Carl Donnelly

Carl Donnelly is an award-winning British stand up comedian and co-host of the podcast Two Vegan Idiots, also known as TVI.

Carl has appeared on many popular television shows, including Mock the Week, Russell Howard’s Good News and Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled. In 2026, Carl appeared on Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, on which he discussed his switch to veganism.

Carl performed at Viva!’s Vegan Comedy Night to celebrate the charity’s 25th anniversary in 2019.

Why Carl Donnelly is vegan

Carl Donnelly is vegan for the animals.

Carl Donnelly became vegan around 2013 when drinking ayahuasca tea¹Herring, R. 2026. Carl Donnelly on becoming vegan and boozy comedy. YouTube. Available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkCGxaCYOiU [Accessed 30 June 2026]. led to a “shift in consciousness.”²Vegan Food & Living. 2018. Carl Donnelly: The big vegan interview. Available: https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/vegan-lifestyle/interviews/carl-donnelly-the-big-vegan-interview/ [Accessed 30 June 2026]. Carl was suffering from depression and dealing with the breakdown of his marriage so started exploring alternative therapies such as meditation and psychedelics. His experiences left him feeling more connected to everything going on around him, including the treatment of animals.

“I couldn’t justify my lifestyle to myself anymore. There was an underlying guilt about the treatment of animals by humans that just became clear to me.”³Donnelly, C. 2017. I took an unconventional route to veganism but it’s changed my life. Available: https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/wellbeing/carl-donnelly-vegan-changed-life-78825 [Accessed 11 May 2021].

Listen to Carl Donnelly on the Viva! Vegan Podcast: