The funniest comedians are more likely to die young, according to a new scientific paper.

Researchers found the difference was especially pronounced in double acts and comedy teams – with the funniest member three times more likely to die sooner than the straight man.

Professor Simon Stewart and Professor David Thompson examined 53 male British and Irish comedians born between 1900 and 1954. Their sample included both individuals and those in comedy partnerships such as Morecambe and Wise or Monty Python. But women were excluded to avoid differences in longevity due to gender.

All comedians were given a subjective score from 1 (relatively funny) to 10 (hilariously funny). The 23 with the highest ranking scores were deemed as ‘elite comedians’.

Of those, 18 (78 per cent) had suffered a premature death, compared to 12 (40 per cent) who are still alive. The mean age of death for the elite group is 63 years. For everyone else the mean is 72.

As an example, Ernie Wise lived to 73, while Eric Morecambe, died at 58.

Professor Stewart, director of the Mary MacKillop Institute of Health Research at Australian Catholic University, said his research team were surprised by the strength of their findings.

And he said mental health issues such as mania and depression help shape the talents of elite comedians and may explain their reduced lifespan.

’It is sobering to think that many of the people who make us laugh the most are vulnerable to emotional and psychological distress that leaves them at risk of a premature death,’ he said.

‘The fate of our elite comedians reminds us of the importance of achieving a balance between our mental and physical well-being. Many of the people we think of as most vibrant and strong in their public persona may be struggling at the personal level.

‘Ultimately, our comedians may well pay a high individual price for making us all laugh – knowing that laughter is good medicine overall and we would be the poorer for not having them as a key component of our community.’

Published: 8 Dec 2014