The second season of Amazon Prime's hit show Last One Laughing has arrived, and it is just as brilliant as the first. The premise is simple: a group of comedians are locked in a room and must avoid laughing or smiling. The last one standing wins. Last year's debut was a massive success, peaking at six million viewers and cementing Bob Mortimer as a national treasure.
Mortimer returns as defending champion, joined by a new lineup including Alan Carr, David Mitchell, Diane Morgan, Romesh Ranganathan, and Mel Giedroyc. The comedians are visibly rattled by Mortimer's presence, knowing his surreal humour—such as songs about lemon curd and phrases like “meats and cheeses, always pleases”—is nearly impossible to resist.
The show's charm lies in the contestants' desperate attempts to suppress laughter. Techniques range from biting fingers and yoga breathing to pacing and stuffing faces with food. Mortimer employs his “safety face,” an absurd underbite. When Carr starts sucking helium, his fellow comics scatter like pigeons, unable to withstand his high-pitched voice.
Creator Dan Gaster noted that performing to a silent audience is a comedian's worst nightmare. Ranganathan likened it to his early stand-up days: “Horrific.” Yet the sheer daftness of the show—like a grown-up staring contest—makes it irresistible. Viewers will find themselves laughing uncontrollably, just as they did in childhood.
