Shalaka Kurup  has been crowned the winner of the West End New Act of the Year comedy competition. 

The Indian comic, who was last month also in the finals of the Komedia New Comedy Award in Brighton and the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year, took her title at the Albany pub in Central London

She was picked by judges, with runner-up Blank Peng and third placed Tim Biglowe being chosen by audience vote.

The other finalist were  Archit Goenka,  Serena Smart, Abigail Adams , Eni Oshowo, Luke Nixon, Shalaka Karrup, Louie McLean, Saleha Massud, Su Mi, Kate Lois-Elliott, Nick Kirk as Dave Steed, Fire Inspector, Dave Wilder and Dora Flowers

The competition was set up in 2021 to help boost the profiles of new acts who had found their career development hampered by the pandemic.

It also named six comics who didn’t make the final as ‘ones to watch’: Laura Walsh, Verity Sharpe, Tom Ratcliffe, Mac Larry,  Ally O'Leary  and Vicky Richards.

More 200 acts applied to take part. The three winners receive £150, £75 and £50 respectively.

Full review of the final to follow.