John Kearns The Varnishing Days premieres on Sky Comedy

John Kearns, the 2024 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner for Best Show and Best Newcomer, as well as the recipient of the Chortle Award, is set to debut his comedy special, *The Varnishing Days*, on Sky Comedy and the streaming service NOW on August 31st.

The special, recorded at London’s Royal Court Theatre, marks a significant milestone in Kearns’ career. Ten years after his debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, he remains the only comedian in the forty-year history of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards to have won both the Best Show (for *Shtick*) and Best Newcomer (for *Sight Gags for Perverts*) honors.

*The Varnishing Days* special follows Kearns’ largest and most acclaimed international tour to date, which saw over 100 performances, including 17 sold-out shows in London. The tour was extended twice due to high demand, featuring two sold-out runs at Soho Theatre and multiple sell-out dates at Bloomsbury Theatre. The show earned Kearns the 2024 Chortle Award for Best Show, a nomination for Most Outstanding Show at the 2024 Melbourne Comedy Festival, and spots on several 'best of the year' lists, including those of The Guardian, The Times, and Chortle.

Kearns gained widespread recognition on television as a breakout star of Taskmaster Season 14 (Channel 4) and as the co-host of *Guessable* on Comedy Central, alongside Sara Pascoe and team captain Alan Davies. He also played the lead role in the cult BBC Three sitcom *Top Coppers* and made appearances on shows such as *8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown* (Channel 4) and *House of Games* (BBC Two).

*The Varnishing Days* has been commissioned by Sky, with the 60-minute special produced by Avalon and executive produced by Jon Thoday, Richard Allen-Turner, and Julien Matthews.