Tommy Tiernan
Encyclopedia
Tommy Tiernan is an Irish
comedian, actor and writer. He and Hector Ó hEochagáin
present The Tommy and Hector Show on i102-104FM
. Tiernan also featured in Father Ted
.
, a town in Inishowen
, County Donegal
. His father is a native of County Meath
while his mother is from County Tipperary
. He moved, with his family, from County Donegal as a child. After spells living in Zambia
and London
, he attended the same school as Irish television presenter Hector Ó hEochagáin
and Dylan Moran
, in St. Patrick's Classical School
, Navan
, Co Meath, a former Roman Catholic junior seminary. He later attended a boarding school, Garbally College
, in Ballinasloe, County Galway
.
. In the United States he has appeared several times on the Late Show with David Letterman
. Recently he appeared on the Michael McIntyre Comedy Roadshow, Lee Mack Show, DAVE's One NIght Stand and joined comedic legends Eddie Izzard and Ross Noble at Laughs in the Park.
for the longest stand-up comedy show by an individual achieving 36 hours and 15 minutes at Nuns Island in Galway (12 April 2009). Later in 2009 that record was broken by Australian Comedian Lindsay Webb. However, the new record now stands at 40 hours, and was set on 23 September 2010 by the American Comedian Bob Marley
.
formed as a radio duo on The Tommy and Hector Show on i102-104FM
after hinting at a desire to be on the radio, months before on The Late Late Show
. Speaking about his role, Tommy said, “I’ve always wanted to have loads of craic on the radio. What better way to have a mountain of devilment than to do a show with my best friend.” Following the success of their show on iRadio Northwest, the show moved to the nationwide slot of Saturday 10am-12pm on 2FM.
. He doesn't regard himself as being, like Lenny Bruce, a comedian with a message. Tommy Tiernan admits that his sense of humour is controversial, but claims that it is based on instinct and denies there is any malice or meanness in it.
In 2007 some families of people with Down Syndrome
complained about a routine about people with Down Syndrome in his act. It had caused some surprise to some of the families as Tiernan has run a marathon in support of Down Syndrome Ireland.
The Chief Executive of Down Syndrome Ireland, John Lindsay, National Secretary, Ingrid Murphy, National Executive member Caroline Courtney and President of Down Syndrome Ireland Mary O'Reilly attended the Tommy Tiernan show Bovinity at Vicar Street and released the following statement: "We all agreed that the section of the show devoted to Down Syndrome was not offensive in any way to individuals with Down Syndrome, one of whom was in attendance, or to their parents/siblings/friends, many of whom were in the audience. If the sketch is viewed in its totality and pieces not taken out of context it can only be interpreted as hilarious."
An appearance on The Late Late Show in 2008 led to complaints about his jokes involving a methadone user, eastern European immigrant accents, buying a motorbike from an injured biker, and a film idea about gay Traveller
spacemen seeking a cure for gayness, eight of which were upheld by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
Previous routines which went largely without remark included a comic reference to disproportionate American reaction to 9/11 and a long comic repetition on the indifferent Israeli attitude to foreign criticism of Israeli occupations of surrounding land .
by making remarks about the Holocaust and comments about Jews and the death of Christ
while he was interviewed by Olaf Tyaransen
, stating "These Jews, these fucking Jew cunts come up to me. Fucking Christ-killing bastards. Fucking six million? I would have got 10 or 12 million out of that. No fucking problem! Fuck them.". He was responding to an audience member who asked if he had ever been accused of antisemitism.
The response of the audience was criticised by Alan Shatter
as "disappointing" and also said "I would regard it as particularly sad that people found that sort of outburst in any way amusing".
Tommy Tiernan released a statement that said he had not meant to cause offence and that his words had been taken out of context. He said that the comments were part of an attempt to explain his belief that comedians have a duty to be irresponsible and reckless, to allow "whatever lunacy is within you to come out" and that they should never be taken out of context. He added that the statements that had caused controversy had been preceded by a statement not to take the rant seriously.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
also criticised the remarks, describing them as "offensive to the Jewish community", "offensive to all who feel revulsion concerning the Holocaust, one of the most horrific events in human history” and “I can only decry the comments as insensitive and hurtful to the suffering of the victims and to a memory which is sacred”.
Holocaust Education Trust Ireland condemned Tiernans' statements as "appalling". Ruairi Quinn
, chairman of the Trust, said that "as someone in the public eye, he has to take responsibility for his racist comments. We are equally concerned about the report of the audience’s reaction, which appears to have endorsed, sustained and enjoyed his comments. We would hope that the Irish public will choose to stay away from such racist ‘entertainment’ in future”. The Trust also said it "utterly condemns Mr Tiernan’s anti-Semitic outburst and calls upon him to repudiate completely and apologise unreservedly for the comments about the Holocaust and the Jews he is reported to have made" and "This incident highlights the necessity and relevance of the role of Holocaust education in order to educate and inform people in Ireland about the Holocaust, intolerance and anti-Semitism.”
Louis Lentin
said Tiernan should be denied a visa for his shows in the U.S. in October.
Lentin said Tiernan's comments at the Electric Picnic festival in County Laois were "disgraceful", and “extraordinarily racist." "He doesn’t realise what he has said. He doesn’t realise the seriousness of it. You can’t make a joke about the Holocaust and just because you say it is a joke does not make it funny or acceptable".
Rabbi Robert Alper
who is also a comedian said that Tommy Tiernans' statement on the subject was an attempt to weasel out of the
situation. Rabbi Alper also said about Tiernans claim that comedians have a duty to be irresponsible: "To me that’s really stupid. I don’t think that comedians should be reckless or irresponsible. Comedians should be concerned about the feelings of other human beings. It’s hurtful. Comedians (in America) don’t do anti-semitic things. I’ve rarely heard of it. There are plenty of tasteless comedians out there but none of them pick on a group of people." He also did not consider Tiernans' statement to be an apology, suggesting that Tiernan should say "I'm sorry". The Editor of Hot Press magazine, Niall Stokes
later said that "To interpret it as anti-Semitism, is wrongheaded in the extreme. The way I see it, he is satirising anti-Semitism, while making a more general point that we should all be able to laugh at ourselves."
Olaf Tyaransen wrote that neither he nor Tommy Tiernan had anticipated the subsequent response to unreserved comments made by the comedian during an afternoon interview hosted by Hot Press magazine at the Electric Picnic — an end-of-season arts & music festival. Tyaransen said the last question asked from the floor (by an audience member readily identifiable by a green 'Palestina' t-shirt) about a dogged charge of anti-Semitism led to the comments at issue, and part of Tiernan's response recounted criticism of his routine by a Jewish couple after a show in New York
. Olaf Tyaransen claimed Tiernan's subsequent ideas — focusing on a "two-at-a-time" efficiency concerning the systematic murder of millions of Jews — had been taken out of context, though he personally held the comedian's monologue as 'very funny' and said as much on Marian Finucane's RTÉ Radio 1 show of 26 September 2009.
. Guests included Ardal O'Hanlon
, Gay Byrne
and Dylan Moran
. The ceremony took place at Castle Leslie which had previously held the wedding of Paul McCartney
and Heather Mills.
He has three children from a previous relationship with Jayme Street.
Tiernan is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.
.
"So You Think You're Funny" award. Two years later he was awarded the Perrier Comedy Award at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and won the Best Stand-Up Award at the British Comedy Awards. In 2003 he won the Nokia Best of the Fest Award and the Orange People Choice Award at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. In 2006 Tommy won Ireland's Funniest Living Person Award at the People of the Year Awards. In 2011 he was given the Nobel Prize for shouting. Shouting everything.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
comedian, actor and writer. He and Hector Ó hEochagáin
Hector Ó hEochagáin
Hector Ó hEochagáin is an Irish television and radio presenter from Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland. He currently presents Breakfast with Hector weekday mornings on RTÉ 2fm.-Career:...
present The Tommy and Hector Show on i102-104FM
I102-104FM
i 102-104FM was a regional station in the Republic of Ireland launched on 7 February 2008. The station won the licence for a 'youth' orientated station that would broadcast across seven counties in the northwest and west of Ireland, targeting listeners aged between 15 and 34; and was part of a...
. Tiernan also featured in Father Ted
Father Ted
Father Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
.
Early life
Tiernan was born in CarndonaghCarndonagh
Carndonagh is a town on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland and is home to the Irish Space Exploration Mission. The town is located near Malin Head, the most northerly point of Ireland and lies close to the shores of Trawbeaga Bay...
, a town in Inishowen
Inishowen
Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. His father is a native of County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
while his mother is from County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. He moved, with his family, from County Donegal as a child. After spells living in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he attended the same school as Irish television presenter Hector Ó hEochagáin
Hector Ó hEochagáin
Hector Ó hEochagáin is an Irish television and radio presenter from Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland. He currently presents Breakfast with Hector weekday mornings on RTÉ 2fm.-Career:...
and Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran is an Irish stand-up comedian, writer, actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his sardonic observational comedy, the UK television sitcom Black Books , and his work with Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run...
, in St. Patrick's Classical School
St. Patrick's Classical School (Navan)
St. Patrick's Classical School in Navan, County Meath is a prominent Roman Catholic Church-run school for boys in the Republic of Ireland. It has produced a number of prominent politicians, journalists, Irish sports personalities, broadcasters and two winners of the famous Perrier Comedy Award at...
, Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
, Co Meath, a former Roman Catholic junior seminary. He later attended a boarding school, Garbally College
Garbally College
Garbally College is a Catholic, boys-only, secondary school based in Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. It is officially known as St Joseph's College .-History:...
, in Ballinasloe, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
.
Appearances
Tiernan has appeared several times on The Late Late ShowThe Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
. In the United States he has appeared several times on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. Recently he appeared on the Michael McIntyre Comedy Roadshow, Lee Mack Show, DAVE's One NIght Stand and joined comedic legends Eddie Izzard and Ross Noble at Laughs in the Park.
Former World Record Holder
In 2009, Tiernan set the Guinness World RecordGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for the longest stand-up comedy show by an individual achieving 36 hours and 15 minutes at Nuns Island in Galway (12 April 2009). Later in 2009 that record was broken by Australian Comedian Lindsay Webb. However, the new record now stands at 40 hours, and was set on 23 September 2010 by the American Comedian Bob Marley
Bob Marley (comedian)
Robert Cochrane "Bob" Marley, Jr. is a comedian from Portland, Maine. He has stated that when he was born, his father had no idea there was a singer named Bob Marley....
.
Radio career
In 2008, Tommy and Hector Ó hEochagáinHector Ó hEochagáin
Hector Ó hEochagáin is an Irish television and radio presenter from Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland. He currently presents Breakfast with Hector weekday mornings on RTÉ 2fm.-Career:...
formed as a radio duo on The Tommy and Hector Show on i102-104FM
I102-104FM
i 102-104FM was a regional station in the Republic of Ireland launched on 7 February 2008. The station won the licence for a 'youth' orientated station that would broadcast across seven counties in the northwest and west of Ireland, targeting listeners aged between 15 and 34; and was part of a...
after hinting at a desire to be on the radio, months before on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
. Speaking about his role, Tommy said, “I’ve always wanted to have loads of craic on the radio. What better way to have a mountain of devilment than to do a show with my best friend.” Following the success of their show on iRadio Northwest, the show moved to the nationwide slot of Saturday 10am-12pm on 2FM.
Comedic style
When he started out he had an ambition to be like Lenny BruceLenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
. He doesn't regard himself as being, like Lenny Bruce, a comedian with a message. Tommy Tiernan admits that his sense of humour is controversial, but claims that it is based on instinct and denies there is any malice or meanness in it.
In 2007 some families of people with Down Syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
complained about a routine about people with Down Syndrome in his act. It had caused some surprise to some of the families as Tiernan has run a marathon in support of Down Syndrome Ireland.
The Chief Executive of Down Syndrome Ireland, John Lindsay, National Secretary, Ingrid Murphy, National Executive member Caroline Courtney and President of Down Syndrome Ireland Mary O'Reilly attended the Tommy Tiernan show Bovinity at Vicar Street and released the following statement: "We all agreed that the section of the show devoted to Down Syndrome was not offensive in any way to individuals with Down Syndrome, one of whom was in attendance, or to their parents/siblings/friends, many of whom were in the audience. If the sketch is viewed in its totality and pieces not taken out of context it can only be interpreted as hilarious."
An appearance on The Late Late Show in 2008 led to complaints about his jokes involving a methadone user, eastern European immigrant accents, buying a motorbike from an injured biker, and a film idea about gay Traveller
Irish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
spacemen seeking a cure for gayness, eight of which were upheld by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
Previous routines which went largely without remark included a comic reference to disproportionate American reaction to 9/11 and a long comic repetition on the indifferent Israeli attitude to foreign criticism of Israeli occupations of surrounding land .
Controversy over Holocaust remarks
In September 2009 Tommy responded to a question concerning antisemitism at a pre performance public question and answer session at the Electric PicnicElectric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
by making remarks about the Holocaust and comments about Jews and the death of Christ
Jewish deicide
Jewish deicide is a belief that places the responsibility for the death of Jesus on the Jewish people as a whole.This deicide accusation is expressed in the ethnoreligious slur "Christ-killer." As a part of Second Vatican Council , the Roman Catholic Church under Pope Paul VI issued a declaration...
while he was interviewed by Olaf Tyaransen
Olaf Tyaransen
Olaf Tyaransen is an Irish author and journalist, and is a contributing editor with Dublin's Hot Press magazine and the Evening Herald...
, stating "These Jews, these fucking Jew cunts come up to me. Fucking Christ-killing bastards. Fucking six million? I would have got 10 or 12 million out of that. No fucking problem! Fuck them.". He was responding to an audience member who asked if he had ever been accused of antisemitism.
The response of the audience was criticised by Alan Shatter
Alan Shatter
Alan Joseph Shatter is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency and has been the Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence since March 2011.-Background and early life:...
as "disappointing" and also said "I would regard it as particularly sad that people found that sort of outburst in any way amusing".
Tommy Tiernan released a statement that said he had not meant to cause offence and that his words had been taken out of context. He said that the comments were part of an attempt to explain his belief that comedians have a duty to be irresponsible and reckless, to allow "whatever lunacy is within you to come out" and that they should never be taken out of context. He added that the statements that had caused controversy had been preceded by a statement not to take the rant seriously.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
also criticised the remarks, describing them as "offensive to the Jewish community", "offensive to all who feel revulsion concerning the Holocaust, one of the most horrific events in human history” and “I can only decry the comments as insensitive and hurtful to the suffering of the victims and to a memory which is sacred”.
Holocaust Education Trust Ireland condemned Tiernans' statements as "appalling". Ruairi Quinn
Ruairi Quinn
Ruairi Quinn is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Minister for Education and Skills since March 2011. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency. He was Minister for Finance from 1994 to 1997, and leader of the Labour Party from 1997 to 2002.-Early...
, chairman of the Trust, said that "as someone in the public eye, he has to take responsibility for his racist comments. We are equally concerned about the report of the audience’s reaction, which appears to have endorsed, sustained and enjoyed his comments. We would hope that the Irish public will choose to stay away from such racist ‘entertainment’ in future”. The Trust also said it "utterly condemns Mr Tiernan’s anti-Semitic outburst and calls upon him to repudiate completely and apologise unreservedly for the comments about the Holocaust and the Jews he is reported to have made" and "This incident highlights the necessity and relevance of the role of Holocaust education in order to educate and inform people in Ireland about the Holocaust, intolerance and anti-Semitism.”
Louis Lentin
Louis Lentin
Louis Lentin is a theatre, film and television director. He was born in Limerick, Ireland in 1933 and has worked for over forty years in the arts in Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts....
said Tiernan should be denied a visa for his shows in the U.S. in October.
Lentin said Tiernan's comments at the Electric Picnic festival in County Laois were "disgraceful", and “extraordinarily racist." "He doesn’t realise what he has said. He doesn’t realise the seriousness of it. You can’t make a joke about the Holocaust and just because you say it is a joke does not make it funny or acceptable".
Rabbi Robert Alper
Bob Alper
Rabbi Robert "Bob" Alper is an author, stand-up comedian, and practicing clergy member. As an ordained rabbi, Alper served congregations for fourteen years and holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary....
who is also a comedian said that Tommy Tiernans' statement on the subject was an attempt to weasel out of the
situation. Rabbi Alper also said about Tiernans claim that comedians have a duty to be irresponsible: "To me that’s really stupid. I don’t think that comedians should be reckless or irresponsible. Comedians should be concerned about the feelings of other human beings. It’s hurtful. Comedians (in America) don’t do anti-semitic things. I’ve rarely heard of it. There are plenty of tasteless comedians out there but none of them pick on a group of people." He also did not consider Tiernans' statement to be an apology, suggesting that Tiernan should say "I'm sorry". The Editor of Hot Press magazine, Niall Stokes
Niall Stokes
Niall Stokes is the award-winning editor of the long-running fortnightly Ireland music and political magazine Hot Press based in Dublin. He has edited the magazine since 1977. He has been a longstanding champion of Irish music, most famously U2 in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s...
later said that "To interpret it as anti-Semitism, is wrongheaded in the extreme. The way I see it, he is satirising anti-Semitism, while making a more general point that we should all be able to laugh at ourselves."
Olaf Tyaransen wrote that neither he nor Tommy Tiernan had anticipated the subsequent response to unreserved comments made by the comedian during an afternoon interview hosted by Hot Press magazine at the Electric Picnic — an end-of-season arts & music festival. Tyaransen said the last question asked from the floor (by an audience member readily identifiable by a green 'Palestina' t-shirt) about a dogged charge of anti-Semitism led to the comments at issue, and part of Tiernan's response recounted criticism of his routine by a Jewish couple after a show in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Olaf Tyaransen claimed Tiernan's subsequent ideas — focusing on a "two-at-a-time" efficiency concerning the systematic murder of millions of Jews — had been taken out of context, though he personally held the comedian's monologue as 'very funny' and said as much on Marian Finucane's RTÉ Radio 1 show of 26 September 2009.
Personal life
Tommy married Yvonne, his partner and manager, on 9 August 2009 in County MonaghanCounty Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Guests included Ardal O'Hanlon
Ardal O'Hanlon
Ardal O'Hanlon is an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his roles in television sitcoms as Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted and George Sunday in My Hero.-Early life:...
, Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
and Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran
Dylan Moran is an Irish stand-up comedian, writer, actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his sardonic observational comedy, the UK television sitcom Black Books , and his work with Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead and Run Fatboy Run...
. The ceremony took place at Castle Leslie which had previously held the wedding of Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Heather Mills.
He has three children from a previous relationship with Jayme Street.
Tiernan is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Awards
In 1996 Tiernan won the Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
"So You Think You're Funny" award. Two years later he was awarded the Perrier Comedy Award at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and won the Best Stand-Up Award at the British Comedy Awards. In 2003 he won the Nokia Best of the Fest Award and the Orange People Choice Award at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. In 2006 Tommy won Ireland's Funniest Living Person Award at the People of the Year Awards. In 2011 he was given the Nobel Prize for shouting. Shouting everything.