Clash Of The Comics to Rumble onto U&Dave (and Probably Your Living-Room Floor)

Imagine your favourite stand-up comics trading in punchlines for powerbombs — yes, really — because that’s exactly what Clash Of The Comics is about to deliver. This gloriously unhinged hybrid of comedy and wrestling is set to air as a 160-minute special on U and U&Dave, bringing chaos from the ring straight to your sofa.

The show, originally conceived as The Wrestling and performed live at the Edinburgh Fringe, was created by comedy duo Max & Ivan. It’s a no-holds-barred (but very scripted) showdown where comedians transform into wrestlers, complete with rivalries, backstories, ridiculous costumes, and more drama than a group chat on a hen do.

Recorded on 8 October 2025 at the Hammersmith Apollo, the event features a jam-packed card of comedians and pro wrestlers grappling for glory, dignity, and possibly a chance to go viral on TikTok.

At the top of the bill: Ed “The Gambler” Gamble vs. Phil “Kill” Wang, facing off over a championship belt and a long-simmering grudge that definitely isn’t just an elaborate in-joke. James Acaster, never one to be left out of a good existential crisis or physical challenge, has issued an “open challenge” to anyone brave enough to meet him in the ring. Presumably, that includes other comics, actual wrestlers, or possibly the inner demons he’s been taunting for years.

Elsewhere, Maisie Adam is set to battle professional wrestler Nina Samuels, which feels a bit like bringing a well-crafted anecdote to a suplex fight — but this is Clash Of The Comics, and logic checked out at the door.

The event also features appearances from Rosie Jones, Ania Magliano, Abi Clarke, Amy Gledhill, Sarah Keyworth, Max Fosh, Mark Silcox, and of course, Max & Ivan themselves.

Ringside commentary will be provided by Greg James, Sara Pascoe and Nish Kumar — because nothing says "sporting credibility" like someone shouting “Oh no!” while holding a flat white. Backstage interviews and hype will come courtesy of Olga Koch and Matthew Crosby, while the host with the most (stress) is Ivo Graham. And in a move that raises both eyebrows and expectations, Joe Lycett is now storyline CEO of Clash Of The Comics. Whether this means he’s also responsible for health and safety forms remains unconfirmed.

So what can viewers expect? Think: ludicrous entrances, exaggerated rivalries, sketch-like interludes, actual wrestling moves (mostly safe ones), and the kind of over-the-top drama that could only happen when comedians take kayfabe very seriously.

It’s part theatre, part wrestling, part sketch show — and it’s all designed to be both entertaining and slightly alarming. If it sounds mad, that’s because it is. And that’s the point.

Viewers outside the UK and Ireland can also watch it via pay-per-view, ensuring the madness doesn’t stop at the border.

So whether you’re here for the laughs or the lariats, Clash Of The Comics is shaping up to be the most spectacularly strange night of television you didn’t know you needed.

Honestly, if your favourite comedians body-slamming each other on prime time doesn’t save 2025, what will?