival 2023. From relationships to situationships and everything in between you can expect unadulterated girl talk with no filter. The girls guarantee you a night of laughter, joy and even some confessions from the dedicated listeners. Hosted by Tolani Shoneye, Milena Sanchez & Audrey Indome, you'll see the ladies do what they do best in real time including a live performance and other surprises in store, it's sure to be a fun night!

Elis James and John Robins Live

Sunday, March 5, 2023 I Superscreen, Cineworld at The O2 I 7:00 PM

Join Elis James (Fantasy Football League) and John Robins (Live at the Apollo, Edinburgh Comedy Award winner) for an hour of classic Elis and John. PCDs, Retro Oners and Live Vibe Tasters assemble! Elis and John can be heard weekly on their BBC Radio 5Live show, and their award-winning BBC Podcast How Do You Cope?"

Springleaf: James Acaster and Nish Kumar

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I Superscreen in Cineworld at The O2 - I 6:00 PM - venue change due to phenomenal demand following initial on sale

James Acaster is the covert stand-up comedian persona of undercover cop Pat Springleaf. Everyone knows that. And as it's obligatory for all comedians to have a podcast these days, Pat wants in. When Pat was undercover, he wore his wire 24-7-365. Or 366 if it was a leap year. In this one-off event for Just For Laughs LONDON, Pat talks to Nish Kumar about the true-crime podcast he's been working on, in which he uses the wire recordings he's amassed over years of infiltrating criminal gangs to blow wide open the biggest case he ever worked on. A case, it transpires, in which Nish played an unwitting part...

Shaparak Khorsandi presents "It Was The 90's!"

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I O2 Blueroom I 4:00 PM

Ah, the 90s! The decade that Shaparak was in her twenties and 'ladette' culture ruled the school. The decade when there was nothing to be done but party, and Shaparak found herself flying about London with hope in her heart, a tenner in her pocket and spare knickers in her handbag. She matched the boy's pint-for-pint and frequently woke up in parts of London she'd never heard of. With hindsight though, the way people behaved back then looks like the ultimate in self harm. In those days, 'mindfulness' was making sure you had enough money for the night bus and 'self-care' was putting your flat shoes in a handbag. This is a show about how we 90s kids are looking to young people to learn how to take care of ourselves.

Felicity Ward: The Mother f-ing Trilogy

Sunday, March 5, 2023 I All Bar One at The O2 I 5:00 PM

Edinburgh Fringe - Best Comedy Award nominee, and fresh off her Amazon Prime U.K. special Busting A Nut, Felicity Ward is back with a mother of a show. In 2019 Felicity, like many other people, had a baby. Then she wrote almost three hours of stand up about it. This is it.

All Killa No Filla Podcast

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I Superscreen, Cineworld at The O2 I 7:00 PM

Rachel Fairburn and Kiri Pritchard-McLean are co-presenters of the hit true crime podcast All Killa no Filla. With millions of downloads, sold out tours of the UK and an American tour behind them the pair thought it was about time they brought their unique blend of murder facts and humour to Canada but couldn't get visas so are delighted to be taking part in the Just for Laughs Festival LONDON festival

Luisa Omielan presents "Ten"

Thursday, March 2, 2023 I Screen 16, Cineworld at The O2 I 8:30 PM

Luisa Omielan creates iconic one woman shows. She was the first comedian to receive a Bafta Breakthrough for stand up. Not the first female comedian, the first ever. Now, 10 years after What Would Beyonce Do?! propelled her into the spotlight. Featuring jokes from Am I right Ladies, Politics for Bitches and God is a Woman. Expect cow impressions, thigh gaps, Mary Magdalene and relationship boat analogies. Authentic, raw, honest and timeless, it's the only show that can make you laugh your head off and cry your eyes out simultaneously.

Randy Feltface

Friday, March 3, 2023 I Screen 16, Cineworld at The O2 I 6:00 PM

Randy Feltface has spent over fifteen years carving out a unique niche on the international comedy circuit. He was nominated for best comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, sold out in London and New York, and featured several times at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival. He has released five comedy specials and made his US television debut as a crowd favourite on NBC's Bring The Funny. His live show is a high energy existential crisis full of the kind of amusing anecdotes and biting observations that have earned him the title of World's Most Entertaining Non-Human Comedian.

A Gay and A NonGay Podcast

Sunday, March 5, 2023 I Screen 16, Cineworld at The O2 I 4:00 PM

In a time when we're all threatened by a rhetoric of hate from the people in power, A Gay and A NonGay challenges our differences head on and proves that no matter who you are, or what you're into, love is love and Gays and NonGays can be Friends. A new episode is released every Wednesday, where James and Dan dive into conversations around day-to-day life, differences in perceptions, homophobia, coming out, mental health and lighter topics like dating and Dan learning all about douching. It's always been their mission to talk openly, promote equality, freedom and friendship whilst making our listeners laugh. Hosted by comedians James Barr and Dan Hudson (James is Gay, Dan is NonGay), the A Gay and A NonGay is the UK's #1 award winning LGBTQ+ podcast.

Stamptown hosted by Zach Zucker

Friday, March 3, 2023 I Fortuna Spiegeltent I 9:00 PM

Zach Zucker is an award-winning, performer/producer based in London and LA. He is the creator of the Stamptown and one half of Norwegian-American comedy duo, Zach & Viggo. Zach also runs the late-night, variety show Stamptown Comedy Night and hopes to fulfil his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA.

Jessica Fostekew presents "Wench"

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I All Bar One at The O2 I 6:00 PM

A show about sexy things (awkward), private things (oh no) and a woman trying to sit on the face of time to keep it still (hot, right?). You've seen Jess on Live at the Apollo, QI and on Harry Hill's Clubnite amongst other TV shows. She's a regular co-host of The Guilty Feminist Podcast, the host and creator of The Hoovering Podcast and you hear her regularly on BBC R4's News Quiz and Now Show. Jess was nominated for the Dave Edinburgh Comedy Award - Best Show 2019 with her last show Hench, and she won Best Breakthrough Act in the Chortle Awards 2020.

FOC It Up! Comedy Club

Saturday, March 4, 2023 I O2 Blueroom, 2:00 PM

The FOC IT UP! Comedy Club, founded by American comic Kemah Bob, unapologetically celebrates and centres the perspectives of comedians of colour that are not cis-men! Join Kemah and her incredibly hilarious comrades in comedy for a night the Evening Standard calls "a riot of positivity and inclusivity". Since 2018 FOC IT UP! has brought its revolutionary energy to sold out shows in London, the Edinburgh Fringe, Latitude and Southbank Festival. Hot off recording the first season of the FOC IT UP! Podcast, featuring stand-up from over 50 comedians, the Femmes of Colour Comedy club is excited to be a part of Just For Laughs London. "The Femmes of Color Comedy Club is the freshest & most important new outfit in the British comedy landscape" - Deborah Frances-White of The Guilty Feminist. White audience members are encouraged to check their privilege at the door! Kemah (she/they) is a comedian, presenter, writer, actor, drag artist and producer. In addition to being featured on Dave, iTV, Channel 4, Comedy Central and the BBC, she has supported Hannah Gadsby, Nish Kumar, Desiree Burch and The Guilty Feminist on tour.

To post a comment, you must register and login.