Flanagan has been doing small work-in-progress shows at various locations, such as the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, Kent, which set a venue record for selling the 800 available seats in under three minutes. He also performed in London at the Soho Theatre and the Leicester Square Theatre. Flanagan was a sensitive and thoughtful child, and keen to leave the East End of London. [4] At the age of thirteen, he joined the Young Socialists. [4] Flanagan was a bright student, but became disengaged with schoolwork, and began to skive classes. [4] He left school at the age of fifteen with no qualifications. [5] Throughout the years, Flanagan has risen to peak UK comedy fame and success after many notable appearances and gigs, including Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, Live at the Apollo, Stand Up for the Week and the Royal Variety Performance. Smith, Alistair (22 August 2007). "Edinburgh's If.Comedy Awards shortlist announced". The Stage . Retrieved 13 September 2010.

Through his father, he got his first job as a fish porter at Billingsgate Fish Market. [4] The work was well-paid, but Flanagan became disengaged with the job. [4] In 1981, he spent the summer on Fire Island, New York, where he worked as a kitchen porter. [4] Flanagan was born in Whitechapel, East London, [ citation needed] and grew up in Bethnal Green. [3] His father, Jim Flanagan, who worked as a welder and latterly as a fish porter, came from County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. [4] His father was involved in petty crime, and served a short prison sentence as a result. [4]In 2001 he performed in the Big Value Comedy Show at the Edinburgh Fringe as one of four headline acts, [11] and in 2003 co-headlined a show with Nina Conti. [12] In 2011 Flanagan signed a deal with Ebury Publishing to write his autobiography. [26] He appeared in a celebrity version of The Chase, hosted by Bradley Walsh. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge. The Evening Standard described it as 'Comedy Par Excellence' and The Guardian stated 'he's the country's most popular comic and, by some measure, its most popular entertainer full stop'. The award-winning comic will hit venues in Newcastle, Manchester, Bournemouth and more as part of his If We Ever Needed It… Tour

On Thursday 13 April, the Whitechapel native will headline the OVO Hydro in Glasgow before heading to The O2 in London for three consecutive shows on Thursday 11, Friday 12 and Saturday 13 May. See a full list of tour dates and venues below. Flanagan retains a London base in East Dulwich but lives primarily in the Hampshire countryside. [29] [30] Stand-up DVDs [ edit ] Title

While the full tour list for 2023 is not yet available, here is where he has performed in previous UK and Ireland tours: