Category: BBC 7; Radio; New Talent
Date: 13.12.2005
Printable version
Last night at The Comedy Store in London, in front of a prestigious panel of guests, 22-year-old newcomer Tom Allen, who has only been performing stand-up for a year or so, was crowned BBC New Talent Stand Up Comedian of 2005.
Six budding comedians made it through to last night's final, which will be broadcast by BBC 7 on Friday 6 January at 11.00pm.
An initial 400 audition tapes were sent in and the best 150 were then put through their paces in regional heats in Birmingham, Leicester, Cardiff, Manchester, Sheffield, London, Belfast, Bristol and Glasgow.
The BBC New Comedy Awards have been a launching pad for many established acts, and Tom Allen joins a list of alumni that includes Julian Barratt, Marcus Brigstocke, Dan Antopolski, Nina Conti and Rhod Gilbert.
Tom Allen, who trained as an actor with the National Youth Theatre, will also receive a £2,000 cheque, and all six finalists will win the chance to write for a Radio Comedy show.
Tom Allen said: "It's been a really wonderful experience; I've met some genuinely brilliant people and it's fantastic to do something with the BBC. My mother is beside herself."
The BBC New Comedy Award is one of the most prestigious new act competitions in the UK.
Following the regional heats, the best 36 acts progressed to the semi-finals, recorded in London, Manchester and Newcastle and broadcast on BBC 7 in November and December.
The winner of each semi-final earned a place in the final in front of a panel of judges including BBC Head of Comedy Jon Plowman; Caroline Raphael, BBC Radio 4 Commissioning Editor for Comedy; Paul Schlesinger, Head of BBC Radio Entertainment; comedian Mark Steel; and Don Ward, owner of The Comedy Store.
Judge Paul Schlesinger said of Tom Allen: "The finalists were all very different and all very good in their own way. All were original acts but Tom in particular showed enormous wit and storytelling ability."
Host for the evening, Dara O'Briain, added: "They were all performing at a depressingly high level. Some of them will be taking gigs off me in the future, no doubt about it."
The runners-up were Edward Aczel and Sarah Millican, who each receive a cheque for £500.
The other finalists were Aaron Counter, Luke Roberts and James Branch.
The final of the BBC New Comedy Awards can be heard on BBC 7 on Friday 6 January at 11.00pm.
Notes to Editors
For more information and interview requests:
Radio 4 and BBC 7 Publicity.
If you have password access, pictures for the event can be obtained via the BBC Picture Publicity website.
EH/AP
