'Hans free' mobe gag crowned Fringe's funniest

'What a punderful feeling', enthuses laureate Darren Walsh

Peterborough funny man Darren Walsh has secured the 2015 "Funniest Joke of The Fringe" title with the splendid: "I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It's Hans free."

Ten experts engaged by comedy channel Dave spent a week at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the look-out for the best quips, which were then put before a public panel charged with determining the quippiest. Walsh took a convincing 23 per cent of the vote.

He said of the accolade: “I am delighted to win this award. What a punderful feeling.”

Second place went to Stewart Francis, who offered: "Kim Kardashian is saddled with a huge arse ... but enough about Kanye West."

Adam Hess's "Surely every car is a people carrier?" was honoured with the bronze medal.

The rest of the top ten were:

• Masai Graham: "What's the difference between a 'hippo' and a 'Zippo'? One is really heavy, the other is a little lighter."
• Dave Green: "If I could take just one thing to a desert island I probably wouldn't go."
• Mark Nelson: "Jesus fed 5,000 people with two fishes and a loaf of bread. That's not a miracle. That's tapas."
• Tom Parry: "Red sky at night. Shepherd's delight. Blue sky at night. Day."
• Alun Cochrane: "The first time I met my wife, I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing massive gloves."
• Simon Munnery: "Clowns divorce. Custardy battle."
• Grace The Child: "They're always telling me to live my dreams. But I don't want to be naked in an exam I haven't revised for..."

Previous laureates include 2011 winner Nick Helm, who triumphed with: "I needed a password with eight characters so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

In 2012, this year's runner-up Stewart Francis walked off with the trophy after serving up: "You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks."

Tim Vine took top spot in 2014 with the breathtaking: "I've decided to sell my hoover. Well, it was just collecting dust." ®