Bored Panda got in touch with UK comedy writer and stand-up comedian Davina Bentley to ask some questions about humor and comedy in Britain compared to the rest of the English-speaking world. After all, despite similarities in language, everything from media to stand-up has its own nuances from place to place. 

“English humor is bleaker. It’s less earnest than say American humor and it’s weirder. Because British people are particularly idiosyncratic and English humor reflects that. We like things a bit gritty and unpolished.”

We also wanted to hear what she thought were some of the most visible differences between how Brits approach “funny” characters, in comparison to, say, Americans. “The characters. English culture doesn’t always celebrate “winners” or jocks, it sometimes celebrates “losers” and I think that could be a struggle. To make sense to a US audience, Tim from the office had to be “glowed up” from Martin Freeman to John Krasinski.”

Finally, we wanted to know what Davina's quintessential UK experience was. “Dancing to Girls Aloud at a wedding, Smirnoff Ice from the corner shop, and crying in Topshop,” she told us, so perhaps add it to your to-do list when you are planning your next trip to Britain. You can find Davina’s comedy videos and sketches on Instagram here and on TikTok here.