Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

NATION'S BIGGEST COMEDY FANS REVEALED

Chilly UK citizens are turning to comedy to shake off the lingering winter blues – ordering in record numbers of comedy DVDs.

Sales of on-line comedy DVDs have soared by 300% in the winter months as UK citizens choose to stay at home on the sofa and order in entertainment to laugh off miserable evenings.

People in Cardiff are laughing loudest as they are crowned the nation’s biggest comedy fans whilst residents in HRH The Queen’s home town of Windsor aren't amused – coming bottom of the league.

Tesco.com, the UK’s leading e-retailer, compiled the list based on online sales of comedy DVDs, identifying the chuckle map of Britain.

Cardiff is the happiest buying the most comedy DVDs closely followed by Pitsea in Essex and Newcastle who come second and third respectively. Areas such as Windsor, Newmarket and Kensington appear in the bottom ten towns when it comes to buying comedy.

Regionally people prefer to stick to their local comedians with Billy Connolly outselling Catherine Tate three to one in Scotland, but Catherine Tate outsells Billy Connolly by 20 to one in London. Similarly, in the north Peter Kay is the most popular comedian, but Jethro tops the list in south-west Britain.

Michael Kissman of Tesco.com comments: “It seems people are turning to comedy to shake off the lingering winter blues.

“Cardiff is officially the Comedy Capital of the UK, but it’s surprising the towns that don’t seem to like comedy. For example, we have sold considerably less comedy DVDS in Windsor and Harrow – perhaps it’s because they just don’t need cheering up as much as other towns in the UK.”

Currently the most popular comedy DVD is Little Britain Series Two followed by Peter Kay Live at the Manchester Apollo and then Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere. Little Britain Series 1 & 2 is fourth and Ricky Gervais’s Extras is fifth. Surprisingly, veteran comedian Jethro is in the top ten selling comedy DVDs – Jethro Live in Cuckoo Land – at number eight, just behind The Catherine Tate Show at seven.

Added Tesco.com’s Michael Kissman: “The comedy best sellers don’t really surprise us as most have been TV hits, but Jethro in the top ten – someone’s having a laugh.”

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For more info please contact Cow PR on 020 7684 6969 or tesco@cowpr.com
Notes to Editors:
•Top 10 most popular online comedy DVDs:

1)Little Britain Series 2
2)Peter Kay Live at Manchester Arena
3)Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere
4)Little Britain Series 1 & 2
5)Extras
6)Lee Evans Live
7)Billy Connolly Live in New York
8)Jethro Live in Cuckoo Land
9)Red Dwarf
10) Little Britain Series 1

•Top ten towns that buy the MOST comedy DVDs:

1) Cardiff
2) Pitsea, Essex
3) Newcastle
4) Plymouth
5) Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire
6) Birmingham
7) Brent, N. London
8) Bromley, Kent
9) Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland
10) Sevenoaks, Kent

•Top ten towns that buy the LEAST comedy DVDs:

1)Windsor
2)Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk
3)Harrow, London
4)Shrewsbury
5)Winchester
6)Slough
7)Newmarket, Suffolk
8)Kensington, London
9)Sutton, London
10) Lewes, East Sussex