Dr Matt Winning is a stand-up comedian and expert environmental researcher who performs live climate change comedy shows. He is also an Author, Broadcaster and Keynote Speaker.
Matt has a PhD in climate change policy and is an active researcher, combining his two worlds of comedy and environmental issues in an attempt to help save the planet. In 2025, he debuted his latest storytelling show Solastalgia at the Edinburgh Fringe, to rave reviews from publications such as The Scotsman and British Comedy Guide. This led to a run of shows at Soho Theatre in February 2026, which completely sold out and led to another run being added in April 2026. In 2021, he published his book Hot Mess which encompasses the two worlds of climate and comedy. Adam Kay described it as “a very funny, important and only moderately terrifying clarion call of a book”. He performed his latest stand-up show of the same name across the UK and was awarded Pick of the Fringe at Bedford Fringe Festival.
On TV, Matt appeared as the environmental correspondent on Dave’s Unspun with Matt Forde and has also featured in BBC Scotland shows The State of It and Scot Squad. On radio, he has most recently presented BBC Radio 4’s Net Zero: A Very British Problem which is a 4 part series. He has also guest appeared on a BBC Radio 4’s Best Medicine, The Now Show, BBC Radio Scotland’s Breaking The News and Unspun with Armando Iannucci.
Matt hosted the podcast Operation Earth and has a TEDx talk about the importance of using humour to discuss climate change.
Early in his comedy career Matt quickly gained a reputation as an exciting new act after winning the Hilarity Bites New Act of the Year in 2011 and appearing in the final of the BBC Radio 2 New Comedy Awards in 2012. He has performed for many years at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, both in sketch shows and solo, bringing his staple hilarious and informative climate change comedy shows to audiences there and across the UK.
Website: Matt Winning
