Andy Askins is a stand-up comedian based on the Isle of Wight, originally from Middlesbrough, who built his act around an unlikely combination of guitar in hand and a disarmingly mild-mannered stage persona. He steps up looking every inch the shy, studious type, then delivers sharp, cheeky material and a run of offbeat original comic songs and parodies that catch audiences completely off guard. That gap between how he looks and what he says is the engine of his comedy, and it has made him one of the circuit's most quietly distinctive acts.
Andy became a full-time comedian in 2005 and has since built a reputation as a headliner at all the major UK comedy clubs, alongside a solo show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that drew strong reviews. His musical songs and parodies have taken him well beyond the UK circuit, with gigs across Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Dubai, Mumbai and the Caribbean. On television he has appeared on The John Bishop Show at the Hackney Empire and on Comedy Central's The Comedy Store, and has recorded for Paramount Comedy's The World Stands Up.
Andy's warm, unassuming charm and genuinely funny songwriting make him an easy, versatile booking for club nights, corporate events and family friendly shows alike. He wins rooms over quickly without ever needing an edge, and his musical material gives every set a distinctive flavour that stands apart from a standard stand-up line-up. It's comedy that disarms first and delivers second, to great effect.