Nick Helm

Nicholas Tristan Phillip Helm (born 1 October 1980) is an English comedian and actor. His routines have been described as "brash and bullish". Many of his performances begin with him acting calmly and see him gradually getting more and more enraged about what he is talking about. He came to prominence following the success of his 2010 Edinburgh Fringe show Keep Hold of the Gold. In 2014, Helm made his main acting debut as lead character Andy in the BBC Three sitcom Uncle.

Early life Helm was born in Barts Hospital in West Smithfield, London, and raised in Finsbury Park, until the age of 8 when he then moved to St Albans, Hertfordshire. He attended Cunningham Hill Primary School, after which he went to Sandringham Secondary School. Following this he attended the University of Winchester.

While at secondary school Helm began writing and performing. In 1997, when he was in sixth form, his drama teacher Louise Howes brought the school's production of Romeo and Juliet to the Edinburgh Festival. Helm played the part of Prince Escalus.

By 2007, Helm began performing solo stand-up, but also maintained his theatrical work with a 2008 Fringe show called I Think You Stink, which gained critical acclaim. Comedian Richard Herring called it a "lovely little hidden gem... funny, silly and slightly chilling... something very new and special".

Helm has worked closely with his friends on the stand-up circuit, performing mixed bill stand-up shows at the Fringe before his first fully solo show, Keep Hold of the Gold, in 2010.

In 2011, the follow-up, Dare to Dream, saw him nominated for the Fosters best comedy show and a joke lifted from the show won Dave'''s award for the funniest joke of the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe: "I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves".

In 2012, Helm appeared regularly on the BBC Three series Live at the Electric performing songs with backing band, The Helmettes. There were further TV appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats (including as Santa in the 2012 Christmas Special) and its spin-off 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (on which he has a recurring skit where he repeatedly fails to woo the show's lexicographer, Susie Dent), The Boyle Variety Performance, Russell Howard's Good News and a new show for Edinburgh, This Means War.

His 2013 Edinburgh Fringe show, One Man Mega Myth, strongly referenced Evel Knievel, and he was again nominated for Best Show in the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, losing out to Bridget Christie.

Helm won the South Bank Sky Arts "The Times Breakthrough Award" on 27 January 2014.

Helm also plays guitar and sings. He has so far released three full studio albums, as well as two live shows, and the Soundtrack to the BBC Three sitcom Uncle. His latest album is called Down 'n' Dirty:Volume 1, released on 14 August 2026. He performed "He Makes You Look Fat", one of the tracks from his album Hot 'n' Heavy, when he appeared as the stand-up guest on Russell Howard's Good News in 2012.

In 2014, Helm started playing the lead role of Andy in the BBC Three sitcom Uncle. The show was written by Oliver Refson, and featured songs written and performed by Helm and his band. The third and final series of Uncle was screened in January–February 2017.

Helm's comedy/music show Nick Helm's Heavy Entertainment broadcast on BBC Three in May–June 2015.

In 2015, Helm co-wrote and co-starred with Esther Smith in an episode of the BBC Three online series of short stories, Funny Valentines. The episode, titled "Elephant", was nominated for a Short Film BAFTA Award in 2016.

In mid-2017, Helm starred in the sitcom Loaded (Channel 4), about a group of IT entrepreneurs who become millionaires when their company is bought out, and in the food comedic documentary Eat Your Heart Out with Nick Helm'' (Dave). He also performed Work in Progress shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, he starred in the online comedy series Angry Quiz Guy.

In August 2021, he starred as a guest on the Cheapshow podcast with fellow comedian Nathaniel Metcalfe.

Filmography Television As actor Year Title Role Notes 2010 Big Babies Major Moustache (voice) 13 episodes 2012–2017 Uncle Andy 20 episodes 2013 The Day They Came to Suck Out Our Brains! Ringer 1.10 "Mankind Strikes Back" 2014 Santageddon Nick Pliskin Short film 2014 The Milkman Customer Short film 2015 Funny Valentines: Elephant Him Short film; also writer 2015 The Girl in the Dress Rob Short film 2016 Hell's Garden Spade Man Short film 2017 Loaded Watto 8 episodes 2018 Nick Helm: The Killing Machine Sam Miller Short film 2018 The Reluctant Landlord Lemon 13 episodes 2018 Roast Battle Santa Claus 2.06 "Christmas Special" 2021 Intelligence Fin 1 episode 2024 EastEnders Ostrich Man 1 episode 2025 Father Brown Charlie Chumley 1 episode

As himself Year Title Role Notes 2010 Russell Howard's Good News Himself 3.07 "Episode: 2 December 2010" 2011 Show & Tell Himself 1.03 "Maeve Higgins, Elis James and Nick Helm"1.05 "Diane Morgan, Josh Widdicombe and Nick Helm" 2011 So This Is Christmas! Himself Television special 2012–2013 8 Out of 10 Cats Himself / Santa Claus 6 episodes 2012 Live at the Electric Himself 8 episodes 2012 Nick Helm Solid Gold Super Hits Himself Television miniseries 2012 The Boyle Variety Performance Himself Television special 2012 The 50 Funniest Moments of 2012 Himself Television special 2013 '8 Out of 10 Cats' Does 'Deal or No Deal' Himself Television special 2013–2021 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Dictionary Corner Guest / Himself 8 episodes 2013 BBC Comedy Feeds Himself 2.02 "Nick Helm's Heavy Entertainment" 2014,2017–2018,2024,2025 Sunday Brunch Himself (guest) 1.96 "Episode: 26 January 2014",7 episodes (2017-2018),Episode: 21 January 2024Episode 29 June 2025 2014 Sweat the Small Stuff Himself 2 episodes 2015 30 Greatest Disaster Movies Himself Television documentary 2015 Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled Himself (panelist) 3.01 2015 Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Himself Television documentary 2015 Live at the Apollo Himself 11.06 "Episode: 14 December 2015" 2015 Mastermind Himself (contestant) Celebrity Mastermind 2015/16: "Episode 6" 2016 Drunk History Himself 2.09 "Episode Nine" 2018 Roast Battle Himself 1.02 "Episode: 16 January 2018" 2018 How The Young Ones Changed Comedy Himself Television documentary 2021 Question Team Guest Question Setter Episode 1.02: 1 November 2021

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2005 X3: Reunion Additional voices

Discography

Live Show Releases