About John Tothill
John Tothill is an English stand-up comedian and actor. He was nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2025. Tothill was formerly a primary school teacher in Southend-on-Sea and was a member of the Cambridge Footlights during his time studying music at Clare College, Cambridge.
He won the 2Northdown New Act Competition in 2022. Tothill began stand-up comedy in November 2022 and made his Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut performing his one-man stand-up comedy show The Last Living Libertine in August 2023 at the Pleasance Courtyard. In order to fund the show, Tothill took part in a drugs trial for an anti-malaria drug but having been injected with a strain of the disease, felt symptoms of the disease beyond the doctors' expectations. He returned to Edinburgh the following year with the show Thank God This Lasts Forever; however, his run of performances was impeded by a burst appendix.
He was nominated for the Chortle Award for Best Newcomer in 2024. He appeared on Comedy Central Live in 2024. His 2025 one-man show This Must Be Heaven was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. The show was nominated for Best Show at the Chortle Awards in 2026. In 2025, he joined the cast of Channel 4 comedy series It Gets Worse, created by Leo Reich and produced by A24. Tothill appeared on Ian Hislop's team on Have I Got News for You for the Series 71, Episode 9 episode broadcast on BBC One on 29 May 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is John Tothill?
John Tothill is an English stand-up comedian and actor. He was nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2025.
What did John Tothill do before comedy?
Tothill was formerly a primary school teacher in Southend-on-Sea and was a member of the Cambridge Footlights during his time studying music at Clare College, Cambridge.
When did John Tothill begin stand-up comedy?
Tothill began stand-up comedy in November 2022 and made his Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut performing his one man stand-up comedy show The Last Living Libertine in August 2023 at the Pleasance Courtyard.
What was John Tothill's 2025 show?
His 2025 one-man show This Must Be Heaven was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award.
Has John Tothill appeared in any television series?
Yes. In 2025, he joined the cast of Channel 4 comedy series It Gets Worse, created by Leo Reich and produced by A24. He also appeared on Have I Got News for You for an episode broadcast on BBC One on 29 May 2026.
