Pat Monahan, known to comedy audiences as Patrick Monahan, is an Irish-Iranian stand-up comedian raised in Middlesbrough after his family fled Iran during the 1979 revolution when he was three years old. That background feeds directly into his stand-up, which leans on warm, high-energy audience interaction and a natural gift for storytelling rather than a tightly scripted set. Since starting out in 2001, he has built a reputation as one of the most engaging hosts and headliners on the UK circuit, equally at home working a room of strangers into old friends.
Monahan won the TV talent contest Take the Mike in 2001 and then ITV's Show Me the Funny in 2011, a victory that led to his debut DVD, Patrick Monahan Live. He picked up Best Newcomer at the Loaded LAFTA Awards and the Forth Radio Best Stand-Up People's Choice Award, and has appeared on The Armstrong and Miller Show, Splash! and Celebrity Squares, alongside warm-up work for Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Strictly Come Dancing. He is a regular at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and even holds a world record for the longest hug, set alongside fellow comedian Bob Slayer in 2013.
That knack for connecting with a room makes Monahan an excellent choice for corporate events, awards nights and any occasion where a warm, inclusive atmosphere matters as much as the laughs, and he has already entertained clients including Halifax, KPMG and Volvo. The Scotsman has called him one of the smartest comics on the Fringe, and that combination of sharp material and genuine warmth means audiences leave feeling like they have made a new friend.