“I had nothing”—Last One Laughing star Richard Ayoade reveals that Bob Mortimer had a “pocket full of material”

Comedian Bob Mortimer won the inaugural UK season of Last One Laughing, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on March 14, 2025. The series brought together ten British comedians in a challenge where they had to make others laugh while keeping a straight face themselves.

In the finale, Mortimer defeated Richard Ayoade with a single joke that caused Ayoade to break into laughter. As per the Daily Mail on April 9, reflecting on the loss, Ayoade said:

“I had nothing and he was on a horse opposite me with a pocket full of material.”

Australia, Canada, Germany, and Ireland have already adopted the Last One Laughing format, which was first used in Japan. Bob Mortimer, Richard Ayoade, Rob Beckett, Sara Pascoe, Daisy May Cooper, Lou Sanders, Joe Lycett, Judi Love, Harriet Kemsley, and Joe Wilkinson featured in the UK version, which Jimmy Carr hosted.

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Bob and Richard’s showdown in Last One Laughing

On March 27, 2025, the finale of Last One Laughing UK were made available on Amazon Prime Video. There were five comedians left at the start of the last episode: Lou Sanders, Rob Beckett, Harriet Kemsley, Richard Ayoade, and Bob Mortimer. Mortimer and Ayoade were left to battle it out in the final showdown as the rest were gradually eliminated.

During the last round, both comedians mounted stationary hobby horses in the center of the set. Bob Mortimer then began delivering jokes from a list he had prepared, while Ayoade attempted to maintain his composure. Despite Ayoade’s consistent poker face throughout the series, one final line broke him. Mortimer said:

“I was in the cemetery and I saw a bloke get up from behind a gravestone. ‘Morning,’ I said. ‘No - just having a s**t.’”

The joke caused Ayoade to burst into laughter, and Mortimer was declared the winner. After the show, Ayoade explained his experience. As per the Daily Mail on April 9, he said:

“What I now realise I'd done was essentially sign up to be in goal and just have someone take penalty after penalty after penalty.”

According to Mortimer, however, the experience turned out to be more challenging than he anticipated.

Speaking with RadioTimes.com on March 27, 2025, he admitted he had assumed it would be easy not to laugh since he typically doesn’t during his daily life. But once on set, he found the atmosphere unexpectedly tough and confessed to "struggling in the beginning."

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Jimmy Carr reflects on the show

Jimmy Carr, the host of Last One Laughing UK, watched the whole scenario from control room. Speaking to Radio Times on March 20, 2025, Carr said the show displayed how competitive comedians can be when placed in this setting.

“It reminds me a bit of when we did Roast Battle. Comedy isn't particularly competitive, but this has got that thing where you go, ‘Comedians are kind of weirdly competitive’, so it's quite a different feel,” he said.

Carr also shared why he opted out of being a contestant on Last One Laughing. He told Radio Times that he likely ended up as a host rather than a team captain because he laughs too easily. Though he acknowledged that his laugh might be unusual, he admitted he uses it often and freely. He added:

“That thing about not laughing is so weird. Like to be in there and not laughing at your friends and being unsupportive, it's so counterintuitive.”

Despite not being in the room with the contestants, Carr said the experience was rewarding. “I think I cried three times laughing,” he added. He particularly praised Mortimer’s performance, saying:

“There were a couple of occasions where Bob Mortimer did stuff and I went, ‘They should all be going home now, that should be the end of the show.’”

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Fans can stream Last One Laughing UK on Amazon Prime Video.