# Jack Carroll (comedian)
**Jack Carroll** (born 1998) is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer from [West Yorkshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-yorkshire) who finished runner-up on *Britain's Got Talent* in 2013 at the age of 14 and has since worked across British television, including a role in *Coronation Street*. He has cerebral palsy, which is central subject matter in his act; his audition routine of self-deprecating material about his disability led judge [David Walliams](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-walliams) to call him a "comedy genius".[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4875120/) • [2](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/comedian-jack-carroll-is-declared-funnier-than-david) • [3](https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2013-06-09/funnyman-jack-is-runner-up/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1998, Bradford, Yorkshire, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4875120/) |
| Breakthrough | Runner-up on *Britain's Got Talent* Series 7, June 2013, at age 14, finishing behind the Hungarian shadow dance act Attraction[3](https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2013-06-09/funnyman-jack-is-runner-up/) |
| Early recognition | Daily Mirror Pride of Britain award, 2012, "Teenager of Courage" category[4](https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2012-winner/jack-carroll/) |
| Television roles | Harry in Sky One's *Trollied* (2014–2018); Dean in *Big School* (2014); Bobby in *Coronation Street* from December 2023[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/) • [6](https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-12-27/britains-got-talent-star-brings-comedy-to-the-cobbles-of-coronation-street) |
| Film | Lead role as Pete in the 2019 British comedy film *Eaten By Lions*[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/) |
| Writing | Created, wrote for and starred in the BBC Three short *Mobility* (2023), which won the BAFTA for Short Form in Television[7](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/comedian-jack-carroll.html) |
| Tours | *Walking Funny* (2021) and *The Fall Guy* (2026)[8](https://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/j/34012/jack_carroll) |
## Early life and breakthrough
Carroll was born in Bradford and is from Brighouse in West Yorkshire.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4875120/) • [3](https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2013-06-09/funnyman-jack-is-runner-up/) A video of his first gig, performed at his parents' wedding anniversary, attracted 10,000 hits on YouTube and brought him to wider attention; comedian [Jason Manford](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-manford) then asked him to perform a 10-minute opening set at Manford's show in Bradford in November 2010, in front of 2,500 people.[4](https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2012-winner/jack-carroll/) • [8](https://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/j/34012/jack_carroll)
In 2012 he won a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain award in the "Teenager of Courage" category, cited for using stand-up comedy to confront his cerebral palsy and to inspire other disabled children.[4](https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2012-winner/jack-carroll/) In an interview he described the principle behind the act: "I'm using positive aspects of my disability, and hoping other people can see me and realise they can do the same in their own way too."[4](https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2012-winner/jack-carroll/)
**Britain's Got Talent 2013.** At 14 he auditioned for the seventh series of *Britain's Got Talent*, opening with the line "I'm a professional gymnast" before delivering a stand-up routine built on jokes about his disability and his benefits payments.[9](https://bgt.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Carroll) The audition drew a standing ovation, and David Walliams called him a "comedy genius".[2](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/comedian-jack-carroll-is-declared-funnier-than-david) • [10](https://www.mic.com/articles/37067/jack-carroll-teen-with-cerebral-palsy-gets-standing-ovation-at-britain-s-got-talent) In the final on 8 June 2013 he finished second in the public vote to the Hungarian shadow theater group Attraction; he opened his set with an ad-libbed gag about an egg-throwing incident during the preceding act, and reacted to the result on stage with "Runner up? A little bit insensitive, is it not?"[3](https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2013-06-09/funnyman-jack-is-runner-up/) • [11](https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/1173/jack_carroll_gets_2nd_place_in_bgt_2013/) The British Comedy Guide report notes that he was born 11 weeks prematurely and supports himself with a frame.[11](https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/1173/jack_carroll_gets_2nd_place_in_bgt_2013/)
He returned to the franchise six years after his first audition for *Britain's Got Talent: The Champions*, performing again for the judges.[12](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/jack-carroll-champions)
## Television and film
Carroll's screen career began before *Britain's Got Talent*: he appeared in the CBBC sketch show *Vic Reeves' Ministry of Curious Stuff* aged 11, playing Mr Frazernagle across both series (2012–2013).[13](https://jackcarroll.co.uk/) • [5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/) His own biography also records a National Soap Award nomination at 15 for an appearance in *Doctors*.[13](https://jackcarroll.co.uk/)
**Sitcom work.** From 2014 to 2018 he played Harry in the [Sky One](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-one) sitcom *Trollied*, appearing across four series plus a Christmas special, and in 2014 played Dean in an episode of David Walliams's BBC sitcom *Big School*.[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/) In 2019 he took the lead role of Pete in the feature film comedy *Eaten By Lions*, a road movie about two half-brothers, one white and one Asian, who travel to [Blackpool](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackpool) in search of the father of one of them; he described the film as giving him more freedom to improvise than the tightly scripted *Trollied*.[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/) • [14](https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jack-carroll-i-was-treated-with-derision-and-suspicion-in-my-pip-assessment/) Later credits include *Ladhood* (2021), *QI* (2021), and *Would I Lie to You?* (2024).[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/)
**Coronation Street.** In December 2023 he joined the ITV soap *Coronation Street* as Bobby, a "cheeky chap" who arrives on his auntie Carla's doorstep looking for a place to stay after falling out with his mother. Carroll said the character shares comic ground with his stand-up, and welcomed that Bobby's disability is mentioned without defining the character. He told ITV that his mother, a lifelong *Coronation Street* fan, had been at his *Britain's Got Talent* audition years earlier.[6](https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-12-27/britains-got-talent-star-brings-comedy-to-the-cobbles-of-coronation-street)
## Writing and Mobility
Carroll is a graduate of the BBC Writersroom.[13](https://jackcarroll.co.uk/) In 2023 he created, co-wrote and starred in *Mobility*, a [BBC Three](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-three) short film about three disabled teenagers from [Huddersfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/huddersfield) who take the same disability bus to school each day; he played the lead role of Mike.[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/) • [9](https://bgt.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Carroll) The pilot won the BAFTA for Short Form in [Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/television).[7](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/comedian-jack-carroll.html) His other writing credits include additional material for BBC Radio 4's *The News Quiz* and Channel 4's *Off Their Rockers*, and an episode of *The Now Show*.[5](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/)
## Stand-up and disability
Carroll's stand-up centers on life with cerebral palsy. In a 2013 interview he explained the approach: "I use my cerebral palsy in my act because in comedy a lot of times, your weaknesses are your strengths."[10](https://www.mic.com/articles/37067/jack-carroll-teen-with-cerebral-palsy-gets-standing-ovation-at-britain-s-got-talent) He credits growing up as a disabled child with sharpening the skill his career depends on, since he could not move around quickly and "had to get good at talking".[14](https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jack-carroll-i-was-treated-with-derision-and-suspicion-in-my-pip-assessment/) In 2019 he told *Disability News Service* that a personal independence payment assessment had left him treated with "derision and suspicion", which he attributed to a "hostile environment" created by government policy, and said a routine based on the experience would enter his act.[14](https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jack-carroll-i-was-treated-with-derision-and-suspicion-in-my-pip-assessment/)
He has also spoken about representation in the industry. Commenting on the casting of [Bryan Cranston](https://www.edgepedia.org/bryan-cranston) as a wheelchair user in *The Upside*, he acknowledged the commercial logic but argued the remedy is to build a base of working disabled actors from the grassroots upward.[14](https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jack-carroll-i-was-treated-with-derision-and-suspicion-in-my-pip-assessment/) His touring shows include *Jack Carroll: Walking Funny* (2021) and *Jack Carroll: The Fall Guy* (2026), the latter booked at theaters including the Lowry in Salford, the Stand clubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle, and City Varieties in Leeds.[8](https://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/j/34012/jack_carroll) • [15](https://jackcarroll.co.uk/live-shows)
## References
1. [Jack Carroll, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4875120/)
2. [ROFL! Comedian Jack Carroll is declared funnier than David, ITV Britain's Got Talent](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/comedian-jack-carroll-is-declared-funnier-than-david)
3. [Funnyman Jack is runner up, ITV News Calendar, 9 June 2013](https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/2013-06-09/funnyman-jack-is-runner-up/)
4. [Jack Carroll, Pride of Britain, 2012 winner](https://prideofbritain.com/award-winner/2012-winner/jack-carroll/)
5. [Jack Carroll, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jack_carroll/)
6. [Former Britain's Got Talent comedian joins Coronation Street, ITV News Granada, 27 December 2023](https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-12-27/britains-got-talent-star-brings-comedy-to-the-cobbles-of-coronation-street)
7. [Jack Carroll, Disciples of Comedy](https://disciplesofcomedy.com/comedian-jack-carroll.html)
8. [Jack Carroll tour dates, Chortle](https://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/j/34012/jack_carroll)
9. [Jack Carroll, Britain's Got Talent Wiki](https://bgt.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Carroll)
10. [Jack Carroll: Teen With Cerebral Palsy Gets Standing Ovation At 'Britain's Got Talent', Mic](https://www.mic.com/articles/37067/jack-carroll-teen-with-cerebral-palsy-gets-standing-ovation-at-britain-s-got-talent)
11. [Jack Carroll comes 2nd in Britain's Got Talent 2013, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/1173/jack_carroll_gets_2nd_place_in_bgt_2013/)
12. [Joker Jack leaves the Judges speechless, ITV Britain's Got Talent](https://www.itv.com/britainsgottalent/articles/jack-carroll-champions)
13. [About Jack, jackcarroll.co.uk](https://jackcarroll.co.uk/)
14. [Jack Carroll: 'I was treated with derision and suspicion in my PIP assessment', Disability News Service, 28 March 2019](https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/jack-carroll-i-was-treated-with-derision-and-suspicion-in-my-pip-assessment/)
15. [Live shows, jackcarroll.co.uk](https://jackcarroll.co.uk/live-shows)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › British and Irish comedians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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