Nabil Abdulrashid

Nabil Abdulrashid is an award-winning comedian and writer.

Nabil’s TV career is flourishing, with appearances on shows including: twice appearing on QI (BBC), two appearances on Live at the Apollo (BBC) – once as host, Celebrity Masterchef (BBC), Have I Got News for You (BBC), 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4), The Last Leg (Channel 4), House of Games (BBC) and The Big Narstie Show (Channel 4). Nabil is soon to appear in the upcoming Dave show Battle In A Box. A practising Muslim, Nabil was also a ‘pilgrim’ on BBC Two’s faith-based show Pilgrimage. Nabil has also appeared on top podcasts including Off Menu with James Acaster and Ed Gamble and Hoovering with Jessica Fosteskew.

Nabil has come a long way since being a finalist and Alesha Dixon’s golden buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent in 2020, receiving the most complaints of any contestant. He is an acclaimed stand up who has performed comedy all over the UK, and across the world and is recognised for his “sardonic intelligence and sharp eye for the absurdities of racial discourse” (The Guardian). 

Nabil is currently touring his latest Edinburgh Fringe debut show, The Purple Pill, a show about trying to be a good person while staying a badman and an exploration of empathy, morality and political contradiction.

In his last tour show, entitled N.A.B.I.L (Nobody Actually Believed I’d Last), he shared hilarious stories about his experiences of the school system in Nigeria, his return to England, how he spent a short time in prison and started performing comedy upon his release. The show was declared “moving and captivating as well as split-your-sides funny” (Evening Standard) and Nabil praised for his “genuine humanity… an easy comic to like even before he holds you rapt with his various misadventures” (Chortle).

Finalist: Britain’s Got Talent 2020
Finalist: Comedy Knights Comedian Of The Year 2015
Finalist: Laughing Horse New Act 2014
Finalist: New Act Of The Year 2013
Winner: Joe.co.uk TV Comedian of the Year 2020
Winner: Which Religion Is Funniest? 2010

TV

• QI (Guest, BBC, 2023 & 2024)
• The Last Leg (Guest, Channel 4, 2023)
• The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice (Guest, Channel 4, 2023)
• Live At The Apollo (Host, BBC2, 2023)
• Big Zuu’s Big Eats (Guest, Dave, 2023)
• Steph’s Packed Lunch (Guest, Channel 4 & ITV, 2021 & 2023)
• Sorry, I Didn’t Know (Guest, ITV, 2023)
• Have I Got News For You (Guest, BBC1, 2022-2023)
• Pointless Celebrities (Contestant, BBC1, 2023)
• Pilgrimage: The Road through Portugal (Presenter, BBC2, 2023)
• The Big Narstie Show (Guest, Channel 4, 2022)
• BBC New Comedy Awards (Judge, BBC3, 2022)
• The A to Z of Horror Movies (Guest, Sky Cinema, 2022)
• 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Guest, Channel 4, 2022)
• This is MY House (Guest, BBC1, 2022)
• Saturday Kitchen (Guest, BBC1, 2022)
• Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable (Guest, Dave, 2022)
• The Stand Up Sketch Show (Guest, ITV2, 2022)
• Live At the Apollo (Guest, BBC2, 2021)
• Unapologetic (Guest, Channel 4, 2021)
• Richard Osman’s House of Games (Guest, BBC2, 2021)
• Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains (Guest, Comedy Central, 2021)
• Celebrity Masterchef (Guest, BBC1, 2021)
• Funny Festival Live (Guest, BBC2, 2021)
• Britain’s Got Talent (Finalist, ITV, 2020)

TV – Acting

• Iwájú (Voice of Hawkers, Lackeys, Pilot & Rasheedat Robot, Disney Animation, 2024)

Radio & Podcasts

• Off Menu (Guest, Plosive, 2024)
• Everyone Hates You (Guest, 2023)
• Hoovering with Jessica Fosteskew (Guest, Acast, 2023)
• The MarshyCast (Guest, 2023)
• Northern News (Guest, 2023)
• Best Medicine (Guest, BBC Radio 4, 2023)
• What the F*** Is Going On? with Mark Steel (Guest, WTF Productions, 2023)
• Why Do You Think You’ve Got No Friends? (Guest, 2023)
• Saturday Live (Radio Guest, BBC Radio 4, 2023)
• The Comedy Club (Radio Guest, BBC Radio 4 Extra, 2023)
• Please Tell Me A Story with Omid Djalili (Guest, Sony Music Podcasts, 2023)
• ADHD Aha! (Guest, Understood Org, 2023)
• Ayesha Hazarika with Times Radio Drive (Radio Guest, Times Radio, 2022-2023)
• The Flop Squad Podcast (Guest, 2023)
• The Gargle (Guest, Acast, 2022-2023)
• Wheel of Misfortune (Guest, BBC Sounds, 2022)
• You’re Dead to Me (Guest, BBC Radio 4, 2022)
• The Lady Leshurr Show (Radio Guest, Radio 1Xtra, 2022)
• The Hugo Rifkind Show (Radio Guest, Times Radio, 2022)
• The Likely Dads (Guest, BBC Radio 4, 2022)
• Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere (Radio Guest, BBC Radio 4, 2021)
• The Happy Hour (Radio Guest, BBC R5 Live, 2021)
• The Froth with Rhod Gilbert, Sian Harries & Friends (Guest, Llanbobl Vision, 2021)
• I Am Not Your Bilal (Host, 2020-2021)

Digital

• Jokes Only A… Can Tell (Channel 4 Digital, 2022-2023)
• Double Down News (2022-2023)
• Reddit Ask Me Anything (Reddit, 2023)

Live

• The Purple Pill (Edinburgh Fringe Festival & National Tour, 2023-2024)
• N.A.B.I.L (Edinburgh Fringe Festival & National Tour, 2021-2022)

Press

Abdulrashid is emerging as one of comedy’s most honest chroniclers of life’s complexities and contradictions
★★★★ The Guardian (on The Purple Pill)

A potent, mischievously entertaining voice
★★★★ The Scotsman (on The Purple Pill)

A strong hour…a likeable raconteur with a unique perspective
★★★★ The List (on The Purple Pill)

Pinch-me clever and painstakingly bold…never predictable, often hysterical – and overall a joy
★★★★ Time Out (on The Purple Pill)

He successfully interrupts our echo chambers… The Purple Pill is also wrapped in jokes, Abdulrashid is never far away from a punchline, and the laughter…spreads around the room with contagious joy
★★★★ Fest (on The Purple Pill)

Urgent, uncompromising and refreshingly radical fare, smartly woven into a gag-packed set… a fresh comic voice and unapologetically funny
The Telegraph

His set – edgy, thoughtful, beholden to no one – raised the roof
The Guardian (10 Best Comedy Shows of 2020)

He’s the star by a wide margin… animated by a sardonic intelligence and sharp eye for the absurdities of racial discourse
The Guardian

Defiant and fearless
The Metro 

Hilarious
The Radio Times

Absolutely brilliant, a breath of fresh air
Alesha Dixon

Too funny. A really refreshing comic voice
David Walliams 

An exciting and interesting comic
Mark Thomas