Last One Laughing UK season 2 made me spit out my drink – it’s golden

This review is based on the first two episodes of Last One Laughing season 2 on Amazon Prime Video.

A hearty laugh is good for the soul. Especially one that leaves you spluttering, gasping for air, and spitting out your drink.

On a chilly, pre-spring Monday evening in London, I traipsed to Battersea Power Station to go watch the first two episodes of Last One Laughing UK season two, on the same week that it’s launching on Amazon Prime Video.

I knew two things for certain. One: I needed a good chuckle. It had been a tiring start to the week, and I needed some levity to boost my mood, especially days before my birthday.

Two: I knew that Last One Laughing was going to give it to me, without a shred of doubt. Especially with an epic cast featuring the comedic talents of Alan Carr (the least straight-faced person in the entire United Kingdom), Philomena Cunk herself, Diane Morgan, and the reigning champion Bob Mortimer.

If you’re yet to watch the phenomenon that is Last One Laughing, let me get you up to speed.

The aim of the game is simple. A bunch of hilarious comedians – both established and up-and-coming – are plopped into a room for six hours straight.

They need to do everything in their power not to smile or laugh, or they risk getting eliminated. If they’re caught once, they get a yellow warning card from presenter Jimmy Carr, who’s watching them all on multiple screens in a separate room alongside co-host Roisin Conaty. A second time, and they’re out of the game.

Luckily, none of the eliminated comedians are gone for good, as they’ll join Jimmy and Roisin once they’re out of the running for the crown.

You might think that mission sounds simple enough, or at least an extremely easy feat, but you’d be mistaken. These are people who make a living out of being funny. Not being able to make other people laugh is a nightmare for them, let alone not being able to crack a grin themselves.

That’s not all. Throughout the six-hour stint, they’re set challenges that they have to complete. At some point, every competitor has to perform their ‘Joker’, a special performance that they’ve prepared for the show, and it’s compulsory for everyone to sit on the sofas to watch them.

It’s a special kind of torture, one that the comedians might regret ever signing up for, but which will leave audiences crying with laughter once again.

It doesn’t surprise me one bit that Last One Laughing became such an enormous success. Admittedly, I caught up on the first season late. But once I did, I was sucked in straight away.

Massive kudos have to go to the people behind the casting. Bringing comedic heavyweights together, such as Bob, Daisy May Cooper, Lou Sanders and Richard Ayoade, was always bound to result in TV gold. Nonetheless, even they couldn’t have anticipated how unpredictable and downright ridiculous the comics were going to be.

Season two is now finally here a year later, and the cast – once again – is stacked. On top of returning victor Bob, we have: Celebrity Traitors winner Alan, Diane, Mel Giedroyc, Romesh Ranganathan, Sam Campbell, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Maisie Adam, Amy Gledhill, and David Mitchell.

One might think that the new cast has an advantage, as they’ve watched the show, have a better idea of how it works and can figure out tactics in advance that will help them to stay strong until the end.

If the first two episodes of season two have taught me anything, it’s that the minute you think you’ve sussed the outcome of the game, you’ve been completely and utterly fooled.

Perhaps you’ve convinced yourself that you know which deadpan comedians are going to remain effortlessly stony-faced, and which giggling hyenas are going to corpse straight away. But anything can go down within those surreal four walls, the comics’ sanity slowly melting away as the minutes slowly tick by.

The surprise standout performer for me from what I’ve seen so far is Sam Campbell. He’s one of the comedians I know the least, but his outlandish remarks about anything and everything mark him as one of the dark horses to watch in the competition. I had no idea what he was about to say most of the time, and I loved it. Bring on the chaos.

Mel Giedroyc also brought genuine tears of laughter to my eyes. I’m so used to knowing her as a former presenter on The Great British Bake Off that I relished in watching her flex her comedic talents. She is an utter delight, and I’ve never wanted her to be my friend more.

There’s nothing wrong with indulging in a bit of stupid humour. And Last One Laughing has that in abundance. It’s a bit of joyous, silly fun… and I have no qualms declaring it one of the best shows on TV right now. Mark my words: season two might be even better than the first.

Last One Laughing season 2 launches on Thursday March 19 on Amazon Prime Video.

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