Who doesn't love a good celebrity roast? Well, maybe the roastee and even a few of the roasters who experience ribbing that, in some cases, is even more brutal than what the honoree endures. However, for the viewer, watching comedians take turns bringing famous people down to size by spewing insults in jest is an absolute joy.
At least, we should say, these occasions are enjoyable when they are funny and, as the case tends to be with all comedic events, some are funnier than others. Luckily, I have compiled my choices for some of the funniest celebrity roasts of all time, along with where to watch them, in the following guide. See if you feel sorry for these stars when they become subject to some of the most bizarre and offensive ridicule ever caught on camera.
The Roast Of Tom Brady (2024)
Featuring: Tom Brady, Kevin Hart
One of the most popular celebrity roasts from 2024 is The Roast of Tom Brady, which was originally streamed live on Netflix in May of that year. The event saw comedians like Nikki Glaser and Tom Segura (who has performed some of the best stand-up specials on Netflix), athletes like Rob Gronkowski and Peyton Manning, and even Academy Award winner Ben Affleck tackling the former NFL quarterback with jokes about his divorce, the Deflategate scandal, and more. At one point, Brady even earnestly retaliated against “roastmaster general” Jeff Ross for a joke about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s own controversies.
How to watch The Roast of Tom Brady
The Comedy Central Roast Of Pamela Anderson (2005)
Featuring: Pamela Anderson, Jimmy Kimmel
Despite her vocal protest of Hulu’s Pam & Tommy — a miniseries revolving around the stolen sex tape she made with then-husband, Tommy Lee — years earlier, Pamela Anderson accepted the opportunity to be made fun of for that topic, among others, in her Comedy Central Roast. Lee was part of the dais — also including Eddie Griffin, Sarah Silverman, and Bea Arthur — for the network’s first celebrity roast of a female honoree and still one of its funniest to this day.
How to watch The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson
- Stream The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson on Paramount+
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson on DVD on Amazon
The Comedy Central Roast Of William Shatner (2006)
Featuring: William Shatner, Jason Alexander
A year after taking aim at Pamela Anderson, Comedy Central set its sights on another television icon with his own fair share of career ups-and-downs: Emmy winner William Shatner. An ensemble of self-professed nerds like Patton Oswalt, other TV icons like Betty White and Farrah Fawcett, and fellow Star Trek franchise stars George Takei and Nichelle Nichols brought the Captain Kirk actor down a rank in this celebrity roast that would earn a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Variety Special in 2007.
How to watch The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner
- Stream The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner on Paramount+
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of William Shatner on Amazon
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner on DVD on Amazon
Jonas Brothers Family Roast (2021)
Featuring: Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kenan Thompson
Years before taking aim at Tom Brady, one of Netflix’s first celebrity roasts saw world-famous pop music sensations the Jonas Brothers in the hot seat all at once. Pete Davidson, and John Legend (who presented his jokes in song), the brothers’ own respective spouses — Nick’s wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sophie Turner (who has since divorced Joe), and Kevin’s wife, Danielle — were also present for funnier ribbing than most of the comedians. The siblings were also sure to take turns poking fun at each other, resulting in a truly funny family outing.
How to watch Jonas Brothers Family Roast
The Comedy Central Roast Of Rob Lowe (2016)
Featuring: Rob Lowe, David Spade
With a successful career that has lasted decades — including classic ‘80s movies like St. Elmo’s Fire and playing Chris Traeger in the Parks and Recreation cast — Rob Lowe seems like an unlikely choice as honoree for a Comedy Central Roast. However, believe us when we say that the dais — including Jimmy Carr, Pete Davidson, and Lowe’s The Lion’s Den co-star, Jewel — find some real juicy dirt to make it a brutal attack. Yet, at times, it seems like the real roastee here is conservative political commentator Ann Coulter, who claimed her set was heavily edited by Comedy Central but you be the judge if her jokes earn a laugh.
How to watch The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe
- Stream The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe Paramount+
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe on Amazon
The Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen (2011)
Featuring: Charlie Sheen, Seth MacFarlane
Not long after he gave the world more than enough good material about him, Charlie Sheen stepped up to the plate for his own Comedy Central Roast. Anthony Jeselnik, Steve-O, Mike Tyson, and more, to show the tiger-blooded, former Two and a Half Men star who is really “winning” this time.
How to watch The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen
- Stream. The Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen on Paramount+
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of Charlie Sheen on Amazon
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1974-1984)
Featuring: Dean Martin, Various
Years before Comedy Central became the essential, annual spot for bringing celebrities down a peg, it was a weekly occasion on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. The Rat Packer brought on some of the most talented names in comedy — from Don Rickles to Flip Wilson — to poke fun at iconic honorees such as Betty White, Johnny Carson, Mr. T, and even himself from the MGM Grand Hotel’s Ziegfeld Room in Las Vegas. It was impossible for us to pick just a few of the best specials from this long-running program, so we recommend sifting through all the celebrity roasts.
Stream The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
The Comedy Central Roast Of James Franco (2013)
Featuring: James Franco, Seth Rogen
While this special hits differently today following later allegations against James Franco, not watching it would rob you the chance of seeing some of the all-time best moments in Comedy Central's celebrity roast history. Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill, Sarah Silverman, Nick Kroll, and others do a fine job but the show-stealers are Bill Hader as “the President of Hollywood” and Andy Samberg with an intentionally over-confident, self-effacing set.
How to watch The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco
- Stream The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco on Paramount+
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast of James Franco on Amazon
The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget (2008)
Featuring: Bob Saget, John Stamos
A classic Comedy Central Roast that is bittersweet in retrospect, but still a joy to watch, is the roast of the late Bob Saget. The dais included Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman, Jeff Garlin (as a fictional sitcom producer named Saul Schwartz), and SNL’s Jon Lovitz but the most legendary set came from the late Norm Macdonald, whose cheesy dad jokes left some viewers confused but made the Full House star and others close to the comic charmed.
How to watch The Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget
- Stream The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget on Paramount+
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget on Amazon
- Buy The Comedy Central Roast Of Bob Saget on DVD on Amazon
Historical Roasts (2019)
Featuring: Jeff Ross, Various
Roastmaster General Jeff Ross takes his unparalleled talent for insult comedy where no one has dared before: roasting prominent figures who are no longer with us in Netflix’s Historical Roasts. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (Bob Saget), boxing legend Muhammad Ali (Jaleel White), and even Holocaust victim Anne Frank (Rachel Feinstein) are among the six esteemed icons falling prey to playful ribbing in these funny and educational specials.
How to watch Historical Roasts
Do you think you could take a joke as well (or, perhaps, better) than these celebrities did at their roasts?
