Biography
Jefferies began his stand-up comedy career after dropping out of university, initially returning to his native Sydney before relocating to the United Kingdom. He took the stage name “Jim Jeffries”, but amended the last name to “Jefferies” to avoid confusion with a similarly named American performer. He initially began performing stand-up with one-liners. He changed to anecdotal humour when he began doing hour-long sets. One of his early UK appearances was in October 2003 when he performed at Birmingham’s Glee Club, as a part of Birmingham Comedy Festival.
He first achieved international attention in 2007, when he was attacked onstage while performing at the Manchester Comedy Festival. Footage of the incident was incorporated into his act and can be seen on his 2008 DVD Contraband. He became known in the United States in 2009, after the release of his debut HBO special I Swear to God.
Jefferies has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Just for Laughs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, and Glastonbury Festival.He has also performed routines on The World Stands Up, Comedy Blue and Edinburgh and Beyond for Comedy Central.
Following the release of his Netflix special Freedumb in July 2016, he began The Unusual Punishment Tour with all-new material, and filmed his new special This Is Me Now at the Hammersmith Apollo in London in January 2018. On 17 December 2018, he completed his Night Talker Tour with the final performance in Melbourne.
At the 2019 Just for Laughs festival, in Montreal, he was honoured as Stand-up Comedian of the Year.
April 2024 saw Jefferies start his Give ‘Em What They Want tour in South Africa, moving on to Australia in August. In September and October 2024, while Jefferies is in Canada, he will be joined by Jimmy Carr for what is being billed as The Charm Offensive Tour.
In November 2024, it was announced Jefferies will host a standup series for the Seven Network in 2025 titled Jim Jefferies and Friends.
Jefferies’ comedy series Legit premiered on 17 January 2013 on FX. A second season premiered on 26 February 2014, having been moved to FXX. The series received positive attention among the disabled community for its portrayal of people with mental and physical disabilities. The series was cancelled after two seasons.
On 3 March 2017, Comedy Central announced The Jim Jefferies Show, a new ten-episode weekly series, which premiered on 6 June 2017. Jefferies, hosting the show, takes a look on culture and politics behind his desk, and travels around the world to tackle the week’s top stories and most controversial issues. On 25 July 2017, the first season was extended with ten additional episodes, which completed airing on 21 November 2017. On 15 January 2018, Comedy Central renewed the series for a twenty-episode second season, which premiered on 27 March 2018. The network renewed the show for a third season in January 2019, which premiered on 19 March 2019. The series concluded on 19 November 2019, after the end of its third season.
From November 2010 to November 2012, Jefferies co-hosted the podcast Jim and Eddie Talkin’ Shit with his fellow comedian and former roommate, Eddie Ifft. Jefferies had to quit because of his busy work schedule.
Jefferies appeared on comedy panel shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, The Heaven and Earth Show and 8 Out of 10 Cats, the US comedy panel show The Green Room with Paul Provenza and Comedy Central’s @midnight. He has also been featured on various radio programmes, including BBC Radio 5 Live’s Saturday morning sports show, Opie and Anthony, and Fighting Talk.
In 2015, he starred in Australian film Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse with comedians Greg Fleet and Alex Williamson. It premiered on 25 July and was released on DVD and Vimeo in Australia and New Zealand in late 2015, and in the UK, Ireland, and the US in 2016.
In 2019, Jefferies and Suzanne Martin developed the sitcom Jefferies for NBC, in which Jefferies will star as a fictionalised version of himself.
Jefferies has hosted the I Don’t Know About That podcast alongside Kelly Blackheart, Forrest Shaw, and Jack Hackett since May 2020.
Jefferies began a new podcast ‘At This Moment’ with co-host Amos Gill on January 21, 2025.
About Top Secret Comedy Club:
Top Secret Comedy Club London is the best rated club to see live stand-up comedy in London. Top Secret Comedy has two venues right in the heart of the West End between Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Soho. The rooms are intimate, with exciting line ups, and a focus on sharp, no-nonsense comedy. It has become a go-to spot for audiences who want proper live stand-up at incredible value.
The club regularly features top comedians from the UK and international circuit. Their regular performers also appear at established London venues such as The Comedy Store & 99 Club. Shows run every night of the week, with a reputation for strong bills, late-night energy, and frequent surprise celebrity appearances.
