LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland sees comedian and presenter Graham Norton go back to his comic roots to host the Irish version of the international hit comedy series LOL: Last One Laughing, which pits top comedic talents against each other in a showdown where anything can happen!
Across its six episodes the Amazon Prime Video series will see 10 of Ireland’s ‘most sought-after comedy stars’ brought together to make each other laugh using every tool in the box, without cracking a smile themselves. The show will follow the format of the original Japanese comedy series, which has since been adapted for a number of other countries, including Australia, France, Germany and Canada.
Graham Norton, who also hosts Queen Of The Universe and wrote the ITV drama Holding, says: "I'm thrilled to be the host for the first Irish Original, LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland on Prime Video, and to be working on home ground for the first time in many, many years. I'm so proud of our comedy culture and it's wonderful to have a platform to showcase Irish talent to a global audience. I can't wait to see what our comedy masterminds do to get the laughter going!"
So here’s everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Video's LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland…
LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland release date
LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland is a six-part comedy that launches exclusively on Prime Video worldwide on Friday January 19 2024.
Is there a trailer for LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland?
There are now a couple of trailers for LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland which will leave you in a fit of giggles. The official trailer features a first look of Graham as host, surprise cameos from Jedward and The Den alongside the cast. Take a look at both below...
LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland — how it works
LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland sees award-winning presenter and Eurovision star Graham Norton oversees proceedings, as 10 of Ireland’s leading comedy stars try to make each other laugh without collapsing into hysterics themselves. As the clock counts down and the tension rises, whoever can outlast their competitors to become the ‘last one laughing’ will be crowned winner. Look out for some hilarious celebrity cameos, too!
Who are the comedians taking part in LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland?
The comedians taking part in LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland are Aisling Bea, Amy Huberman, Catherine Bohart, David McSavage, Deirdre O’Kane, Emma Doran, Jason Byrne, Martin Angolo, Paul Tylak, and Tony Cantwell.
Aisling Bea says: "I’d watched the Swedish one and I’d watched the Canadian one. And I think the Canadian one is quite similar in that Canadian people are also very dry and it had a lot of stand-ups who sort of knew each other. And I think on this one, we all knew each other way more. I don’t think there was anyone who didn’t know anyone. Everyone knew at least two people and everyone had worked together in some kind of capacity and if we hadn’t, we were a step away from doing it. That was nice, because it was that much more immediate and very little getting-to-know-you, which is brilliant."
Catherine Bohart adds: "My first reaction was fear. Slight frustration that it was the Irish format, because I think we are fundamentally the funniest people on the planet, so I was like “This is going to be really hard”. It is also like being invited to the best party… a party you’ve wanted to get invited to for years… on a day you have to get up for work or a flight at 5am the next morning. It was basically like “You can go to this party but you’re not allowed to have a good time!” So that was very strange!"
Jason Byrne says: "I thought there’s no way this will work, a few comics in a room trying to make each other laugh. I really thought it was just a small room with a table, surrounded by comics making each other laugh, until I seen the actual massive production on the show. The Big Brother-style house, the stage area, kitchen, moving walls, cameras everywhere. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best, watching someone trying to make another person laugh, while not being allowed to laugh themselves. It’s so funny to watch."
Graham Norton on hosting LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland
What was your initial reaction when you heard about the concept of the show?
Graham Norton says: "When you hear the aim of the show is for people not to laugh, then you think “How will that be funny? It is just people in silence!” But it turns out it is really funny, and also, there is a lot more laughing in it than you think there is going to be! There are breaks in between, with the yellow card or the red card, and hilarity ensues, but then we all take it very seriously again. And also, there is something very funny about watching people trying not to laugh and watching them nearly break. It is a delicious thing."
Give us the lowdown about your first few seconds and minutes on the show?
Graham says: "I did look like a Bond baddie, plotting the end of the world! It took a few minutes to get used to it, because I was by myself in this room, and the comics in the other bit of the house... we’re all used to having an audience! So all of that was a bit unsettling! But then there was so much to watch, because I’m seeing it from every single angle on a big bank of screens. It was like my dream job, it was watching telly for six or seven hours!"
Once everyone had arrived, was there anyone in particular you knew would make everyone LOL?
Graham says: "It was more the danger of laughing changed the longer it went. As the day went on, I was like “Wow, you’re all really funny!”. It is interesting how quickly it became egalitarian in the house. There wasn’t a pecking order because of “I’m more famous than you, so I’m going to do my big set piece now”. There was none of that."
What is it about Irish humour that makes it so internationally recognised?
Graham says: "What struck me about it was the range of it. That there was so much... there was silliness, there was quite cerebral things, there was dark stuff. It covers everything, it is kind of amazing how broad Irish comedy is. It kind of encompasses everything, and it all still feels genuinely Irish. And I think this show will play well internationally, but what I loved about it is how uniquely Irish it was. What a deep dive into Ireland it was. So as people abroad will be laughing, they’ll also be scratching their heads asking 'What the hell is that about??'"
Behind the scenes and more about LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland
LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland was filmed in spring and summer 2023. Alongside Graham Norton as host of LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland, David Noble (Gogglebox Ireland) is the series producer, with Darren Smith (Gogglebox Ireland, Ireland’s Got Talent, Ireland’s Fittest Family) and Mairéad Whelan (Ireland’s Fittest Family, Big Year in Big School) as executive producers.
The set has been designed by and constructed under the watchful eye of production designer Claire Morrissey, it perfectly hits that sweet spot of where style meets silly, all housed under one very unique roof. Within the relatively new Font Hill Studios in Dublin and taking nearly six months to design, eight weeks to construct and nearly a month to install, this behemoth was unlike anything seen in unscripted television on these shores. The set is populated with 44 cameras and every manner of prop you’d hope for in an adult playground - from its very own stage to a talking donkey named Dermot and even a traditional Irish phone box with a direct line to the country’s biggest star Graham Norton.
