Legendary comedian Ben Elton will end his latest extensive UK tour in Southampton in 2025. 

34 new dates have been announced for the Authentic Stupidity tour, due to demand, bringing it to a huge 82 shows, culminating in an O2 Guildhall date on February 27 next year. 

Tickets for the new dates, which include a week-long West End run at the Duke of York's Theatre, have just gone on sale from BenElton.Live

READ MORE: TV celebrity Fred Sirieix is a huge fan of the New Forest

Announcing the new dates, Ben Elton told the Daily Echo: "Next year is shaping up to be huge for me. Not only is my Authentic Stupidity Tour being extended into 2025 with 34 more regional dates and a week at The Duke of York’s Theatre in London's West End, but I also become eligible for my state pension! Now that’s proper rock n’ roll."

The world has changed a lot since Ben last toured five years ago - a whole new existential threat has emerged to challenge our very existence: Artificial Intelligence.

Apparently, it’s going to render all human life meaningless, but Ben is here to warn you that AI is not the greatest threat that we face: it’s Authentic Stupidity!

Ben Elton first exploded onto the scene back in the 1980’s hosting Channel 4’s ground-breaking Saturday Live and he’s been setting the standard for gag filled, taboo busting, tonsil rattling, mind expanding stand-up comedy ever since!

(Image: Trevor Leighton)

Ben Elton’s multi-award-winning career spans over four decades and includes seminal TV shows (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Upstart Crow), West End plays (Popcorn, Upstart Crow), West End musicals (We Will Rock You, The Beautiful Game, Close Up: The Twiggy Musical), best-selling novels (Stark, Dead Famous, Two Brothers) and feature films (Maybe Baby, Three Summers, All is True).

In October last year, Ben returned to Channel 4 for a one-off revival of Friday Night Live to rave reviews. The reincarnation of the original smash-hit Saturday Night Live was critically acclaimed and Ben won the BAFTA for Comedy Entertainment Programme 2023.

His latest tour started in York at the start of September and has already played The Anvil in Basingstoke.

It continues with dates across the UK and Ireland, including Poole Lighthouse on Saturday, October 19 and Portsmouth Guildhall on Sunday, October 20.