Trigger Happy. Dom Joly
Dom Joly

Dom Joly

  • 56 years old
  • English
  • Writer and comedian
Trigger Happy. Dom Joly

Dom Joly is an English television comedian and journalist, well-known as the star of Trigger Happy TV, a hidden camera show in which a deadpan Joly does absurd and preposterous acts in public settings. Originally on Channel 4 from 2000-2003, Joly later moved to the BBC with a similar, Friday-night show entitled World Shut Your Mouth (2005). Joly has also run for parliament, written award-winning political journalism, and led a podcast, Earworm, which revolves around this signature practical-joke format.

Year Production Role
2024 Hay Festival Self
2024 Dom Joly: The Conspiracy Tour Self
2024 Dom Joly: The Conspiracy Tour Dr Julian Northcote
2023 Your Place Or Mine - Series 2
  1. E8 - Dom Joly: Fogo Island, Newfoundland, Canada
Guest
2023 Y Not Festival Self
2023 Dom Joly Breaks The News Host / Presenter
2022 Camp Bestival (Shropshire) Self
2022 Kaleidoscope Self
2021 Dom Joly's Holiday Snaps Self
2021 Dom Joly's Holiday Snaps Writer
2021 Camp Bestival (Dorest) Self
2020 Greatest Celebrity Wind-Ups Ever! - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E2 - Episode Two
  2. E3 - Episode Three
  3. E5 - Episode Five
Self
2020 Secret Zoom hack Clive
2020 Leicester Comedy Festival Self
2019 Utterly Outrageous Comedy
  1. E1 - Sex
  2. E2 - Celebrity & Politics
Self
2019 The Comedy Years
View episodes
  1. E1 - 1979
  2. E2 - 1984
  3. E3 - 1998
  4. E4 - 2003
Self
2019 Forget The Kids Development Writer
2017 Greatest Celebrity Wind-Ups Ever! - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E2 - Episode Two
Self
2017 Trigger Happy - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - The Troll
  2. E2 - WOLFBLITZER
  3. E3 - He's from London
  4. E4 - Concrete Enthusiast
  5. E5 - Please Like Kurt
Director
2017 Trigger Happy - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - The Troll
  2. E2 - WOLFBLITZER
  3. E3 - He's from London
  4. E4 - Concrete Enthusiast
  5. E5 - Please Like Kurt
Various
2017 Trigger Happy - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - The Troll
  2. E2 - WOLFBLITZER
  3. E3 - He's from London
  4. E4 - Concrete Enthusiast
  5. E5 - Please Like Kurt
Producer
2017 The Kaneing Live
  1. E2 - Episode Two
Guest
2017 Trigger Happy's Angry Cyclist Cyclist
2016 Audible Presents Self
2016 Trigger Happy - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E9 - Really Bad G
  2. E10 - No Taxi Driver
  3. E1 - Angry Cyclist
  4. E2 - Venice
  5. E3 - Big Vape
  6. E4 - Alphabet
  7. E5 - Jack In The Box
  8. E6 - PC Wheezy
  9. E7 - Selfie Warden
  10. E8 - Call Da' Police
Producer
2016 Trigger Happy - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E9 - Really Bad G
  2. E10 - No Taxi Driver
  3. E1 - Angry Cyclist
  4. E2 - Venice
  5. E3 - Big Vape
  6. E4 - Alphabet
  7. E5 - Jack In The Box
  8. E6 - PC Wheezy
  9. E7 - Selfie Warden
  10. E8 - Call Da' Police
Director
2016 Trigger Happy - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E9 - Really Bad G
  2. E10 - No Taxi Driver
  3. E1 - Angry Cyclist
  4. E2 - Venice
  5. E3 - Big Vape
  6. E4 - Alphabet
  7. E5 - Jack In The Box
  8. E6 - PC Wheezy
  9. E7 - Selfie Warden
  10. E8 - Call Da' Police
Various
2016 Trigger Happy Creator
2015 Christmas With The Double Acts (as Dom Jolly) Self
2015 Through The Keyhole - Series 3
  1. E5 - Episode Five
Self
2012 Fool Britannia - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E1 - Episode One
Writer
2012 Fool Britannia - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E1 - Episode One
Various
2012 Channel 4's 30 Greatest Comedy Shows Self
2012 Hot Gossip - Series 5
  1. E1 - Episode One
Guest
2011 Ben Elton: Laughing At The 80s Self
2011 Catherine Tate: Laughing At The Noughties Self
2011 Jennifer Saunders: Laughing At The 90s Self
2011 What's So Funny? - Series 1
  1. E1 - Episode One
Guest
2010 Hot Gossip - Series 3
  1. E1 - Episode One
  2. E5 - Episode Five
Guest
2010 Are You Having A Laugh? - TV And Disability Self
2010 Argumental - Series 3
  1. E6 - Episode Six
Guest
2009 The Unbelievable Truth - Series 4
  1. E2 - Episode Two
  2. E5 - Episode Five
Guest
2009 As Seen On TV
  1. E7 - Episode Seven
Guest
2009 Hot Gossip - Series 2
  1. E1 - Episode One
Guest
2009 Things Talk Turntable (Voice)
2008 QI - Series F
  1. Special - Fire And Freezing
Guest
2008 The Wrong Door
  1. E5 - The Wizard Of Office
Actor
2008 What The Dickens? - Series 1
  1. E4 - Episode Four
  2. E6 - Episode Six
Guest
2007 Never Mind The Buzzcocks - Series 20
  1. Special - Buzzcocks... Imagine a Mildly Amusing Panel Show
Self (Archive Material)
2007 Would I Lie To You? - Series 1
  1. E1 - Episode One
Guest
2007 Never Mind The Buzzcocks - Series 20
  1. E5 - Episode Five
Guest
2006 Have I Got News For You - Series 32
  1. E5 - Episode Five
Guest
2006 8 Out Of 10 Cats - Series 3
  1. Special - Big Brother 7 Special
Guest
2006 Clive Anderson's Chat Room - Series 2 Guest
2005 World Shut Your Mouth Host / Presenter
2005 Vic Reeves's Best And Worst Of God Self
2005 World Shut Your Mouth Producer
2005 World Shut Your Mouth Writer
2002 Peter Cook - A Posthumorous Tribute Self
2001 Being Dom Joly Producer
2001 Being Dom Joly Director
2001 Being Dom Joly Writer
2001 Being Dom Joly Dom Joly
2001 Have I Got News For You - Series 21
  1. E5 - Episode Five
Guest
2001 Trigger Happy TV - Series 2 Various
2000 Trigger Happy TV - Series 1 Various
1996 The Mark Thomas Comedy Product - Series 1 (as Dominic Joly)
  1. E1 - Episode One
Researcher

Non-comedy TV and film credits may be found here:
Dom Joly on IMDb

Born
Wednesday 15th November 1967 (56 years-old)
AKA
Dominic Joly
Dr Julian Northcote
Nationality
English

Born in Beirut, Lebanon to British parents, Joly speaks French, Arabic, and Czech as well as English. He attended two independent schools in the UK before studying at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.

He shot to fame in 2000 when his hidden camera/practical joke reality TV series, Trigger Happy TV, directed by Dom Joly and Sam Cadman, was broadcast on Channel 4 from [y]2000[y]-2003. Redefining the genre in one fell swoop, Joly is the sole star of the show, which saw famous sketches such as Joly shouting "I'm on the phone!" at the top of his voice into an oversized, novelty, clearly fake mobile telephone, in very public, and usually quiet settings, such as libraries, cinemas, and golf courses. Another recurring sketch included Joly dressed as an old man or a snail, using pedestrian crossings at extremely slow speeds.

The programme returned in 2016 for a one-off Christmas special on the same channel. Members of the public are never made aware of the fact that they are being filmed, with humour coming rather from Joly's willingness to make a fool out of himself. The show never used a laugh track, emphasising the comedy instead through brief instrumental and sometimes sad musical interludes. Indeed, music from bands such as Eels and The Crocketts are common features.

Three DVDs were released, containing the 'best of' both series alongside the Christmas specials. 

In 2005 Joly also made the series World Shut Your Mouth for BBC One and two series of This Is Dom Joly for BBC Three, both of which continued in this same hidden-camera vein, as well as two series of Fool Britannia, a prime-time Saturday night comedy show for ITV1.

In 2016 he returned with two seasons of Trigger Happy, a new Channel 4 sketch show containing 21 episodes in which, as per usual, he pranks the public. Although it features a whole host of new character, the massive mobile phone man now possesses a smartphone!

As well as the success of Trigger Happy TV and its offshoots, Joly has directed a wide range of pop music videos from such artists as Bang Bang Romeo and Leisure Society, and has released the chart-topping podcast Earworm, featuring music from Stephen Jones of Babybird.

Alongside his career in comedy, Joly is a former diplomat (Prague) and political producer (ITN), as well as a columnist and award-winning travel writer, whose work has featured in the Sunday Times, The Independent, and The Mail on Sunday. He has won the Silver Rose of Montreal, BBC2 Award, Loaded Lafta, and is a three times nominee for the British Comedy awards for his TV work.

Loaded LAFTAs 2012
Funniest Twitterer (Winner)
Funniest Podcast (Nominee)
British Comedy Awards 2000
Best Comedy Breakthrough Artist (Nominee)
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