Blue Peter man turns to comedy

Former Blue Peter presenter Stuart Miles is taking part in a competition for new comics at the Edinburgh festival.

He's one of the semi-finalists in So You Think You're Funny?, the Channel 4-backed talent hunt held at the Gilded Balloon.

Miles is trying his hand at comedy four years after resigning from the BBC's flagship children's programme soon after Richard Bacon was sacked for taking drugs - apparently after falling out with producers for wanting to make the show edgier.

Also among the 54 comic hopefuls through to the next round are Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt's personal press officer, Ayesha Hazarika, schoolboy Phil Brown and disabled comic Paul Betney.

There's also plenty of sibling interest - from identical twin double act Stephen and Paul Johnston to Jason O'Neill, brother of comic Owen. And brother could be pitched against brother as Andrew Stanley and sibling David are both through - Andrew as a solo performer, and David as a double act with Frenchman Nick Rouland.

One person who won't be in Edinburgh is Denis Demenis, who flew all the way from New York to take part in an unpaid heat - and didn't make it through.

Demenis - real name Denis Krasnov - told Chortle: "I think it was worth every penny, the audience was amazing, the vibe was fantastic. I'd do it again and millions of times after that.

"London is very different from New York and I've a lorry load of fresh material to bring back with me. So You Think You're Funny? is amazing - everyone who won it becomes big. There is no competition like that anywhere else."

The heats take place on August 3-5 and 10-13, with the final on August 21.

Published: 16 Jul 2003