James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian. He began his career in 1997 with a series of successful stand-up performances. He has regularly appeared on television as the host of Channel 4 panel shows such as The Big Fat Quiz of the Year (since 2004), 8 Out of 10 Cats (2005–2021), and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (since 2012). Carr is known for his rapid-fire deadpan delivery of one-liners.

James Anthony Patrick Carr was born on 15 September 1972, in Isleworth, London. He is the second of three sons born to Irish parents Nora Mary (née Lawlor; 19 September 1943 – 7 September 2001) and Patrick James "Jim" Carr (born 1945), an accountant who became the treasurer for computer company Unisys. His parents were married in 1970 and separated in 1994, never divorcing.

Carr spent most of his early life in the village of Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, where he attended Farnham Common School and Burnham Grammar School. Carr was diagnosed with dyslexia and could not read or write at his expected level until around ten or eleven years old. He completed sixth form at the Royal Grammar School in nearby High Wycombe.

After earning four A grades at A-level, Carr studied social science and political science at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, graduating with first-class honours in 1994. He went on to work in the marketing department at Shell, but took voluntary redundancy in January 2000 as he felt "miserable" there. He performed his first paid stand-up gig later that month, having done his debut pub show unpaid only the previous December. He said a course in neuro-linguistic programming helped him realize how his mind was working to hold him back from following his dreams of becoming a comedian.

In 2001, Carr's mother, Nora Mary, died of pancreatitis, at age 57. Following her death, Carr's relationship with his father became "severely strained". In 2004, his father was arrested and accused of harassing Carr and his brother Colin, but was cleared and won an apology from the Metropolitan Police. In 2021, Carr said he had not spoken to his father since 2000 and had not seen him in person, with the exception of an autograph signing after a gig in 2015, where they saw each other but did not speak.

Carr has hosted Channel 4 game shows Distraction and Your Face or Mine?. He presented the 100s series of programmes for Channel 4: 100 Worst Pop Records, 100 Worst Britons, 100 Greatest Cartoon Characters, 100 People Who Look Most Like Jimmy Carr (a spoof) and 100 Scary Moments.

Since 2005, Carr has presented the comedy panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats. The show aired on Channel 4 until 2016, when it moved to More4. It later went to E4. Since 2012, Carr has also presented over 150 episodes of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, a combination of his panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats and daytime quiz show Countdown.

In April 2010, Carr hosted the first British version of a comedy roast show, Channel 4's A Comedy Roast. On 6 May 2010, he was a co-host of Channel 4's Alternative Election Night, with David Mitchell, Lauren Laverne and Charlie Brooker. He joined the three presenters again for 10 O'Clock Live, a Channel 4 comedy current-affairs show, which started airing in January 2011.