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The Chortle Student Comedian Of The Year award 2023, hosted by Mark Watson, comes to the Â鶹ԼÅÄ for the first time.

Recorded at London comedy venue, Up The Creek.

The award has long been a fixture of the comedy calendar, taking place at the Edinburgh Fringe for the past decade and putting some of the country’s best-loved funny people on the first rung of their ladder to stardom.

Having fought their way through regional heats, this hand-picked crop of the UK’s most promising undergraduate comedians take to the stage in London to do battle. Hannah Yarwood, Alex Knipe, Ivo Pope, Josh Adkins, Muhsin Yesilada, Daniel Petrie, Emmerson Young, Katie Carrig, Riki Msindo and Michael McKensie will each have a short set to show what they can do, with one outstanding performer being crowned 2023’s top student comedian.

But for every competitor, there is also the opportunity to come to the attention of the comedy industry and take a first step towards stardom.

The young hopefuls are hosted by Mark Watson, the long-time compere of the competition and a Radio 4 favourite for many years. He returns to the stage where two series of Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life were recorded. Tonight’s contestants will aim to follow in his footsteps. But to make an impression in the time available, they’ll have to talk even faster than he does…

Made for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4 Extra by Impatient Productions.