Comics dub Boyle the nation’s most offensive

Boyle, who has caused a storm with jokes about Katie Price’s disabled son Harvey on his Channel 4 sketch show, came top in a study carried out with more than 100 UK-based stand-up comedians.

The Scottish star of TV series Tramadol Nights was followed by US-born comic and magician Jerry Sadowitz, Jim Davidson and Roy Chubby Brown in the list.

Daniel Kitson, who rarely appears on television, beat big names such as Michael McIntyre to be crowned the favourite “comedian’s comedian”.

Billy Connolly was second, followed by comedian and actor Eddie Izzard and Tommy Cooper, who died after collapsing on stage from a heart attack during a live TV performance in 1984.

Liverpool was branded the toughest city to perform stand-up in, followed by Nottingham.

The Midlands was named the region of the UK that is most receptive to stand-up.

Researchers interviewed 112 comedians for the study commissioned by digital TV channel Dave.