Over a thousand applied. One hundred and twenty battled it out in regional showcases. Thirty made it through to the televised heats. In this episode, five cutting-edge comics take to the stage but only one can go through to the grand final of the BBC New Comedy Awards 2024.\n\nThe search for Britain’s best new comic reaches Lancaster, a city buzzing with students and reputed to have the most pubs per square mile for its size. With a vibrant live comedy, music and arts scene, our quintet of comics will feel right at home performing at Ashton Hall, a music and comedy venue that’s the jewel in the crown of Lancaster Town Hall. \n\nOur host for the evening is Manchester’s own rock’n’roll star of comedy, Rachel Fairburn. The renowned stand-up and co-host of All Killa No Filla podcast kicks off the night with a bit of local banter before bringing on the five acts. Judging their performances is comedian, writer and actor, Jessica Knappett and multi-award-winning comedy producer, Gill Isles, who will be calling upon her experience of producing hits like Car Share, Man Like Mobeen and Alma’s Not Normal, when judging tonight’s acts. Our effervescent head judge, Babatunde Aleshe, completes the trio.\n\nIt’s not going to be easy to pick a winner from Maria Fedulova, Rachel Hough, Jake Donaldson, Samira Banks and Marie Goulbourne, whose sets are jam-packed with jokes and cutting-edge material, but only one can go through to the grand final in Birmingham’s illustrious Alexandra Theatre.\n\nThis is just one of six heats taking place across the UK – south London’s Crofton Park, Pontypridd, Leicester, Belfast and Paisley all play host to these comedy spectaculars. \n\nFirst established in 1995, these prestigious awards have helped build and nurture the careers of some of Britain’s most loved comedians including Peter Kay, Joe Lycett, Lee Mack, Julian Barratt, Josie Long, Shaparak Khorsandi, Romesh Ranganathan, Alan Carr, Russell Howard, Lee Ridley, Tom Allen, Lauren Pattison, Anna Thomas and Sarah Millican.\n\nThe BBC New Comedy Awards is unearthing a rich and broad range of brand-new comedy stars of the future from all corners of the country.
Source: BBC 1
2024: 7. The Final
The BBC’s big comedy talent search, the New Comedy Awards, has reached its climax. Over a thousand applied, more than 100 went head-to-head at showcases across the country ...
13-11-2024
BBC 1
2024: 6. Northern Heat: Lancaster
Over a thousand applied. One hundred and twenty battled it out in regional showcases. Thirty made it through to the televised heats. In this episode, five cutting-edge comics ...
09-11-2024
BBC 1
2024: 5. Scotland: Paisley
The BBC’s big comedy talent search heads north to Scotland and the iconic Paisley Town Hall, which, following a multi-million-pound revamp, has been transformed into a wor ...
05-11-2024
BBC 1
2024: 4. Northern Irish Heat: Belfast
The BBC’s big comedy talent search heads to Northern Ireland and the capital, Belfast, where five hopefuls will battle it out to book their place in Birmingham for the gra ...
28-10-2024
BBC 1
2024: 3. Southern Heat: Crofton Park
We head to sunny south London and the remarkable Rivoli Ballrooms, a world-famous venue that’s dripping in original vintage décor. Designed by Henley Attwater in 19 ...
21-10-2024
BBC 1
2024: 2. Wales And West - Pontypridd
We’ve travelled to the heart of the south Wales valleys to Pontypridd and Y Muni, a multipurpose, fully accessible live music and comedy venue. Louie McLean, Suri Ashish, ...
21-10-2024
BBC 1
2024: 1. Midlands Heat: Leicester
Over a thousand applied. One hundred battled it out in regional showcases. Thirty made it through to the televised heats. Five budding comedians will perform, but only one can g ...
21-10-2024
BBC 1
2023: 7. The Final
The BBC’s foremost comedy talent search, The New Comedy Awards, has reached its climax. Over 1,000 applied, more than 100 went head-to-head at showcases across the country ...
15-11-2023
BBC 1
2023: Episode 6
The search for Britain's hottest new comedian has brought us to Bangor, the oldest city in Wales and one of the smallest cities in the UK. Our venue is Pontio Theatre, an ultra- ...
13-11-2023
BBC 1
2023: Episode 5
Five hopefuls will battle it out for a place in the BBC One Grand Final at Kings Theatre, Glasgow, where one will be crowned the BBC New Comedian of 2023.\n\nWe head to Nottingh ...
05-11-2023
BBC 1
2023: Episode 1
It’s been a bumper year for the BBC’s biggest comedy talent search, with over 1200 applying for the coveted title of BBC New Comedian 2023. In this episode, five hop ...
10-10-2023
BBC 1
2022: Episode 2
From over 1,000 entries, 30 fresh new comedians have been selected from across the UK to battle it out over a series of six heats to secure their place in the grand final of the ...
06-10-2022
BBC 1
2023: Episode 2
The BBC New Comedy Awards is a nationwide talent search to find the best new stand-ups. Since they first began in 1995, the prestigious awards have helped launch the careers of ...
17-10-2023
BBC 1
2023: Episode 3
The BBC’s big comedy talent search, the New Comedy Awards, is scouring the country to uncover the hottest new stand-ups. We head to Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ir ...
24-10-2023
BBC 1
2021: 2. Wolverhampton
Tonight's heat comes from Light House, a cinema, gallery and media hub for Wolverhampton and the surrounding areas. Darren Harriott is our host for the evening, and the five hop ...
20-10-2021
BBC 1
2023: Episode 4
From over a thousand entries, 30 fresh new comedians have been selected from across the UK to battle it out over a series of six heats to secure their place in the grand final o ...
30-10-2023
BBC 1
2022: Episode 1
Nationwide search to find the best new stand-up talent in the UK.
29-09-2022
BBC 1
2022: 6. Coventry
The venue for the sixth heat of the competition is The Box at FarGo Village, Coventry, an ultra-cool repurposed industrial space, smack in the city centre, which has, for one ni ...
07-11-2022
BBC 1
2021: 5. Dundee
Five acts take to the stage in front of a packed house of more than a hundred at the Victorian Jute Mill in the heart of Dundee.\n\nScottish stand-up comedian, Larry Dean is at ...
02-11-2021
BBC 1
2023: Episode 5
Five hopefuls will battle it out for a place in the BBC One Grand Final at Kings Theatre, Glasgow, where one will be crowned the BBC New Comedian of 2023.\n\nWe head to Nottingh ...
05-11-2023
BBC 1