Ben Elton (English comedian, writer, playwright and poet) Add a review

Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is a British comedian and writer. He has written and produced for television, radio, films, novels, theatre and musicals, and has performed as a stand-up comedian and on screen. One of the major figures in the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, he used a style of left-wing political satire in his early stand-up comedy.

He co-wrote the TV sitcoms The Young Ones, Blackadder and Mr. Bean, and was the sole writer for other sitcoms such as Filthy, Rich & Catflap, The Thin Blue Line and Upstart Crow. As of 2025, he has published sixteen novels in dystopian, comedy, and crime genres, and an autobiography. He wrote the stage musicals The Beautiful Game (2000), We Will Rock You (2002), Tonight's the Night (2003), and Love Never Dies (2010).