Heard the one about the funny man? It’s a tall story

IT’S long been claimed that the key to comedy is timing. But it seems that being tall – and from Liverpool – helps, too.

A bid to pinpoint the ‘funny gene’ by analysing our favourite comedians found that city-dwellers of above-average height were most likely to make the grade.

Another key sign was being the youngest sibling from families with at least three children – suggesting their comedy chops were honed early on as they competed for attention. Examples include Ricky Gervais, Micky Flanagan and the late Victoria Wood – all of whom were the youngest of four.

The study of successful comics was carried out by statistician Dr Geoff Ellis. His research, which examined the backgrounds and physical attributes of 50 leading British entertainers, found they were twice as likely to hail from the North. They were also likely to be taller – over 5ft 9in for male comedians, and 5ft 3in for women – and from cities rather than rural areas.

The study was commissioned by the Beano, one of a number of titles produced by Dundee-based publisher DC Thomson.

Leaving no stone unturned, Dr Ellis also examined astrology. Geminis were found to be the funniest, while those born under the signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are least likely to make us chuckle.

An additional study, also commissioned by the Beano, concluded that Liverpool is the funniest city in Britain. Scousers received two-thirds of the vote, in a poll of 2,000 Britons, followed by Newcastle upon Tyne and Manchester.

A second poll, of 2,000 children aged between six and 13, suggested that naff ‘dad jokes’ still hold an enduring appeal. Just one in seven children said their mother was the funnier parent.