Barry Humphries: The Last Laugh

A host of top stars reflect on the life and comedy of Barry Humphries - AKA Dame Edna Everage - a trailblazer and a hellraiser whose road to worldwide fame was far from easy.

In December 2023, the legendary comic is being honoured with a state memorial at the Sydney Opera House, and ITV1 pays its own tribute with friends and fans including Sharon Osbourne, Jonathan Ross, Nick Cave, Jason Donovan, Joan Bakewell, Dara O Briain, Lord Jeffrey Archer and more.

Barry Humphries: The Last Laugh relives classic moments from his signature characters, Dame Edna and Sir Les Patterson, as well as uncovering gems from the many interviews Barry gave as himself, which were often illuminating and equally hilarious.

Following his death in April, this documentary aims to offer an intimate, personal and honest look back at the life and work of one of the funniest and most iconic performers of our times. Adored by millions, but perhaps known by few, Barry constantly shifted the lines between where the characters ended and his own personality began, making it a challenge for interviewers to get under the skin of the man himself.

The show tracks his career from his upbringing in suburban Melbourne, to taking his new act Edna Everage to Sydney in the 1950s, where it didn't always go down well. But it was after Barry moved to London that he found success with audiences.