Eshaan Akbar
Smooth corporate polish hiding a stubborn refusal to flatter the room.
1 special · 2026
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Eshaan Akbar stands at the mic with the relaxed posture of someone who spent years delivering executive briefings. He does not scurry for laughs or bounce on his heels. Instead, he drops an awkward question, like asking a crowd to name their favorite kind of racism, with a serene grin. He waits out the gasp, lets the tension settle, and slides in a punchline delivered so smoothly that the room laughs out of relief.
Stand-up specials
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An East Londoner on Brixton bakeries, Brexit towns, and school helicopters.
YouTube · 50 min
On stage
He holds an odd, singular spot on the British circuit, floating between weekend clubs, solo theater runs, and arena support slots for acts like Micky Flanagan. He is neither an earnest fringe lecturer nor an eager club comic. When television panel shows book him, he sounds like the most polite speaker at the table while casually advancing the most contentious opinion in the room.
His strongest sets lean into messy personal friction: a lapsed Muslim faith, an East London childhood, and an impatience with political pieties. He skewers corporate diversity jargon with genuine insider ease. The occasional trap in his style is that the calm certainty can stiffen into a debate, where the speechwriter in him takes over and proving a point crowds out the joke.
That posture came ready-made. Akbar worked in private banking and corporate speechwriting before trying standup in his thirties to process grief after his mother died. Along with television acting and podcasting, that background gave him an adult composure that bypassed the usual open-mic scramble, leaving him comfortable letting a bit take all the time it needs.
Turning points
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Acting Debut as Principal Lakhani in Sex Education
Akbar made his television acting debut portraying Principal Lakhani in the fourth season of Netflix's Sex Education.
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Independent YouTube Premiere of Fool Moon
Akbar released his stand-up comedy special Fool Moon independently on YouTube after recording at London's Top Secret Comedy Club.
At a glance
Fans also like
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Darren Harriott
Harriott and Akbar share a playful, confessional chemistry as longtime co-hosts of the podcast Shame is Delicious.
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Adam Rowe
Rowe and Akbar share an energetic dynamic forged through Akbar's recurring guest appearances on the Have A Word podcast.
Podcasts
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Shame is Delicious · co-host
A comedy podcast exploring embarrassing personal stories and confessions co-hosted with Darren Harriott.
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Panic Room · co-host
An Audible podcast created and hosted alongside John Robins and Olga Koch.
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Nine Twenty Nine · host
An award-winning business podcast produced for Fiverr hosted by Eshaan Akbar.
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But Where Are You Really From? · host
A podcast series hosted for the BBC and BBC Sounds exploring heritage and identity.
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The Early Evening Show with Eshaan Akbar · host
A weekly show where Akbar shares thoughts, feelings, and comedic observations about the wider world.
Also on screen
- Sometime Else
- Sex Education
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- Spitting Image
A clip to start with
Stand Up Comedy | Fool Moon | Eshaan Akbar