Jack Gleadow has won the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2018 award, following in the footsteps of previous winners Romesh Ranganathan, Josh Widdicombe, Rhod Gilbert, Jason Manford and Johnny Vegas.

Gleadow, 23,  adds the award to a burgeoning trophy cabinet. He was runner-up in last year’s Chortle Student Comedy Award and winner of Amused Moose National New Comic

Tonight he triumphed over Bridlington’s Rosie Jones, 27, who was placed second and 31-year-old Romanian Radu Issac, third.

A spokesman for the competition said: ‘Jack bowled over the judges with his quirky set; a delightful blend of audience participation, wordplay and physical comedy.’

A total of eight of the best up and coming acts, each selected by comedy promoters from across the UK, performed their best seven minutes for judges at Leicester’s Y Theatre.

The other finalists were Manchester’s Simon Lomas, 26;  former Eastbourne ice cream seller Martin Wratten 34; Hampshire’s Helen Bauer, 26; Dublin’s Catherine Bohart, 29; and Londoner Patrick Spicer, 27.

The event took place as the Leicester Comedy Festival ends on Sunday, having presented 836 events across 69 venues, performed by 613 comedians and performers; an increase of 8.5 per cent on 2017.