Sunil Patel (comedian)

Last updated
Sunil Patel
Born
Sunil Dinesh Patel

1980/1981
Bath, England
Years active2010–present
Website www.sunilpatelcomedy.com

Sunil Dinesh Patel (born 1980/1981) is an English stand-up comedian, actor and podcaster.

Contents

Early life

Patel grew up on Fairfield Avenue in Bath and attended King Edward's School. [1] [2] His father worked at a pub. [3] Patel first became interested in stand-up comedy when he bought Lee Evans Live on VHS. [4] After working odd jobs throughout his 20s, at 29, he lived in a flatshare with Irish comedian Rob Broderick, who encouraged him to give stand-up a try. [5] [6]

Career

Patel's first gig was in 2010 at the George Pub on London's Strand. [1] He was a finalist for the 2012 BBC New Comedy Award, [5] Piccadilly Comedy Club's New Comedian of 2013, [7] the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year, and Best Newcomer at the Chortle Awards. [8]

Patel collaborated with Josh Ross in 2013 and Nick Dixon on Two Wrongs in 2014 before going on to headline his own Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows Juicer and Titan in 2016 and 2017 respectively. [9] [10] [11]

Patel made his television acting debut in the recurring role of Sujan Stevens in the 2016 Channel 5 mockumentary Borderline . [12]

Patel featured as a fact-master in the 2018 Dave game show Beat the Internet with John Robins. [13] [14] In 2019, Patel co-hosted the podcast But… Where Are You Really From? with Eshaan Akbar and Nimisha Odedra for the BBC Asian Network. [15] [16] His next comedy show was White Knight, which premiered at the Aberystwyth Comedy Festival. [2]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Patel did a number of guest roles and comedy web series such as Save the Bill Murray, Backchat, and Pulped. [17] [18] He returned to live stand-up with Faster Horses at the Hastings Fringe Comedy Festival. [19] The following year, he had a comedy special in Live at Moth Club, put on Monkey Barrel at Edinburgh, [20] and featured in the HowTheLightGetsIn Festival. [21] Also in 2022, Patel made his feature film debut as Phil in Brian and Charles , hosted the parody podcast Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To Cryptocurrency for BBC Radio 4, [22] and started the podcast Slime Country with Hugh Davies.

In addition to Sunil Patel: WIP at Edinburgh, Patel wrote the 2023 Sky Arts short Silo, appeared in A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou on Netflix, and had his own comedy special on Comedy Central. In 2024, Patel played Paul in the Channel 4 romantic drama Alice & Jack [23] and Solicitor Adam in the BBC Three sitcom Things You Should Have Done . [24] [25] He appeared in the romantic comedy And Mrs and the Sky Max film Bad Tidings . He once again hosted Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To Bagging An Heiress for BBC Radio 4 and co-hosted the podcast Rural Concerns with Chris Cantrill. [26]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2019I Want to Make You HappyPhilShort film
2021I'm Not in LoveSunil
2022 Brian and Charles Phil
2023 Love at First Sight Guest
2024 And Mrs
TBAMisperKhalid

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016–2017 Borderline Sujan Stevens9 episodes
2016FrightbustersAli Sky Arts short
2017Bobby and Harriet Get MarriedHimself5 episodes
2018 Stath Lets Flats Phil KhooEpisode: "A Completely Football"
2018The Big Asian Stand-UpHimself1 episode
2018–2019 Beat the Internet Himself – fact-masterQuiz show
2021 Bloods FirefighterEpisode: "Daycare"
This Time with Alan Partridge Doctor1 episode
This Way Up Doctor Kumar1 episode
2022, 2024 Mandy Call Handler / Surgeon2 episodes
2022
Lazy Susan Radio producer3 episodes
The Witchfinder Landlord1 episode
Documentary Now! ZookeeperEpisode: "My Monkey Grifter"
Live at The Moth ClubHimselfComedy special
2023SiloDipeshWriter, Sky Arts short
A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou TomComedy special
Comedy Central Live HimselfEpisode: "Sunil Patel"
2024 Alice & Jack Paul6 episodes
Things You Should Have Done Adam Farrow3 episodes
Beyond Paradise PC Billy Blake1 episode
Bad Tidings Raj Sky Max film

Web

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017Reaction CrewMarkMain role
HabitsSunilEpisode: "Arrogance"
2019ContentSunilEpisode: "Brand Deal"
2021Save The Bill MurraySunilMain role, 5 episodes
BackchatAsh PatelSpoof talk show
PulpedVariousShorts
The ArtistsProfessor Mystico2 episodes
2022 Late Night Forever! with Jordan Brookes Comedy Blaps
2023Don't Overthink ItBurglarMiniseries

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012Tales from the Unaccepted Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2013Josh Ross and Sunil Patel
2014Nick Dixon and Sunil Patel: Two Wrongs
2016Sunil Patel: Juicer
2017Sunil Patel: Titan
2019White Knight Aberystwyth Comedy Festival
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2021–2022Sunil Patel: Faster HorsesHastings Fringe Comedy Festival
Machynlleth Comedy Festival
Wells Comedy Festival
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2022Monkey BarrelEdinburgh Festival Fringe
HowTheLightGetsIn Festival
2023Sunil Patel: WIPEdinburgh Festival Fringe

Audio

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018–2022 Why is Harriet Crying? Himself – co-hostPodcast
2019But... Where Are You Really From?Himself – host BBC Asian Network podcast
2022Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To CryptocurrencyHimself – host BBC Radio 4 podcast
2022–2023Slime CountryHimself – hostPodcast with Huge Davies and Ed Night
2023Big Little QuestionsVariousBBC Radio 4 comedy
2023Nora Meadows' Week of WellnessBrian / Anthony BBC Radio 4 sitcom
2024Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To Bagging An HeiressHimself – hostBBC Radio 4 podcast
2024–presentRural ConcernsHimself – co-hostPodcast

References

  1. 1 2 Green, Dave (8 November 2016). "Dave Green's Street View Show: Series 1, Episode 2 - Sunil Patel". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  2. 1 2 Gemmell, Katharine (29 March 2022). "Sunil Patel: White Knight". The List. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  3. Renton, Catherine (17 August 2022). "Sunil Patel: Faster Horses - Edinburgh". The Wee Review. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  4. Nazir, Asjad (3 August 2022). "Stand up star Sunil Patel rides Faster Horses into Edinburgh Fringe". Eastern Eye. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Sunil Patel - BBC New Comedy Awards". BBC Three. 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  6. "Ep. 123 - Sunil Patel tells us why he always felt destined for comedy and talks about how he crafts his shows". Page One - The Writer's Podcast (Podcast). Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  7. Design, Ruby (21 December 2012). "Review: Piccadilly Comedy Club New Comedian of 2013 Final". Beyond the Joke. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  8. "Chortle Comedy Awards 2013: And The Winners Are..." The Huffington Post UK. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  9. Sawers, Claire (29 March 2022). "Sunil Patel: Juicer". The List. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  10. Moody, Becca (29 July 2017). "The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Sunil Patel". Moody Comedy. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  11. Innis, Tom (29 July 2017). "Interview with Sunil Patel". Voice. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  12. Laws, Roz (2 August 2016). "New Channel 5 comedy Borderline stars Guz Khan and was filmed at Coventry Airport". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  13. Elliott, Dave (8 November 2018). "Chat with John Robins & Sunil Patel who invite you to 'Beat the Internet' on Dave this November". GeekTown. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  14. Coles, Jonathan (6 November 2018). "'King of facts' from Bath to star in brand new TV gameshow". Somerset Live. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  15. "'But... Where Are You Really From?' podcast hosts Q&A interview". British Comedy Guide. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  16. Dessau, Bruce (3 November 2019). "BBC To Launch New Podcast In Which Guests Discuss Their Roots". Beyond the Joke. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  17. "Sunil Patel fronts new spoof phone-in show". Chortle. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  18. "Sunil Patel". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  19. McCann, Thomas (15 August 2022). "Sunil Patel: Faster Horses". Entertainment Now. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  20. Sullivan, Emma (18 August 2022). "Edinburgh Fringe 2022 review: Sunil Patel @ Monkey Barrel". The Skinny. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  21. "Sunil Patel". HowTheLightGetsIn. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  22. "Sunil Patel launches his own cryptocurrency as part of Radio 4 series". British Comedy Guide. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  23. Hibbs, James (14 February 2024). "Meet the cast of Alice & Jack". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  24. "Sunil Patel plays deadpan solicitor Adam Farrow in Things You Should Have Done which starts tonight on BBC Three". Anthea Represents. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  25. "Things You Should Have Done - meet the cast of the hilarious, offbeat, dysfunctional family-sitcom". BBC Press Centre. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  26. Glynn, Polly (5 February 2025). "Chris Cantrill and Sunil Patel on their Rural Concerns podcast". The Skinny. Retrieved 8 March 2025.