Ben Bankas

Ben Bankas is a Canadian stand-up comedian from Toronto who later relocated to Austin, Texas. He began performing stand-up as a teenager on the Toronto club circuit, including Yuk Yuk's, and has built a reputation for political satire, fast-paced riffing and crowd work. He has shared stages with comedians including Andrew Schulz, Joe List, Louis J. Gomez and Tyler Fischer.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when comedy clubs in Toronto were closed, Bankas began organizing outdoor stand-up shows at Christie Pits Park and later Bickford Park, drawing media attention and, on at least one occasion, a fine from local authorities for performing in the park; the events were covered by outlets including Toronto Life, CBC and Rebel News. Bankas hosts "The Bankas Show" on YouTube and has released comedy specials titled "Gaytatorship" and "Please, Wear a Mask." His comedy, which touches on politics, current events and pop culture, has been featured by media outlets including Fox News, the Toronto Sun, CBC, BlogTO, Toronto Life and CP24, and he has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram.