Our Refer a Friend Double Act scheme’s already in full swing now, with loads more chances to win and TWICE the cash up for grabs. Refer a Friend has always been a great way to help your mates and loved ones get back what they’re owed from HMRC. They get a tax refund, and you earn £50 every time someone you’ve referred to us makes their claim. The difference is, for the rest of the year:

  • We’re doubling up our prize giveaways so both you AND your mates get rewarded!
  • We’re adding TWO extra prize draws for you both to win!
  • We’re piling on more chances to win than EVER before!

On top of the cash rewards for making referrals, our regular prize draws can see you winning up to £1,000 this Christmas. Of course, since it’s part of the Double Acts scheme, that means both you and your mate get a full grand each!

Keeping the celebration rolling, this month we’ll be running down our top 10 list of British Comedy double acts.

10) Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones

Mel Smith and Gryff Rhys Jones

From their early team-up on Not the Nine o’Clock News through to their much-loved Alas Smith and Jones series, Mel and Griff were a landmark duo in British comedy throughout the 80s. Ditching the old stereotypes of the “straight man” and “funny man” they set the pace for a string of other performers, and their famous head-to-head sketches are legitimate classics.

9) Mitchell and Webb

Mitchell and Webb

Mixing acidic wit with endearing characters, Robert Webb and David Mitchell walked a time-honoured path from Cambridge Footlights and the Edinburgh Fringe to mainstream success. The Peep Show stands eye-to-eye with the very best of British comedy series.

8) French & Saunders

French and Saunders

Genuine trailblazers, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders launched their double act career after meeting at drama school. While they’ve both gone on to individual success on shows like Absolutely Fabulous and The Vicar of Dibley, their French and Saunders team-up ran for two decades and is still worthy of its slot on our list.

7) Fry & Laurie

Fry and Laurie

Taking a few cues from the Monty Python team, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie’s anarchic, often surreal sketch comedy launched them into international stardom both individually and as a duo. Mainstays of the British comedy scene throughout the 80s and 90s, Laurie has developed into an impressive character actor on House, while Fry is now recognised as a true national treasure.

6) Matt Lucas and David Walliams

Matt Lucas and David Walliams

Lucas and Walliams are probably best remembered as the duo behind Little Britain, which loaded a bewildering array of outlandish characters into its comedy-cannon and blasted them in the face of viewers between 2003 and 2008. As to the odds of them teaming up again in future, it’s hard to say. For the moment, though, the computer says no.

5) Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer

Vic and Bob have made a career out of experimenting with formats. Together, they’ve worked on stage acts, sitcoms and even parody game shows. Masters of the catch phrase and insane non-sequitur, it’s tough to predict what they’ll come up with next – but we wouldn’t say no to another season of House of Fools.

4) Morecambe and Wise

Morecambe and Wise

Moving into “all-time greats” territory now, we’ve got the classic pairing of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. Together, they spent 30 years defining British comedy in the minds of generations of TV audiences.  Their celebrity-studded musical set-pieces are still hugely respected and their Christmas specials set the tone for Christmas TV for years.

3) Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson

Rik Mayall and Ade Edmonson

Edmondson and Mayall were another duo who met at university, but blasted their way onto the British “alternative comedy” scene as part of The Young Ones’ ensemble cast. Whether you remember them best as The Dangerous Brothers, "Richie" Rich and Edward Catflap, Eddie Hitler and Richie Richard or Vyvian Basterd and Rick, there’s no denying their impact on decades’ worth of British TV.

2) The Two Ronnies

The Two Ronnies

When it comes to character and sketch comedy, you have to go a long way to top Barker and Corbett. Both powerhouse comedians in their own right, the Two Ronnies captured a real magic in their on-screen pairing. Crucially, they allowed space for each other by incorporating solo slots into their show, from Corbett’s seated shaggy dog stories to Barker’s character-based solo sketches. That mutual trust, respect and confidence shines through in all their work together.

1) Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

Topping our list we have Pete and Dud, the blueprint and benchmark for a generation of British comedy talent. Sometimes fiercely transgressive, sometimes disarmingly wholesome, Cook and Moore were never predictable. In fact, some of their most infamous improvised “Derek and Clive” sketches actually provoked calls for their prosecution under obscenity laws. How’s that for “dangerous comedy”?

So that’s our list of some of the top double acts in British comedy history. What’s yours? Hit us up on social media for more polls and discussions – and remember to keep those referrals rolling in. With RIFT Double Acts, both you and your mates could be laughing all the way to the bank this Christmas.

RIFT are the UK's leading tax rebate & tax return experts who've been in the industry since 1999.  Get an instant estimate of how much cash you could be owed back from HMRC using our free tax rebate calculator.