Elis James
Stand-up comedian

Elis James

Who Elis James is

Elis James is a Welsh stand-up comedian, actor, writer and broadcaster from Carmarthen whose first language is Welsh. He began stand-up in 2005 after graduating from Cardiff University and working for a homelessness charity, wrote four stand-up shows in English for tours and the Edinburgh Festival, and in 2015 wrote his first stand-up show in Welsh, going on to perform in both languages. He starred in the BBC Three sitcom Josh and in Crims and Tourist Trap, has long made radio and podcast shows with his fellow comedian John Robins, taken on stage as Elis & John: That Feels Significant Live!, and has appeared on QI, The News Quiz, Fighting Talk and Fantasy Football League.

At a glance

Stand-up specials
Rhacs Jibiders and Haleliw
Podcasts and radio
Social Club FM, Elis James's Pantheon of Heroes, Here Be Dragons and 7 more
On screen
Josh, Crims, Tourist Trap and 16 more
Official site
elisjames.co ↗

On stage

No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now — their own site has their dates: elisjames.co ↗.

Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →

Specials, shows and podcasts

Stand-up specials

On screen

Podcasts and radio

Comedians like Elis James

Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.

Six Degrees of Komic Bacon: how they connect to anyone →

Every stand-up comedian with a page, A to Z →

Their stand-up

Elis James won the Maes B comedy award at the 1999 National Eisteddfod of Wales, turned full-time comedian in 2008, supported Rhod Gilbert on his 2010 UK tour and performed his show Daytripper at that year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In late 2015 he recorded the Welsh-language stand-up special Rhacs Jibiders for S4C, and his next Welsh-language show, Haleliw, was first broadcast on Christmas Day 2019.

His Radio X show with John Robins won Chortle's Best Radio Show award in 2017, and the pair's show won a Gold award for Funniest Show at the 2020 Audio and Radio Industry Awards. The BBC Radio Wales sketch show Here Be Dragons, which he co-writes and co-stars in, won a bronze Sony Award for Best Comedy in 2014, and he was crowned Champion of Champions on BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk.

Career timeline

  1. 2007Cowbois Ac Injans (2007) On screen
  2. 2011Social Club FM (Rex Jones, BBC Radio Wales, 2011) Podcast or book
  3. 2012Elis James's Pantheon of Heroes (host, BBC Radio Wales, from 2012) Podcast or book
  4. 2013The Committee Meeting (BBC Three pilot, 2013) On screen
  5. 2014Crackanory (Nigel, Dave, 2014) On screen
  6. 2014Here Be Dragons (co-writer and co-star, BBC Radio Wales, from 2014) Podcast or book
  7. 2014The Elis James and John Robins Show (Xfm/Radio X, 2014–2019) Podcast or book
  8. 2015Rhacs Jibiders (S4C, 2015) Special
  9. 2016Elis in Euroland (host, BBC Radio Wales, 2016) Podcast or book
  10. 2017James and Jupp (BBC Two, 2017) On screen
  11. 2017Ankle Tag (lead, BBC Radio 4, 2017–2020) Podcast or book
  12. 2017Elis James' Feast of Football (host, BBC podcast, from 2017) Podcast or book
  13. 2018Richard Osman's House of Games (BBC Two, 2018) On screen
  14. 2019Haleliw (Welsh-language show, 2019) Special
  15. 2019Denmark (Aubrey, film, 2019) On screen
  16. 2019Funny Nation (host, 2019) On screen
  17. 2019Elis James and John Robins (BBC Radio 5 Live, from 2019) Podcast or book
  18. 2020The Socially Distant Sports Bar (co-host, 2020) Podcast or book
  19. 2021Stand Up in My House (host, 2021) On screen
  20. 2022The Secret Life of Farm Animals (narrator, BBC Four, 2022) On screen

Questions and answers

Where is Elis James performing next?

No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: elisjames.co ↗.

What stand-up specials have they released?

Rhacs Jibiders and Haleliw.

What podcasts and radio shows have they been on?

Social Club FM, Elis James's Pantheon of Heroes, Here Be Dragons, The Elis James and John Robins Show, Elis James and John Robins, Elis in Euroland, Ankle Tag, Elis James' Feast of Football, Dwy Iaith, Un Ymennydd and The Socially Distant Sports Bar.

What TV shows and films are they in?

Josh, Crims, Tourist Trap, Fantasy Football League, QI and The News Quiz, among 19 credits.

Who are some comedians like them?

Henning Wehn (also in Fighting Talk), Kiri Pritchard-McLean (also in QI), Aisling Bea (also in QI), Alfie Brown (also in Fighting Talk) and Dan Tiernan (also in QI).

The full SUCDb record

The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.

Their SUCDb record →Their own site ↗

Sources

Updated 9 October 2026 · the record checked 8 October 2026