Meet the UK Pun Championship finalists

Next month, eight comedians are to compete in the fifth annual UK Pun Championships at the Leicester Comedy Festival. Jason Byrne hosts the rap-battle style joke-off, which takes place in a boxing ring. The contestants seeking to dethrone 2016 winner Lovdev Barpaga were announced last month. But here’s a little more about them...

Tim Andrews, Leeds

Tim Andrews has been gigging for several years, and after spending a decade in a barbershop chorus, he has recently branched out into musical comedy, performing spoofs of popular songs, adapted to cover a range of subjects.

Sample pun: I entered the Blond Geek Championships at the weekend. I won fair and square.

Twitter: @TApunsunghero

Samantha Baines, London

As an actress Samantha Baines, pictured, has appeared in Netflix's The Crown, Silent Witness, Call the Midwife and Lee Nelson's Well Funny People. She is currently on tour with her latest show about the lost women of science.

Sample pun: I did comedy at a baking convention recently, instead of shouting out the audience just threw Eccles.

Twitter: @samanthabaines

El Baldiniho, Canterbury

Pun-slinging magician El Baldiniho is the alter ego of comedy sketch actor Jason Jared., who started his showbiz career running burlesque nights in Lancashire

Sample pun: There’s a sale on at the magic shop. It’s buy wand, get wand free.

Twitter: @magicbaldy

Adele Cliff, London 

Adele has been performing stand up, specialising in one-liners, since 2014. She was among Dave’s Funniest Jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe in both 2016 and 2017 and is currently developing her debut hour for 2018. 

Sample pun: Why is Henry's wife covered in tooth marks? Because he's Tudor.

Twitter: @Adelecliff

Julian Lee, Newcastle

Julian Lee is a one-liner comic from Newcastle who came to comedy in his 40s and reached the heats of the BBC New Comedy Awards 2015.  He was a runner-up at the UK Pun Championships last year.

Sample pun: There's a whole Native American tribe who gave up smoking. They used Nicotine Apaches.

Twitter: @JulianLeeComedy

Colin Leggo, Cornwall

Born and raised in Cornwall, Colin Leggo is a stand-up comedian and YouTuber whose Grand Theft Cornwall video has attracted 400,000 views on the platform. He made it to the final eight of the UK Pun Championships last year and was nominated as Best Debut Show at the 2015 Leicester Comedy Festival 2015.

Sample pun: Putting kind things into your socks. That's no mean feet.

Twitter: @colinleggo

Iain MacDonald, Glasgow

An experienced one-liner comic from Glasgow who has participated in the last five Glasgow Comedy Festivals and has twice made the finals of the Scottish Comedian of the Year.:

Sample pun: Our teacher once asked us if anyone knew what the Latin word for 'year' was. I said "anno".

Twitter: @Macca0507

Robert Thomas, London

Rob has been performing comedy since 2010. Three years later, he was a finalist in the Up The Creek One To Watch competition.  He was placed 2nd runner-up in the UK Pun Championships in 2015 and the Leicester Square Theatre Old Comedian of the Year competition in 2017. 

Sample pun: Never leave sulphuric acid in a metal beaker. That's an oxidant waiting to happen.

Twitter: @roblavs:

The UK Pun Championships will take place at De Montfort Hall on February 12

Published: 23 Jan 2018