Top 10 Sean Lock Moments

Sean can often seem just slightly unhinged, given his reputation for deadpan dark humour. But, here he reveals that it might not be all his own fault. Speaking on Irish TV’s “The Saturday Night Show”, Lock lets loose a secret side to his personality – an alter-ego christened Larry. A cognitive creation who’s to blame for a series of bad choices, Larry’s impulses often override common sense.

Sean has shared plenty of screen time with James Corden, and “Big Fat Quiz” fans will remember with fondness when the pair teamed up in 2008. So, when Sean graced “A League of Their Own” in 2014, James hot-seated his mate, challenging him to rant his way through a series of sketchy topics. And Lock didn’t disappoint. From football managers to fluffy kittens, he’s on top form.

Of course, Lock’s probably best known as a team captain on Channel 4’s topical panel show, “8 Out of 10 Cats”. Spurred on by Jimmy Carr, Sean tackles current affairs and showbiz news with trademark comic ferocity. But sci-fi never seems to stimulate him – particularly “Doctor Who”. Sean refuses to pander to popular opinion during this memorable rant, imagining a TV crossover we’d all like to see. And then there’s the time he and Jason Manford massacred a momentous “Star Wars” scene. Very funny, it was.

While this Channel 4 adaptation of the hit Comedy Central Show was widely considered a failure, there were some highlights to be had. Bruce Forsyth bravely stepped forward for a roasting on the first episode, and when Sean took to the stage he duly delivered. Taking aim at Forsyth’s age and appearance, he’s also uninspired by Brucie’s signature act. And he has some choice words for his fellow comedians too, not least a less-than-impressed Barry Cryer.

“Cats Does Countdown” always opens with the panel pitching an odd or outrageous mascot – and Sean’s lucky charms are stranger than most. His past efforts have included a politically-infused cheeseboard and a dead budgie in a drone, but we found his lucky pen funniest of all. An off-the-wall tribute to taxidermists everywhere, he names it Claude and sings us a song. It’s all in a day’s work for this man.

Generally speaking, Sean doesn’t seem to have a lot of time for games or gimmicks – despite self-styling himself as the ‘mayor of fun’. His thoughts on “The X Factor” are far from complimentary, and his alternative to the Ice Bucket Challenge was a lot less hygienic. However, he’s a dab hand at Carrot in a Box – an “8 Out of 10 Cats” version of “Deal or No Deal”. Facing off with Jon Richardson, Sean plays dumb but dupes us all.

A regular on the BBC’s “Quite Interesting” treasure trove of a trivia show, Sean’s sardonic stance never fails to flip the facts around. While Stephen Fry steers his panellists through a perfectly innocent discussion on imaginary friends, Sean soon switches the mood to something more sinister – once again proving his uncanny ability to bewilder even other comedians. But then, in custom “QI” style, the conversation quickly turns to Yasser Arafat’s love life.

A supposedly proud father himself, Sean regularly slates his own kids for the sake of a good joke. But this clip sees Lock lambast the children of Mitchell Brook Primary School – and he definitely doesn’t appreciate child actors. Lock’s tirade leaves Davina McCall open-mouthed, while James Corden howls in hysterics. And you’ll get no apology from this guy; just a hard-hitting, straight-to-camera critique, urging the Mitchell Brook drama class to choose different careers. Harsh words, indeed.

Away from panel shows, Sean’s one of Britain’s ballsiest stand-up performers. His routines are crammed with cutting sarcasm, prickly punchlines and antsy anecdotes, from a man who makes moaning seem second nature. In truth, we might’ve picked a number of on-the-money jokes, but Sean’s impassioned argument for when swearing’s acceptable is truly something special. Heaven help anyone who gets in this guy’s way when he’s angry.

When a joke leaves even Jimmy Carr wiping away the tears, you know it’s a hit. We finish with “Cats Does Countdown”, and a legendary exchange between Lock and Miles Jupp. Miles is trying to set up a wager, and has his eye on the lucky pen from earlier. Sean’s not going to risk Claude, but his counter-offer catches everyone by surprise. In fairness, Jupp’s comeback is brilliant. And even after a numbers round, Jimmy just can’t keep it together.