Study suggests what regions of the United Kingdom prefer which types of humour the most

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Comedians, brush up on your routines - these areas find these jokes the funniest 🀣
  • A recent survey undertaken by Ticketmaster has revealed the types of humour enjoyed by British comedy lovers.
  • The State of Play surveyed a large number of Brits who detailed their favourite style of humour and favourite comedians.
  • So where in the UK should a comedian be wary of cracking a dirty joke, and where to concentrate on local-based humour?

Having moved from New Zealand to the United Kingdom, I’ve had to take a crash course in what different regions of the UK gravitate towards - be it music, film or comedy tours.

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For as much as some people enjoy a dirty joke, in other areas of the country telling a similar joke might be a cause for disabling comments on your social media platform of choice. The same could be said for those with specific jokes about an area that may resonate with one part of England and in another fall completely flat.Β 

Ticketmaster have recently released data conducted over the past 12 months to demonstrate the fluctuations in comedy and what our behaviours are regarding the artform that has led to some interesting findings throughout the research.

According to the report, when asked to name their favourite stand up comedian off the top of their head, many still choose Lee Evans at the top of their list followed by Michael McIntyre and Bolton’s own Peter Kay. Those three names also appeared when asked who are the top comedians to bring the family together, with McIntyre taking the top spot, followed by Kay and then Evans.Β 

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Ticketmaster's State of Play report had some interesting facts about what type of humour works well in different areas of the United Kingdom.Ticketmaster's State of Play report had some interesting facts about what type of humour works well in different areas of the United Kingdom.
Ticketmaster's State of Play report had some interesting facts about what type of humour works well in different areas of the United Kingdom. | Canva

The report also showed that while many older Brits head to comedy shows by virtue of how funny someone was on a television appearance, Generation Z would instead watch clips of a comedian on TikTok before deciding to gather a ticket to their upcoming show.

But when it comes to what areas of the United Kingdom enjoy what style of humour, Grayling provided a breakdown of where comedians could tell a dirty joke, and where to not attempt local comedy at.

What regions enjoy what types of humour the most?

Ticketmaster’s State of Play on UK comedy shows that those in Scotland find the old blue comedy and dirty jokes the most popular form of humour in the area, accounting for 30% of those surveyed.Β 

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But Yorkshire was the only region in the study to demonstrate that audiences did not find sexual jokes acceptable, and apart from London and Wales, regions did not think jokes around poo β€œacceptable.” In fact, Scotland came out on top when it came to regions that found scatological humours deeply unfunny.

Meanwhile in Wales, audiences enjoy the more local humour that comedians bring to the area, accounting for 26% of those polled, followed by Scotland with 24%. Southerners however apparently dislike this genre of humour - with 87% admitting as much.

When it comes to humour that leads to moments of tears, those who attend comedy shows in the Southwest have been revealed as those most likely to enjoy this style of humour (41%), with those in the Northeast of England not afraid to laugh at inappropriate moments (25%.)

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The Northwest however have earned a reputation for causing the most disruptions during a comedy show, with 15% admitting they heckle during stand up shows, while 11% have admitted to stage crashing stand up events - you rowdy bunch that you are.

Do you agree with the findings of this Ticketmaster study, or are you someone from London or Wales who still finds scatological humour funny? Let us know your thoughts on the information provided by leaving a comment down below.

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