As viewing figures slip again

Rudi Lickwood has become the latest comedian to be voted off ITV’s Show Me The Funny.

The remaining contestants were seen performing in front of a group of doctors and nurses from Watford General Hospital in last night’s show.

However, the show attracted a new low in its audience figures, with a poor 1.86million viewers tuning in at 9pm, down from 2million lat week. The slot normally averages 4.4million viewers for ITV1.

As he exited, 47-year-old Lickwood admitted: ‘There’s a lot for me to feel disappointed about because it was quite clear that I hadn’t stormed the gig. But it is what it is, no gig is ever perfect.’

Judges were unanimous in voting for Rudi, even thought he was the most experienced comic taking part in the competition.

Alan Davies said: ‘I think Rudi made a mess of the gig tonight, I couldn’t work out really where he was coming from.’

Kate Copstick said it was the former Eddie Murphy’s ‘ego’ that got in the way, while guest panelist Jo Brand said he did ‘some very harsh lines’ without showing humility or vulnerability behind them and ‘too much faffing about with the audience’.

Stuart Goldsmith and ‘too needy’ Ellie Taylor were alos criticized by judges, while policeman Alfie Moore and Tiffany Stevenson were praised.

Brand said of Stevenson: ‘I thought she was spot-on; she had fantastically sharp lines, she was very warm on stage – they loved her.’

Copstick, who has said that she previously thought Stevenson was as interesting as watching paint dry, said she saw something new in that performance.

‘If I was capable of admitting that I might be wrong, this would be a time when I might admit I might have been wrong. But instead of that, I’ll say that she shone tonight, she was fantastic.’

Also still in the show are Dan Mitchell and Patrick Monahan, who came in for some criticism about his ‘uncomfortable’ touchy-feeling audience interaction and over-running.

Published: 9 Aug 2011