The funniest Fringe gag? You must be joking… Cheesy quip about a zookeeper is voted the best of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival

Just because it’s a one liner doesn’t make it a good joke.

And perhaps that is the case with this quip about a zookeeper which has just been voted the best one liner of the 2023 Fringe Festival.

Comedian Lorna Rose Treen’s award-winning gag goes: ‘I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.’

Taken from her show Skin Pigeon currently on at the Edinburgh festival, the pun saw Treen clinching the top spot of Dave’s highly anticipated Funniest Joke of the Fringe award.

The prestigious honour was bestowed on the London-based comic after a panel of UK comedy critics selected a shortlist of jokes from shows at this year’s Fringe – and then submitted them anonymously to a public vote of 2,000 people.

Taken from her show Skin Pigeon currently on at the Edinburgh festival, the pun saw Treen clinching the top spot of Dave’s highly anticipated Funniest Joke of the Fringe award

Speaking about the success of her ‘stupid’ zookeeper joke, 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!

‘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!’

Hot on Treen’s heels in second place was Liz Guterbock’s gentle mockery of overly apologetic Britons: ‘The most British thing I’ve ever heard? A lady who said “Well I’m sorry, but I don’t apologise”.’

And in third place was Amos Gill’s topical wisecrack about the economy: ‘Last year I had a great joke about inflation. But it’s hardly worth it now.’

The prestigious honour was bestowed on the London-based comic after a panel of UK comedy critics selected a shortlist of jokes from shows at this year’s Fringe – and then submitted them anonymously to a public vote of 2,000 people

Sneaking in at the ninth spot was William Stone’s pithy one-liner: ‘Nationwide must have looked pretty silly when they opened their first branch.’

But trouncing them all was actor and writer Treen’s cheetah joke, told during her debut ‘nonsensical escapist character show’ Skin Pigeon which has received rave reviews and sold out at least 28 shows during the Fringe.

Skin Pigeon is on until Sunday, August 27 at The Attic in Pleasance Courtyard.