Stewart began stand-up at the age of 20 in 1988, winning the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year award in 1990. In the 90's he contributed to various BBC Radio comedy shows, including Fist of Fun and On The Hour, with Steve Coogan and Chris Morris. He also performed as a stand-up almost nightly on the London circuit, and co-created four series for BBC2 with Richard Herring.

Stewart's first novel, The Perfect Fool, was published by 4th Estate in 2001, and his self-described pretentious art-comedy piece Pea Green Boat was staged by The Traverse, Battersea Arts Centre and Radio 4, and is now available as a 10" single.

In 2002, Stewart was invited to help write and direct the composer Richard Thomas' developing work, Jerry Springer - The Opera. The show won four Olivier awards after its National Theatre run, though its commercial future was compromised by the right wing pressure group, Christian Voice.

Stewart's 2004 Edinburgh Fringe show, Stand-Up Comedian is available on DVD, as is 2005's 90's Comedian, described by Chortle founder Steve Bennett as his most memorable gig of the decade (available from www.gofasterstripe.com). 41st Best Stand-Up Ever, which reflected his position in a spurious Channel 4 poll, toured all year and was later released on DVD by Real Talent. A 2010 re-polling by the same channel saw Stewart climb 29 places to be named 12th Greatest Stand-up of All Time.

In January 2007 What Would Judas Do? ran in a double bill with Mark Ravenhills Product at the Bush Theatre, London. 2008s piece for The Traverse, Boswell and Johnson -Late But Live, starring Simon Munnery and Miles Jupp, toured the highlands and islands under the auspices of The Stand. His piece, Elizabeth and Raleigh - Late But Live, again starring Munnery and Jupp, was at Underbelly in the same year.

In 2009 Stewart Lee returned to our screens after a decade's absence with the critically acclaimed and BAFTA nominated BBC2 series Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle. In the same year Stewart built upon his previous Edinburgh success with new show If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One (a show which later won Best DVD at the 2011 Chortle awards), embarked on a national tour (with this show) and was nominated for the British Comedy Award for Best Live Stand-Up Performer. Stew continued his live success in 2010 with Vegetable Stew and in the same year he released his second book How I Escaped My Certain Fate.

In May 2011 the second series of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle aired once again gaining much lauded critical acclaim and this led to him winning the British Comedy Award for Best Male TV Comic and Best Comedy Entertainment Programme. Stew also programmed a weekend at the South Bank Centre called Stewart Lee’s Austerity Binge in 2011 and series 1 of Lee And Herring's Fist Of Fun from 1995, was released on DVD. In December 2011, Stew set the Guardian Xmas quiz and guest-edited the Today Programme for Radio 4.

2012 sees Stew finishing the Carpet remnant world London run and taking it on a UK-wide tour.

Stewart is a patron of London's Arts Radio station Resonance FM. His awards include the anti-Perrier Tap Water Award, Melbourne Festival Piece Of Wood Award, Chortle awards for Outstanding Contribution To Comedy and Best Full Length Show, and various chunky lead statuettes for his work on Jerry Springer - The Opera.

"One of the top three or four living stand-ups..."
- Time Out

"The worst stand-up I have ever seen"
- Graham Simmons, Chortle

To visit Stewart's website click here

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