Frankie Boyle

Francis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle was born in Glasgow in 1972, and like fellow Scot Billy Connolly has one of those accents which is just naturally funny. He first hit comedy notoriety when he won the Daily Telegraph Open Mic award in 1996. A teeth-cutting tour of the comedy circuit followed, intertwined with some stints on Scottish radio. He then went on to write for TV, most notably for Jimmy Carr's Distraction and 8 out of 10 Cats, where he also appeared as a panellist.

Frankie is probably best known for his regular spot on Mock the Week. His cruel but perfectly constructed gags on politicians, celebrities and society as a whole go down well on the show, which takes a satirical look at the week's news. "John Prescott is so fat, that he can't put a tie and belt on without turning into sausages." Nice.

The show allows Frankie a free rein, broadcasting many of his wince inducing jokes. Classic mainstream material like paedophilia, 9/11 and the monarchy all receive the Boyle treatment.

Keeping true to his stand up roots, Frankie still plays the smaller, more intimate venues as well as the larger ones which he can now easily fill. So if you get the chance, go see him, but don't sit too close to the front because you'll get covered in muck.