ABOUT

Twelve years on since he first debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe, John is still the only comedian to have ever won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show (Shtick) and Best Newcomer (Sight Gags for Perverts) in the awards forty-five-year history.

An internationally acclaimed live act, he has delivered his “richly, idiosyncratic comedy” (The Guardian) across the world, notably picking up three Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award nominations along the way. Over the past year, John teamed up with fellow Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Adam Riches to become one of music’s most bangable duos in Ball & Boe, imagining themselves as the nation’s favourite power balladeers, crooning and clowning their way through a set both affectionate tribute and gleeful parody. The show went on to enjoy a double run at Soho Theatre, a three-night sell-out at the Pleasance Grand during the Edinburgh Fringe and a host of 5-star reviews (★★★★★ The Telegraph, The Times, Chortle). John’s last and solo fifth stand-up hour, The Varnishing Days, was his biggest and most critically-acclaimed tour show to date. It was directed by Olivier Award-winning director Jon Brittain, won Best Show at the Chortle Awards 2024 and secured his third Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award nomination. The show was twice-extended due to demand to over 100 dates, with 17 sold-out London shows, including two sold-out Soho Theatre runs, multiple sell-out dates at Bloomsbury Theatre and two sold-out shows at the iconic Royal Court Theatre. The show was filmed and released as a special on Sky and Now TV in August 2024.

Elsewhere on television, John was a breakout star of series 14 of Taskmaster (Channel 4) and the co-host of Guessable (Comedy Central) with Sara Pascoe and team captain Alan Davies. He played the lead in cult hit Top Coppers (BBC Three) and has also appeared on shows including Live at the Apollo (BBC), 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4), Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Sky) and Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC). John’s further credits include Pls Like (BBC), Lazy Susan (BBC), Drunk History (Comedy Central), Rotters (Sky Arts), Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled (Dave), and Harry Hill’s Stars In Their Eyes (ITV). On radio, John co-wrote and starred in Lasties (BBC Radio 4) alongside Tim Key, entertained the nation on Christmas Day 2019 with A Very John Kearns Christmas (BBC Radio 4), and wrote and performed his own series The John Kearns Show (BBC Radio 4), as well as hosting and guesting on numerous shows throughout the Fringe (BBC Radio 4/Radio 4 Extra).

Later this year John will be making his stage debut as Inspector Lestrade in the world premiere of Sherlock Holmes and The Twelve Days of Christmas at The Birmingham Rep from Friday 14th November to Sunday 11th January 2026. The comedy whodunnit is penned by Fringe-favourites The Penny Dreadfuls’ Humphrey Ker and David Reed, with new songs from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.