After the spectacular mockumentary “Cunk on Earth” came out in September 2022, I have been a huge fan of Philomena Cunk, brought to life by Diane Morgan, a comedic character who acts as an investigative reporter. Cunk is a dim-witted, ill-informed, yet serious interviewer and commentator on history, culture and current affairs. She is best known for her deadpan comments and insane questions.
She is, without a doubt, one of the funniest comedians of this generation.
In her first special “Cunk on Earth,” she travels around the globe interviewing real-world experts about world history. The series covers early agriculture, the rise of Christianity and Islam, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, and the Space Race.
Cunk’s ability to teach and learn as well as deliver belly-laughing humor is unbeatable. Watching someone so goofy interact with some of Europe’s most prestigious professors, experts, and intellectuals is life-altering humor. Her line delivery is phenomenal, and she proved her place in comedy in her new special, “Cunk on Life.”
“Cunk on Life” was released December 30, 2024, and I immediately sat down to watch Philomena Cunk shine once again.
In “Cunk on Life,” Cunk explores the beginning of humankind. From Adam and Eve and Big Bang Theory to how we form thoughts and the development of AI, Cunk covers many important topics that define our species.
Unlike her first special, which spanned across five 30-minute episodes, “Cunk on Life” was granted 71 minutes of pure chaos. These 71 minutes are divided into nine different chapters, including “Art,” “Work,” “Death,” and more. In each chapter, Cunk focuses on the importance of each topic to human existence and the development of modern-day people.
My favorite chapter was definitely “Art.” While talking to art experts across the United Kingdom, Cunk unashamedly bashes some of the most significant pieces of art, including works by Edvard Munch and Vincent Van Gogh. She doesn’t understand the importance of these works, and watching as Cunk converses with people who literally study art for a living is incredibly entertaining.
Cunk performs a myriad of bits and sketches throughout the special, and there are quite a few that are incredibly memorable. One bit that makes me laugh every time is Cunk’s obsession with the song “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic. While it only played once in “Cunk on Life,” it’s easily one of my favorite reoccurring Cunk bits. She plays the song multiple times in “Cunk on Earth,” and now every time I hear it, I can’t help but think of Philomena Cunk.
I do believe that you must have a certain humor to enjoy “Cunk on Life.” She has an incredibly dry, deadpanned, peculiar humor. I would describe her as a stand-up comedian who doesn’t know they are a stand-up comedian. She has jokes and punchlines, but it’s like she doesn’t know they are jokes and punchlines, they are honest and sincere questions to Cunk. Her specials and mockumentaries use parodical comedy to grasp the attention of the audience, but I fear that some viewers may not be as entranced by her humor as I was.
Even though Cunk is fact checked on almost every word that comes out of her mouth, I still was able to learn important information in “Cunk on Life.” There’s an obvious comedic element, but much more than a quick laugh can be acquired from the special. While Cunk is all jokes and humor, the experts being interviewed are nothing short of serious. They answer her questions with prestige and honesty, teaching the audience as well as Cunk herself.
Philomena Cunk is a groundbreaking comic regardless of if she knows it or not. She’s so well developed as a character that it’s hard to separate her from Diane Morgan herself. “Cunk on Life” was undoubtedly the funniest comedy I watched in 2024, and her humor carried itself into the minds of many people in 2025.
Seeing her become more mainstream in America is very pleasing, as I think we all could use a dose of her absurd humor.