Talent hunt starts this autumn

Radio 2 is to launch a new competition to crown the new stand-up of the year.

The contest will be held this autumn as the station looks to expand its comedy programming as part of the BBC’s drive to be more distinctive.

Details of the competition are currently scarce, but the station says it will ‘scour the country’ in an attempt to unearth new talent.

Meanwhile, the station is about to move its Comedy Hour for the second time in a year. The strand, which traditionally aired on Saturday lunchtimes, shifted to Thursday nights last year.

However, from April 3 it will move to 10pm on Saturdays, with programmes including a new stand-up series from Jason Byrne and a five-part comedy panel show, Never Write Off The Germans, to coincide with this summer's World Cup.

The station also plans another series of Comedy Greats profiles to go in its documentary slot, at 10pm early in the week. Bob Monkhouse, Tommy Cooper and Dave Allen are among those to be featured.

Radio 2 controller Bob Shennan said the programmes showed a ‘commitment to comedy’.

Published: 11 Mar 2010