Mitchell wins the finale of ‘Last One Laughing’ series two
The finale of Last One Laughing’s second series featured an unexpected twist as comedians David Mitchell and Sam Campbell engaged in a surreal feeding frenzy, culminating in Mitchell’s victory. After six hours of intense restraint, the duo were seen force-feeding each other eclairs, jelly, and chips, a scene described by Mitchell as “very, very odd”, reports BritPanorama.
Throughout the competition, neither Mitchell nor Campbell broke into laughter, with Mitchell remarking on the absurdity of their situation. “By the last phase, I wasn’t so much worried that I would crack as that neither of us would, and we’d be stuck in there forever,” he noted. Ultimately, the winner was determined by how many other contestants each comedian had managed to make laugh, thus eliminating them from the game. Mitchell’s performance secured him the second-ever Last One Laughing trophy.
Achieving the feat of remaining serious in a room full of comedians, including Romesh Ranganathan and Alan Carr, was particularly notable for Mitchell, who completed the series without even a yellow card warning. “As I remember it for the first few hours, I barely could laugh. It’s like when you hold a wee in too long, and your bladder sort of seizes up,” he remarked, adding a historical reference to illustrate his point.
Mitchell described his strategy as “nervous watchfulness”, akin to the tension of a dinner party where one fears causing offense. He acknowledged that he nearly faltered during performances known as “jokers” from his fellow contestants, particularly during Diane Morgan and Romesh Ranganathan’s humorous routines. “For me, it was during Diane, Alan, and Romesh’s jokers that I came nearest to cracking. They were difficult moments,” he confessed.
Mitchell’s eventual survival through their gags proved beneficial, as he reflected, “I think maybe something inside me died as a result of that and, actually, in the last phase, I don’t know if I could have laughed if I’d tried.” His own joker act, an exuberant rendition of “Flash Bang Wallop” from Half a Sixpence, was noted as a standout moment of the series, showcasing a different side of his comedic persona.
As the series concludes, the prospect of returning to a laugh-filled world looms for Mitchell, who, after enduring six hours alongside some of Britain’s finest comedians without a single tickle of laughter, humorously questions the value he derives from the experience. “I learned that I am willing to be fed on TV if contractually obliged,” he quipped.
‘Last One Laughing’ is available on Prime Video