Mark Andrew Watson

Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980) is an English comedian, novelist, and producer. Born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father, he attended Bristol Grammar School, where he won a "Gabbler of the Year" award, and went on to study English at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating with first class honours. At university he was a member of the Footlights and a contemporary of Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key, and Dan Stevens, and was part of the revue nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Perrier Comedy Awards.

Although not brought up in Wales, Watson used to deliver his act with a Welsh accent which he adopted because it made him "more comfortable to be talking in a voice that I didn't quite recognise as my own," though he has since reverted to his own accent. He has appeared regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, winning the first ever Panel Prize at the if.comeddies in 2006 and being nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2005 Perrier Comedy Awards. His other honours include the Time Out Critics' Choice Award 2006 and a Barry Award nomination for best show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2006.

Watson is known for performing unusual marathon shows lasting 24 hours or more, the first at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, at the end of which he proposed to his girlfriend Emily Howes, who accepted. These shows featured guest appearances from performers such as Tim Minchin, Adam Hills, Daniel Kitson, and Sarah Millican. In 2019 he staged a 26.2-hour live show to coincide with the London Marathon, and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 he hosted two 24-hour "Watsonathon" events on Twitch. He created the panel show We Need Answers with Alex Horne and Tim Key, which ran at the Edinburgh Fringe and on BBC Four from 2009, and hosted the ITV4 sports panel show Mark Watson Kicks Off in 2010.