Redditch's Lorna Rose Treen's zookeeper pun named Funniest Joke of the Fringe

Lorna Rose Treen poses with her comedy award Credit: PA Images

The winner of a one-liner described by its author as “stupid” has topped the poll for best joke of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Comedian Lorna Rose Treen was voted the winner of the Dave Funniest Joke of the Fringe award with her pun: “I started dating a zookeeper – but it turned out he was a cheetah,” taken from her show, Skin Pigeon at Pleasance Courtyard.

A panel of 10 comedy experts nominated their list of the 10 best jokes which were then put to a vote of 2,000 people.

Treen’s joke topped the list, with 44% of those surveyed saying it was the annual festival’s funniest.

Treen said: “I am blooming chuffed to have won Dave’s best joke of the fringe! Are you kidding! I can’t wait to tell my mum!"

Panellists attended hundreds of shows across the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this month, listening out for jokes which tickled them the most.

The judges top 10 funniest jokes of the fringe:

– I started dating a zookeeper – but it turned out he was a cheetah. (Lorna Rose Treen 44%)

– The most British thing I’ve ever heard? A lady who said, “Well I’m sorry, but I don’t apologise”. (Liz Guterbock 41%)

– Last year ,I had a great joke about inflation. But it’s hardly worth it now. (Amos Gill 40%)

– When women gossip we get called bitchy; but when men do it’s called a podcast. (Sikisa 34%)

– I thought I’d start off with a joke about The Titanic – just to break the ice. (Masai Graham 33%)

– How do coeliac Germans greet each other? Gluten tag. (Frank Lavender 32%)

– My friend got locked in a coffee place overnight. Now he only ever goes into Starbucks, not the rivals. He’s Costa-phobic. (Roger Swift 29%)

– I entered the “How not to surrender” competition and I won hands down. (Bennett Arron 29%)

– Nationwide must have looked pretty silly when they opened their first branch. (William Stone 28%)

– My grandma describes herself as being in her “twilight years” which I love because they’re great films. (Daniel Foxx 26%)

Comedian Lorna Rose Treen was voted the winner of the Dave Funniest Joke Credit: PA Images

Treen, from Redditch, has won numerous awards for her one liners and became the first ever double award winner at the Funny Women Awards in 2022.

Earlier this year, she won Chortle’s coveted best newcomer award.

Treen said: "It is already such a wonderful joy to be debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, and this is a lovely thing on top. A huge thank you for awarding my stupid joke with this title!”

The prize is now in its 14th year and previous winners of the award include Masai Graham, Ken Cheng, Olaf Falafel, Tim Vine, Rob Auton, Stewart Francis, Zoe Lyons and Nick Helm.

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