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22 telly favourites to see at Edinburgh Fringe 2026

  • 18 hours ago
  • 14 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

From screen to stage...



With just one week to go until this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I've taken a look through this year's Edinburgh Fringe programme to pick out which favourite telly stars will be appearing at the festival this August.


I've also made lists about Saturday Night Live UK favourites and Taskmaster contestants, who'll be appearing at this year's festival, which you can read here and here.


Here are 22 telly favourites to see at Edinburgh Fringe, including Ed Gamble, Elaine C. Smith, Tom Read Wilson and more...

CHARLY CLIVE

BRITNEY: HOLY MACKEREL!


5th to 21st August (not 18th) at 4.45pm at Pleasance Courtyard


JITTERS


6th to 21st August (not 18th) at 12pm at Summerhall


Charly Clive's first television role was in 2019, playing 24-year-old Marnie, who has a form of OCD called Pure O, in Channel 4 drama Pure. Since then, she has gone on to star alongside Paapa Essiedu in Sky thriller The Lazarus Project, and recently starred opposite Steve Carell in hit HBO drama Rooster.


This year, Charly is returning to the Fringe after four years away, with not one, but two shows, alongside Ellen Robertson, the other half of sketch duo Britney, 10 years after their debut show.


Holy Mackerel! sees them make their long-awaited return to the Fringe with a joyfully silly sketch show, inspired by their love of sketch acts like Smack The Pony and their unbreakable bond. Expect sketches on the impossibly catchy song that is Gillette: The Best A Man Can Get, queer businesswomen, Karl Lagerfeld, and quite a few sketches about fire. There will be songs. There will be accents. There might well be a couple of glasses of wine on stage.


As well as Holy Mackerel!, Charly and Ellen will also be performing a two-hander play called Jitters, about ownership, tradition and the all-important 'L' word of any relationship: leverage. There's one hour to go before the wedding, but now the wedding may not be going ahead.


ED GAMBLE

WORK IN PROGRESS


19th to 24th August at 4pm at Pleasance Courtyard


Ed Gamble is best known for hosting The Traitors: Uncloaked, the hit visualised podcast for one of the biggest shows on telly, as well as winning the ninth series of Taskmaster, judging Great British Menu, taking part in Celebrity Hunted, and currently hosting TLC's new panel show, Unacceptable.


He is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with a new work in progress show, promising topics, angels and takes. In the blurb for the show, he writes, "Come witness the sheer delight on my face as I nail a new routine / experience the crumbling realisation that a routine doesn’t work. Either way, it will be an event."


ELAINE C. SMITH

CATHY


31st July to 30th August (not 1-6, 10, 17 and 24) at various times at Traverse Theatre


Elaine C. Smith is best known for playing Mary in Rab C. Nesbitt opposite Gregor Fisher, and, more recently, Christine in the hit BBC sitcom Two Doors Down.


She is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe after 26 years with Cathy, a new play written by young Scottish writer Eilidh Loan and inspired by her grandmother, and how she dealt with the grief in her unique way after losing her husband.


It is said that Cathy, Eilidh’s grandmother, insisted that Elaine C. Smith must play her and so she is.


ELLEN ROBERTSON

BRITNEY: HOLY MACKEREL!


5th to 21st August (not 18) at 4.45pm at Pleasance Courtyard


JITTERS


6th to 21st August (not 18th) at 12pm at Summerhall


Ellen Robertson recently starred alongside Rachel Weisz in Netflix's Vladimir, playing her daughter Sid, has appeared in episodes of hit comedies such as Pls Like, The Outlaws, Breeders and Too Much, as well as Black Mirror and can currently be seen in Ride or Die on Prime Video, which stars Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham.


This year, Ellen is returning to the Fringe after four years away, with not one, but two shows, alongside Charly Clive, the other half of sketch duo Britney, 10 years after their debut show.


Holy Mackerel! sees them make their long-awaited return to the Fringe with a joyfully silly sketch show, inspired by their love of sketch acts like Smack The Pony and their unbreakable bond. Expect sketches on the impossibly catchy song that is Gillette: The Best A Man Can Get, queer businesswomen, Karl Lagerfeld, and quite a few sketches about fire. There will be songs. There will be accents. There might well be a couple of glasses of wine on stage.


As well as Holy Mackerel!, Ellen and Charly will also be performing a two-hander play called Jitters, about ownership, tradition and the all-important 'L' word of any relationship: leverage. There's one hour to go before the wedding, but now the wedding may not be going ahead.


FATIHA EL-GHORRI

COCKNEY STACKING DOLL


17th to 30th August at 3.35pm at Monkey Barrel Comedy


Fatiha El-Ghorri has really been making a name for herself recently, playing Aysha in Sky's hit comedy Mr Bigstuff, alongside Danny Dyer and Ryan Sampson, Mrs. El Fassi in BBC Three comedy drama Boarders and as well as appearing as a contestant on the 19th series of Taskmaster, she recently made her debut on Loose Women as a guest panellist.


She is making her Edinburgh Fringe debut this year with Cockney Stacking Doll, as she irons her swaggest hijab to serve up her one-of-a-kind stand-up. Expect strong language, stereotype-smashing, and to fall side-splittingly in love with this knock-out comic.


FELICITY WARD

I WISH I COULD COME OUT OF MY SHELL


17th to 30th August at 3.50pm at Monkey Barrel Comedy


Felicity Ward is best known for leading the Australian version of The Office, as managing director Hannah Howard, as well as starring in hit comedies Josh and Gameface, Australian drama Wakefield and taking part in Dancing with the Stars Australia in 2025, making it all the way to the final with her dance partner Aric Yegudkin.


She is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time since her Best Comedy

nomination in 2018, with I Wish I Could Come out of my Shell. Following her recent divorce and doing Dancing With The Stars, Felicity is back in the game more than she’s ever been before.


It's a show about sexual liberation, the chokehold of the foxtrot and the best year of her life! Dating men, dating women, dating most of London… Felicity finds the humour as only she can in the identity crises of millennial men, the lies we were told about being undesirable after 40, and how Dancing With The Stars rewired her brain and temporarily cured her mental illness. The show is described as a celebration of life after 40 and promises to be her most joyful show to date.


FIONA ALLEN

WHITE LIES


5th to 29th August (not 17) at 3.50pm at 6pm at Gilded Balloon Teviot


Fiona Allen is best known for co-creating, writing, and starring in Channel 4's hit sketch comedy series Smack the Pony, alongside Sally Phillips and Doon Mackichan, and has also appeared on EastEnders, Death in Paradise and Waterloo Road.


After making her debut in 2023, she is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with a brand new show, White Lies. Fiona needs a perfect lie to avoid her pet hate of social gatherings. Running out of time and patience, she encounters every obstacle a day can throw at her.


It all threatens to derail her quest to find the perfect lie. She must confront her worst fear: her neighbour's party. It's a fate worse than death, and the clock is ticking. She's going to have to war-game it. Honestly.


GAIL PORTER

PORTERGEIST


 6th to 30th August (not 11, 18 and 25) at 6.25pm at Assembly Rooms


Gail Porter was a very familiar face on television in the nineties, presenting shows such as Top of the Pops, Live & Kicking, The Big Breakfast and more.


She is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time since making her debut in 2023, with a brand new show, Portergeist, as Scotland's favourite ghosthunter shares her infectious lust for life. And this time she's going Gail Force.


She's been famous, she’s been homeless, she’s been hit-on by the randy ghost of Jim Morrison. When you’ve been sectioned with two blokes who both claim to be Jesus, it’s easy to be cynical, but Gail reminds us why life is worth living (even when you’re dead).


GREGOR FISHER

AN (EARLY) EVENING WITH


15th to 30th August (not 24) at 4pm at Gilded Balloon Teviot


Gregor Fisher is best known for playing the title role in Rab C. Nesbitt opposite Elaine C. Smith, and has gone on to star in many a television comedy, including The Baldy Man, The Cockfields and more recently, alongside Greg McHugh in hit BBC comedy Only Child.


40 years after last performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, he's returning with his debut solo show, An (Early) Evening with Gregor Fisher, in which the Scottish stage and screen legend will be joined on stage by long-time friend and director Nigel West, for an evening of reminiscences, stories and things you’ve never heard before” with a wink, a grin and maybe a few surprises he probably shouldn’t tell.


GYLES BRANDRETH

UP MEMORY LANE!


5th to 30th August at 4pm at Assembly George Square


This Morning favourite Gyles Brandreth is no stranger to television with regular appearances on many a TV show, including The Wheel, Would I Lie to You?, Sunday Brunch and Celebrity Gogglebox, often sat next to a Dame.


He's returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with his eighth hour, Up Memory Lane! in which he explores how memory works (or doesn’t!) and shares hilarious stories of the best (and worst!) moments of his unlikely life, when he can remember them. But this time, the show will have a Rosebud twist, in which the producer of his podcast, Harriet Jaine, will join him on stage.


On the podcast, Gyles asks his famous guests, 'What is your very first memory?', which is what Harriet will be asking Gyles as they unpack their childhood memories, and the audience’s too.


In this show, the audience has to play ball, literally, as Gyles and Harriet will be throwing a ball into the audience and whoever catches it will have to share a family secret or pay a fun forfeit. The show promises a lot of laughs, a few tears and some songs.


JACK ROOKE

GOOD GRIEF


27th to 29th August at 7pm at Underbelly


Jack Rooke is best known for creating, narrating and briefly starring in Channel 4's hit sitcom Big Boys, about a university fresher trying to find his tribe whilst still finding himself.


A decade after his debut comedy-theatre hour, he's returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with Good Grief, the Fringe show that inspired Big Boys. Featuring the original show, co-written with his nan, and new content, this retrospective explores grief, milking having a dead dad for personal/professional gain, the innocence of writing just for oneself before the interference of "telly wankers", and the palpable regret of his own decline into becoming said "telly wanker".


JAMES ACASTER

JAMES ACASTER


4th August at 11am, 3pm, 7pm and 10pm at Monkey Barrel Comedy


James Acaster is best known for appearing as a contestant on the seventh series of Taskmaster, and having a meltdown on The Great Celebrity Bake Off. But how will he fare in The Celebrity Traitors? Only time will tell...


But before we find out, he is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this year for one day only with four performances of James Acaster, a brand-new show, which promises to be full of everything you love about James Acaster and more. These shows are being filmed for future release.


JACK WHITEHALL

WORK IN PROGRESS


10th to 15th August at various times at Pleasance Courtyard, with some performances at Pleasance at EICC and Assembly Hall


Jack Whitehall is best known for playing Alfie Wickers in the hit BBC Three comedy Bad Education, as well as being a regular panellist on Sky's hit panel show A League of Their Own, and his many travel shows with his father for Netflix. And earlier this year he starred alongside Keke Palmer in new Peacock drama The 'Burbs and hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live UK.


He debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2009, when he was nominated for Best Newcomer and is now returning with some work in progress shows. The blurb for the show reveals he's writing a new show. Some of it will be good. Some of it almost certainly won't. That's sort of the point. Come and watch him figure it out before anyone makes him perform it in much bigger venues.


It'll be rough around the edges, gloriously unfinished and, with any luck, very funny. Or you'll witness a spectacular public failure. Either way, it'll be more interesting than staying at home.


JOE LYCETT

JOE LYCETT AND FRIENDS


7th to 11th August at 3.30pm at Pleasance Courtyard


Joe Lycett is best known for hosting his own Channel 4 show, Late Night Lycett, as well as appearing on a number of panel shows including The Big Fat Quiz, Would I Lie To You?, QI and as a contestant on the fourth series of Taskmaster and on the first series of Last One Laughing. He has also fronted a number of Channel 4 show, including Joe Lycett's Got Your Back, Joe Lycett's Big Pride Party and later this year will come live from his own pub for their new show, The Lycett Arms.


He made his Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2012 and is now returning for Joe Lycett and Friends, a showcase of some of the most exciting talent at the Fringe for what promises to be an hour of laughter hosted by Joe.


KIELL SMITH-BYNOE

KIELL SMITH-BYNOE'S KOOL STORY BRO


20th to 22nd August at 11.15pm at Pleasance Courtyard


Kiell Smith-Bynoe is best known for playing Mike in BBC's hit sitcom Ghosts, and has starred in many shows including Stath Lets Flats, Dreamland, Man Like Mobeen and appeared as a contestant on the 15th series of Taskmaster and will soon be seen in BBC's new show, The Reluctant Vampire. He also hosted The Great British Sewing Bee in 2024.


Now he is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with Kool Story Bro, his smash-hit improv show, which features a celebrity guest every night. With stories from the audience inspiring the comedy for a cast of the UK's best improvisers.


KIMBERLY HART-SIMPSON

AMNESIA


 5th to 31st August (not 17) at 4.25pm at Pleasance Courtyard


Kimberly Hart-Simpson is best known for playing escort Nicky Wheatley in Coronation Street, and has also starred in Hollyoaks, Mount Pleasant and Brassic. And in 2021, she took part in Celebs Go Dating: The Mansion.


This year she is making her Edinburgh Fringe debut in Amnesia, which she has written and created, and promises to be a fiercely funny and deeply human portrait of life, loss and working-class resilience on the North Wales coast. Combining razor-sharp comedy with emotional honesty.


Set in Rhyl, Amnesia follows Kelly, a dementia carer and daughter of two Tom Jones tribute acts, who prides herself on holding everything together, from chaotic care home shifts to turbulent friendships and family expectations. But as she conceals devastating personal news, the cracks begin to show.


The piece shines a light on carers, community spirit and the realities of dementia, without ever losing its irreverent humour.


LARA RICOTE

INKLING


5th to 30th August (not 17) at 5.40pm at Monkey Barrel Comedy


Lara Ricote is best known for starring in Channel 4's hit sketch show Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping, and has also appeared on Richard Osman's House of Games, and most recently starred in Sam Campbell's Make That Movie. And she will soon play one of two leading roles in new Channel 4 comedy Break Clause.


After winning the Best Newcomer award for her debut show in 2021, she is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with her third show, Inkling, which promises to be a show about How to Salute to the Mystery of Being Alive.


The blurb for the show reads: You know when stuff happens to you and you react in a certain way (read: cry) so then you lean in? To know thyself? A man in a museum was mean to me (classic) and I’ve gotten a lot out of it (hell yeah). My stupidest and smartest show yet (alright!).


PAUL READY

LITTLE ANIMALS


18th to 30th August (not 24) at various times at Traverse Theatre


Paul Ready is perhaps best known for playing Kevin in BBC's hit comedy Motherland, as well as roles in many other great TV shows, including Channel 4 drama Utopia, and recently reunited with Diane Morgan to play Michael in her new show, Ann Droid.


He is making his Edinburgh Fringe debut this year with one-man show Little Animals, which he has also written. It's about what we’ve lost, the stories we tell ourselves, and the ever-present chance to write a new one.


You’re invited to Richard’s memorial. Richard is dead, after all. He’s gone. But his friend wasn’t invited to the funeral. And he can’t let go because something happened. Something he needs to lay to rest. This is his chance.


Little Animals is the story of a lifelong friendship, set in a culture that can’t stop consuming. As Richard’s climate concern grows more extreme, and his friend struggles with mortgages, parenthood and the stresses of modern living, a wedge is driven between them. Because we can’t all sit around growing f**king tomatoes. Can we?


ROSIE JONES

I CAN'T TELL WHAT SHE'S SAYING


5th to 30th August (not 17) at 4pm at Pleasance Courtyard


ANYONE BUT ME (WIP)


9th August at 8.30pm at Shedinburgh


Rosie Jones is best known for appearing as a contestant on the ninth series of Taskmaster, her regular appearances on The Last Leg and her own Channel 4 comedy Pushers. She has also fronted her own seires Trip Hazard: My Great British Adventure, and . Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it features Jones visiting a documentary about online hate speech against disabled people.


She is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with her latest tour, I Can't Tell What She's Saying, in which she talks about the big stuff: being single, the pressures of representing huge sections of the population, and gravy. Oh, and boobs.


Then on the 9th August, she'll be performing a new work in progress storytelling show, Anyone But Me (WIP) at Shedinburgh, about who gets to pretend/


It's described as - An audition. A challenge. A methodical approach. The role of a lifetime. When an exciting offer of a radical new role comes across her desk, and the potential promise of awards glory, Rosie has to figure out whether or not she is allowed to tell the story.


RUBY WAX

ABSOLUTELY FAMOUS


25th to 29th August at 3.30pm at Pleasance Courtyard


Ruby Wax is best known for her groundbreaking BBC interview series Ruby Wax Meets... and her infamous encounters with the likes of Donald Trump, OJ Simpson and Madonna. She has also starred in many great comedies, including Girls on Top, The Comic Strip Presents..., Absolutely Fabulous, and was a contestant on last year's series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!


Almost 40 years since making her debut, she is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with Absolutely Famous, in which she'll be kept in check by her lifelong friend and A-list producer Clive Tulloh, as the pair come together to review clips from the extraordinary shows they worked on, share scandalous stories that have never been heard before, and take the audience along for the ride.


TIM KEY

LOGANBERRY


21st to 30th August at Pleasance Courtyard


Tim Key is no stranger to television with roles in many a comedy, including After Life, Brassic, Detectorists, Here We Go, Peep Show, Pls Like, several Alan Partridge series, and most recently, Peacock's The Paper.


He's returning to the Edinburgh Fringe this year for a limited 10-night run of his current tour show, Loganberry, which contains a brand-new collection of poems, lager, and reflections. It'll be a case of marching in, eyeing you up, reading verse from battered playing cards, potentially stamping his feet, howling, guzzling continental lager, and then he'll disappear, and that'll be that.


TOM READ WILSON

A-Z OF ME


5th to 16th August at 7.30pm at Gilded Balloon at the Museum


Tom Read Wilson is best known for being a constant on E4's hit reality show Celebs Go Dating and finishing runner-up in last year's series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! He has also fronted some shows for 5, and was a contestant on Celebrity Best Home Cook, where he also finished runner-up.


He is making his Edinburgh Fringe debut this year with A-Z of Me, which promises to be an irreverent, whistle-stop tour of the alphabet. The alphabet reveals the revue, and Tom, letter by letter, word by word:


Through songs and sonnets, through stories and smut, this A to Z of Tom is the perfect prism through which to learn about this logophile and a delicious slice of theatre.

 
 
 

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