Did you hear the one about the former mathematician who told the funniest joke of the Edinburgh fringe?
Ken Cheng dropped out of Cambridge to become a pro poker player before trying his hand at comedy
They say comedy can be found in the most banal of subjects, and the 2017 winner of Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe award puts that theory to the test.
Proving that even money can be funny, Ken Cheng has won this year’s accolade at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his one-liner on the UK’s redesigned currency: “I’m not a fan of the new pound coin, but then again, I hate all change.”
The prize, now in its 10th year, is awarded by a public vote, with this year’s shortlist including 15 jokes by comedians such as Frankie Boyle, Alexei Sayle, Tim Vine and Ed Byrne.
In close contention was this piercing takedown of the US president, Donald Trump, by Boyle: “Trump’s nothing like Hitler. There’s no way he could write a book.” And this joke by Sayle also gave Cheng a run for his money: “I’ve given up asking rhetorical questions. What’s the point?”
I’m not a fan of the new pound coin, but then again, I hate all change
Cheng studied maths at Cambridge University before dropping out to become a professional online poker player. His big break in comedy came when he reached the final of the 2015 BBC Radio New Comedy award. This year, his first at the Edinburgh fringe, he was also listed on the BBC’s New Talent Hotlist.