Jimmy Carr’s Life Beyond the Jokes: Health Battles, Family Feuds, and New Show
British comedian Jimmy Carr, known for his controversial humor, is set to return to television screens in the upcoming Prime Video series, Last One Laughing. In this new program, Carr challenges ten of Britain’s funniest comedians to spend a day together with a seemingly simple rule: avoid laughter.
The premise is straightforward – if a comedian laughs, they are eliminated. Carr will observe the participants, offering his signature commentary and witty remarks throughout the competition with guest appearances.
The first four episodes of Last One Laughing will be available on Thursday, March 20th, with the final two episodes premiering on Thursday, March 27th, exclusively on Prime Video.
This venture marks the latest project for Carr, whose career began in 1997. He gained prominence on Channel 4 through programs like 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and My Big Fat Quiz of the Year.
Beyond his successful stand-up and television career, Carr has navigated personal challenges, including health issues and complexities surrounding fatherhood, alongside his domestic life. But what else is known about his life beyond his provocative jokes and professional persona?
Near-Death Experience with Meningitis
Jimmy Carr, 52, has openly discussed his health. (Image: Getty)
Carr, aged 52, experienced a life-threatening bout of meningitis as a young child, which he has stated brought him “close to death”.
The comedian has described the traumatic experience of contracting meningitis at the age of three, an event that profoundly impacted his early life.
During a conversation on the podcast Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake with Kathy Burke, Carr recounted his earliest memory: undergoing a lumbar puncture at a hospital in Limerick, Ireland.
Carr recalled telling his mother, referencing the impending pain of the procedure, “You’ve got to be cruel to be kind … I think that is the first thing I ever said that my mother thought was funny.” He continued, “I had meningitis when I was a child. So my first memory is a lumbar puncture in Limerick in the General hospital. I was three, I think, and … I was always told it was very close to death.”
He added, “The doctor sort of went, ‘It’s going to be very painful.’ And somehow I’d heard the phrase, and I went, ‘You’ve got to be cruel to be kind,’ in a little child’s voice. And I kind of appreciated that thing of life, because I was always told, ‘Oh, you nearly didn’t make it.'”
This close brush with death instilled in Carr a deep appreciation for life and well-being.
Estrangement and Feud with Father
(Image: undefined)
Raised by Irish parents in Farnham Common and Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, Carr’s family life was also marked by the loss of his mother, Nora, who died from pancreatitis in 2001 at age 57.
Carr’s relationship with his father has been strained, resulting in a long-term estrangement. Tensions reportedly escalated in 2022 with reports of the father planning legal action against his son for defamation.
Jim Carr Snr allegedly considered legal recourse over Jimmy’s 2021 memoir, Before and Laughter, citing concerns about personal and potentially defamatory family details. Reportedly estranged from his son for over two decades, the elder Carr purportedly told sources, “The last thing Jim wanted to do was take his own son to court, but enough is enough.”
Sources claim Jim Carr Snr. was “sick and tired of this false characterisation of himself that is being presented. Jimmy’s snide comments about his dad have been going on for years.”
In a 2021 podcast appearance, Carr commented on his father, stating, “I haven’t seen my dad in 21 years and you know the line, ‘My mother’s dead and my father’s dead to me’ which sounds very cold, until you meet the guy.”
Tax Avoidance Controversy
Jimmy Carr has discussed his cosmetic procedures. (Image: BANG Showbiz)
Carr is no stranger to controversy, having been embroiled in a tax avoidance scandal in 2012. He has since expressed regret, describing it as a “terrible error of judgment.”
Carr took responsibility for his actions and addressed the financial implications. He reflected on the public reaction, stating, “I was publicly shamed for tax avoidance and it was very clear what I had to do: say sorry and pay it back. I didn’t have to….”
He added, remarking on the public fallout, “It was as if I’d been on PAYE all the way through. I did that, and then people took the p**s, which is the modern equivalent of being in the stocks. I took a tomato to the face from Sean Lock.”
Fellow comedian Sean Lock humorously referenced the situation on 8 Out of 10 Cats, joking, “We all like to put a bit of money away for a rainy day, but I think you’re more prepared than Noah.”
Partner and Family Life
Karoline Copping and Jimmy Carr at Jonathan Ross’s Halloween Party. (Image: undefined)
Jimmy Carr and Karoline Copping have been in a relationship since meeting at a television audition in 2001. While their partnership is long-term and committed, they have chosen not to marry. Copping, originally from Canada, is a commissioning editor at Channel 5.
The couple are parents to two children, including their son Rockefeller, born in 2019, named in homage to the renowned American businessman John D. Rockefeller.
In an interview with Radio Times, Carr considered how fatherhood might influence his comedic style. “It could be a bit of a gear shift, because of the kind of comedy I do,” he mused.
However, he acknowledged his humor has remained consistent thus far: “But so far, I’m still telling the same jokes, I’ve got the same sense of humour. We’ll see because I’m sure I’m going to be writing a lot of material about him. In fact, I think he might be tax-deductible.”
Last One Laughing premieres on Prime Video on Thursday, March 20th.