What Have I Done?
My Autobiography
Published on 21. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
480 pages
978-1-0350-5996-6 (ISBN)
Description
The instant Sunday Times bestseller and critics' pick of the best biographies and memoirs of the year.
'What Have I Done? snaps, crackles and pops with wit, bravado and glorious Ben-ness. A triumph' - Stephen Fry
'A big life chronicled by truly the Upstart Crow of our generation' - Dawn French
Ben Elton has done everything and worked with everybody. Now, in this frank, forthright, and hugely entertaining book, he tells the whole story.
Discover the truth behind iconic hits like The Young Ones, Blackadder, and We Will Rock You. Relive the pioneering stand-up of Saturday Live that birthed a comedy revolution. From being the BBC's youngest-ever sitcom writer to his most recent, critically acclaimed stand-up tour, Ben reveals unique insights into his groundbreaking work.
He talks honestly about his relationships with brilliant friends, inspiring contemporaries, and occasional foes. His life off-screen has been just as challenging and funny as it has been on, and he unpacks it all with wit, insight, and of course, a 'little bit of politics'.
For decades, Ben's been making people laugh, think, and getting on plenty of wicks - these are the uncensored stories.
'Funny and fascinating, it's a story of triumph and disaster and is the closest you'll get to understanding where great comedy comes from' - David Mitchell
'Bloody marvellous' - Jo Brand
What Have I Done? was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller w/e 11/10/2025.
'What Have I Done? snaps, crackles and pops with wit, bravado and glorious Ben-ness. A triumph' - Stephen Fry
'A big life chronicled by truly the Upstart Crow of our generation' - Dawn French
Ben Elton has done everything and worked with everybody. Now, in this frank, forthright, and hugely entertaining book, he tells the whole story.
Discover the truth behind iconic hits like The Young Ones, Blackadder, and We Will Rock You. Relive the pioneering stand-up of Saturday Live that birthed a comedy revolution. From being the BBC's youngest-ever sitcom writer to his most recent, critically acclaimed stand-up tour, Ben reveals unique insights into his groundbreaking work.
He talks honestly about his relationships with brilliant friends, inspiring contemporaries, and occasional foes. His life off-screen has been just as challenging and funny as it has been on, and he unpacks it all with wit, insight, and of course, a 'little bit of politics'.
For decades, Ben's been making people laugh, think, and getting on plenty of wicks - these are the uncensored stories.
'Funny and fascinating, it's a story of triumph and disaster and is the closest you'll get to understanding where great comedy comes from' - David Mitchell
'Bloody marvellous' - Jo Brand
What Have I Done? was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller w/e 11/10/2025.
Reviews / Votes
What Have I Done? snaps, crackles and pops with wit, bravado and glorious Ben-ness. A triumph -- Stephen Fry, actor, comedian, and bestselling author of <i>Mythos</i> Funny and fascinating, it's a story of triumph and disaster and is the closest you'll get to understanding where great comedy comes from -- David Mitchell, comedian and bestselling author of <i>Unruly</i> Gripping, funny, breathtakingly honest and endlessly entertaining -- Richard Curtis A gloriously dizzying ride through Ben Elton's long and (still) very successful career, taking in the highs, the lows, the accolades and the slights. Bloody marvellous -- Jo Brand, comedian and author of <i>Born Lippy</i> A big life chronicled by truly the Upstart Crow of our generation -- Dawn French, actress, comedian, and author of <i>The Twat Files</i> Ben Elton is one of the greatest comedy talents of all time, ever, in any era -- Marina Hyde, award-winning columnist and author of <i>What Just Happened?!</i> Tragedy, comedy and honesty make this book possibly the best autobiography you'll ever read -- Brian May What has he done? Written a brilliant memoir, that's all. Funny, touching, dazzling -- Gyles Brandreth, broadcaster and author of <i>Odd Boy Out</i> Ben writes smooth and fast - reading this book was like being on a surfboard attached to a rollercoaster being pulled along by a dolphin -- Sir Lenny Henry, award-winning comedian, actor, and author of <i>Who Am I, Again?</i> Provocative, hilarious, compassionate, dodgy politically, acerbic yet full of love, the real Ben leaps from every wonderfully written page -- Andrew Lloyd Webber, award-winning composer and author of <i>Unmasked</i> As wildly honest, funny and smart as the man himself -- Kenneth Branagh, award-winning actor and author of <i>Beginning</i> Ben tells his life story with the same genius wit of his legendary stand-up, hilarious novels and iconic television series -- David Walliams, actor, comedian, and author of <i>Gangsta Granny</i> Uproariously serious with trenchant bursts of truth, fury and incendiary fun -- Neil Kinnock Ben has given joy to countless millions. This is a wonderful book. Every creative young person should read it -- Harry Enfield This is a rich helping of sheer pleasure, overflowing with wit, intelligence and phenomenal anecdotes from one of Britain's greatest ever talents -- Victoria Coren Mitchell, presenter of BBC's Only Connect and author of <i>Richer, For Poorer</i> It's a miracle Ben Elton managed to fit such an incredibly full life into one volume, but that's testament to the fact that he is one of the most creative, inventive and prolific writers of the last fifty years. This book and his life are a triumph! -- Amanda Ross * Between the Covers * Beautifully written and a great insight into the prolific Ben Elton's work and life - passionate, humorous, insightful and honest. You won't put it down -- Twiggy What Have I Done? is easily one of the most honest, thoughtful celebrity memoirs of the decade * The Daily Express * This exhaustive yet never dull memoir reminds us why he remains one of the giants of British comedy over the last four decades * Daily Mirror * He has plenty of . . . superpowers. This hugely enjoyable book reminds you of all of them * The Times * Funny, insightful, vulnerable . . . he is in the end undeniably one of the greatest comic minds this country has ever produced -- David Baddiel Decades in the making, the comedian's autobiography won't disappoint his army of fans -- <i>Woman & Home</i>'s Best Memoirs of 2025 Worth the wait . . . very funny, with a tremendous sense of 20th-century history. A gem -- <i>The Times</i> and <i>Sunday Times</i>, Best Books of 2025 A fascinating tale of coincidences, the right people turning up at just the right time, and cunning plans * The Saturday Age * Timely as well as nostalgic * The Australian Review of Books *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 191 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
350 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-5996-6 (9781035059966)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Ben Elton is a multi-award-winning novelist, playwright, television writer, screenwriter and lyricist. He is also a theatre, screen and TV director, a stand-up comedian and a very occasional actor. Born in Catford, south-east London, in 1959, Ben was state-educated and studied drama at Manchester University, where he now holds an honorary doctorate. He began his professional career in 1981. Ben married Australian bass player Sophie in 1994, they have three grown-up children and divide their time between Britain and Australia.
In 2007 Ben Elton was awarded the Special Golden Rose d'Or at The International Television Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, for his lifetime contribution to the television arts. What Have I Done? is his first memoir.
In 2007 Ben Elton was awarded the Special Golden Rose d'Or at The International Television Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, for his lifetime contribution to the television arts. What Have I Done? is his first memoir.