C4 drops contest sponsorship

Channel 4 have dropped their sponsorship of the So You Think You’re Funny? competition for new comics.

The contest has been running since 1988, with the list of previous winners including the likes of Peter Kay, Tommy Tiernan and Dylan Moran – all of whom landed Channel 4 sitcoms after their triumphs.

But this year, the channel has decided they no longer want to be associated with the event, held at the Gilded Balloon during the Edinburgh Fringe.

Luckily for organisers, Channel 5 and the Paramount Comedy Channel have swooped in to take over the sponsorship deal.

The two stations recently signed a pact to develop more programmes together, as Five is keen to establish itself as a home of comedy, hence its expensive deal to buy Friends spin-off Joey.

Entries have now opened for this year’s event, for which the top prize is £2,000 and an appearance at Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival.

A total of 21 regional showcases, starting in London on May 23, will decide those going on to the semi-finals in Edinburgh.

Entrants must have eight minutes of original material, and must not have been performing stand-up regularly, either paid or unpaid, before September 2004.

Published: 8 Apr 2005