British Comedy Guide

2023 Edinburgh Fringe

Dave's Funniest Joke Of The Fringe 2023 won by Lorna Rose Treen

Tuesday 22nd August 2023, 12:01am

Lorna Rose Treen
  • Lorna Rose Treen has won Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe 2023
  • "I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah"
  • She says: "A huge thank you for awarding my stupid joke with this title!"

TV channel Dave has announced the winner of its fourteenth Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe award.

The prize for 2023 goes to character comic Lorna Rose Treen, who is performing her show Skin Pigeon at the Pleasance Courtyard as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Here is the top 10 in full:

Lorna Rose Treen: Skin Pigeon. Lorna Rose Treen

I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.

- Lorna Rose Treen

Liz Guterbock: Geriatric Millennial. Liz Guterbock

The most British thing I've ever heard? A lady who said 'Well I'm sorry, but I don't apologise.'

- Liz Guterbock

Amos Gill: The Pursuit of Happy(ish). Amos Gill

Last year I had a great joke about inflation. But it's hardly worth it now.

- Amos Gill

Sikisa: Hear Me Out. Sikisa

When women gossip we get called bitchy; but when men do it's called a podcast.

- Sikisa

Masai Graham

I thought I'd start off with a joke about The Titanic - just to break the ice.

- Masai Graham

Frank Lavender: Be Funny. Gareth Joyner

How do coeliac Germans greet each other? Gluten tag.

- Frank Lavender

Aaaaaaaand now! Roger Swift's Machine Pun: Reloaded. Roger Swift

My friend got locked in a coffee place overnight. Now he only ever goes into Starbucks, not the rivals. He's Costa-phobic.

- Roger Swift

Bennett Arron: Loser. Bennett Arron

I entered the 'How not to surrender' competition and I won hands down.

- Bennett Arron

William Stone: Lofi Jokes to Study/Relax to. William Stone

Nationwide must have looked pretty silly when they opened their first branch.

- William Stone

Daniel Foxx: Villain. Daniel Foxx

My grandma describes herself as being in her 'twilight years' which I love because they're great films.

- Daniel Foxx


As in previous years, the competition was run using an industry panel to comb the festival to compile a list of jokes that could take part in a survey of 2,000 members of the pubic. To ensure that there is no bias towards well-known comedians, the jokes were listed in the voting with no reference to the comedian that wrote and performed them - meaning it is purely judged on the humour of the jokes themselves.

Lorna Rose Treen

Treen says: "I am blooming chuffed to have won Dave's best joke of the fringe! Are you kidding! I can't wait to tell my mum! It is already such a wonderful joy to be debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, and this is a lovely thing on top. A huge thank you for awarding my stupid joke with this title!"

Dave channel director Cherie Hall said: "It's that time of year again - Dave's Joke of the Fringe - and this year we are thrilled to award Lorna Rose Treen's joke with the win. We've got an amazing mix of jokes and comedians in our top 10 list this year, the quality of submissions will keep us laughing until next year!

"This is the 14th year of our sponsorship of the Joke of the Fringe, and Dave remains as committed as ever to showcasing the best in new comedy on the channel. We are really excited for the return of Outsiders and Big Zuu's Big Eats in the next few months."

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