Brian Arthur John Smith[1][2] (born 27 November 1954) is an English alternative comedian, presenter and writer.

His younger brother is Nick Smith, a civil servant who was also a stand-up comic but in recent years has turned to amateur dramatics.

He has regularly attended the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival since 1977, and still comperes the long-running Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition final.

One of Smith's routines has been set to music by Mark Beazley, aka Rothko, for a CD curated by comedian and writer Stewart Lee.

One episode, titled "Nessie – Real or Pretend" about the Loch Ness Monster, was aired in America on the A&E cable channel in 1986.

During the late 1980s, Smith took the role of consumer expert, testing such items as hangover cures and Pot Noodles on the BBC Radio 2 Nightcap show hosted by Peter Dickson.

If, however, the speech is played forwards, he is heard to be insulting the listener who has flipped the recording over trying to find out what he was saying ("What a poor sad life he's got").

Hawks won the bet, and Smith had to stand on Balham High Road and sing the Moldovan National Anthem whilst naked.

[7] He makes a cameo appearance in the music video of the song "Happy Goddamn Christmas",[8] by Loretta Maine and Matt Roper, released on 13 December 2012 via BBC Three.

As of 2009 he was engaged to Beth Kilcoyne, a performer and screenwriter,[1][needs update] who co-wrote the BBC TV series Roger & Val Have Just Got In.