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Mel Giedroyc had an impressive run on LOL: Last One Laughing UK, making it to the final episode – but unbeknownst to viewers, she was particularly motivated after being underestimated by host Jimmy Carr.
The hit Prime Video series focuses on a group of comedians who are trapped in a room and forbidden from cracking a smile or a laugh, and the one who keeps a straight face the longest is crowned the victor. In 2025, it became one of the streamer’s biggest-ever launches, drawing in six million viewers at its peak.
Giedroyc, 58, appeared as a contestant on series two and put in a strong stint, going viral for pulling unique faces to keep from laughing. But her main inspiration was to prove Carr wrong, who predicted she’d be the first to crack.
Speaking at Henley Literary Festival on Sunday (4 October), former Bake Off host Giedroyc said a good friend of hers was on series one and instructed her to say yes if asked. Giedroyc appeared on the series alongside Alan Carr, Diane Morgan, David Mitchell and Romesh Ranganathan, and after arriving on set, Carr let his feelings be known.
“We all stepped in, the 10 of us who were chosen to do it,” she said. “Jimmy Carr looked around – there’s lots of bants and laughs before we start the game – and he looked at me and said, ‘Well, you’re not gonna last 10 seconds, are you?’”
Giedroyc said she was taken aback by the comment and thought, “Woah, Jimmy Carr!”
She continued: “My Lithuanian and Polish ancestors rose up behind me and I just thought, ‘No one says that to a Giedroyc, actually.’ So yeah, that’s why I lasted a bit longer.”
The comedian, who has written a new fiction book titled The Comeback, will return for the third series – but as a presenter alongside Carr, replacing Roisin Conaty, who’ll become a contestant.
Other comedians set to take on the challenge include Richard Ayoade, Harry Hill, Lee Mack and Katherine Ryan.
Katherine Parkinson, Jon Richardson, Morgana Robinson, Michelle de Swarte and Josh Jones complete the line-up.
Prime Video has also said there will be a Halloween special in October, which will air on 23 October.
Jack Dee, Tom Allen, Harriet Dyer, Reece Shearsmith and Phil Wang will take part alongside returning series one stars Daisy May Cooper and Lou Sanders.
