Category: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 7; Radio; New Talent
Date: 18.11.2005
Printable version
Six budding comedians have made it to this year's Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ New Comedy Awards final, to be held at The Comedy Store in London on Monday 12 December.
Μύ
These awards are supported by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ New Talent and have been a launching pad for many established acts.
Μύ
Previous finalists include Simon Pegg, Julian Barratt, Daniel Kitson, Lee Mack, Chris Addison, Marcus Brigstocke and Nina Conti.
Μύ
The awards will be broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 7 on Friday 1 January at 11.00pm.
Μύ
This year's finalists are Aaron Counter, Sarah Millican, Luke Roberts, James Branch, Tom Allen and Edward Aczel.
Μύ
The winner will receive a Β£2000 cheque with two runners-up receiving cheques for Β£500. All six finalists will also be given the chance to develop work for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Entertainment.
Μύ
Australian Aaron Counter, 25, is an accountant working in London. He has been gigging for a couple of years and has cancelled his Christmas flight back to Australia in order to take part in the final!
Μύ
Thirty-year-old Sarah Millican, from South Shields in Tyne and Wear, started doing stand-up after she got divorced. She was a finalist in the Funny Women award and, earlier this year, won the Amused Moose comedy competition.
Μύ
Luke Roberts is just 20 and studying English at Churchill College, Cambridge. He's been performing for about a year and is our youngest finalist.
Μύ
James Branch, 35, is a film trails editor who started gigging earlier this year. He previously did voiceovers for cartoon DVDs.
Μύ
Tom Allen, 22, was previously an actor with the National Youth Theatre. Earlier this year, he won five's So You Think You're Funny? Award at the Edinburgh Festival.
Μύ
Edward Aczel is, at 38, our oldest finalist. He has only been performing stand-up for ten months. By day, Edward is a project manager for a marketing agency in Buckinghamshire.
Μύ
The judges for the final on Monday 12 December include Jon Plowman, Head of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Comedy; Caroline Raphael, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Commissioning Editor for Comedy; Paul Schlesinger, Head of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Entertainment; and Don Ward, owner of The Comedy Store in London.
Μύ
The final will be compered by Dara O'Briain.
Μύ
Last year's winner, Andrew Lawrence, has since made two one-hour specials for Oneclick on Radio 1 and is continuing to perform at live gigs around the UK.
Μύ
Runner-up James Sherwood has been writing for The Unofficial Election Show on Radio 4 and, along with fellow runner-up Danielle Ward, has been writing and performing in The Milk Run on Radio 1.
Μύ
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ New Comedy Awards 2005 - Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ 7, Friday 1 January at 11.00pm.
Μύ
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ New Talent is the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's ongoing campaign to discover and nurture raw talent.
Details of all schemes can be found at bbc.co.uk/newtalent.
Μύ
