Channel 4 accolade to help stand-up break into TV

Eric Rushton has been named as the first winner of The Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award.

The award was designed to showcase talented new writers and performers who embodied the alternative comedic spirit of Sean and Channel 4.

Rushton said: ‘Watching Sean Lock was a huge part of my childhood, I’m such a huge fan and I can’t think of a better person to be associated with. 

‘I really want to thank Adam Jaremko from Glee clubs who put me forward and has always believed in me and also my mum for giving birth to me and raising me on comedy. I’m a bit overwhelmed with it all.’

Charlie Perkins, head of comedy at Channel 4 said: ‘It’s a great feeling when your spidey senses tell you someone is special in comedy and our panel all had that with Eric. There’s something properly idiosyncratic yet inclusive about his writing and performance and his potential across comedy at Channel 4 in all its brilliant guises is incredibly exciting. He’s the perfect inaugural winner of The Sean Lock Award."

Rushton will now be given help to kickstart his career in TV comedy, with £5,000 to support his live work as well as a script commission from Channel 4’s comedy team, support and mentoring including shadowing a writer on comedy entertainment shows and a £1,000 commission to write a script for Channel 4’s digital strand.

He was presented with his award by Lock's friend, Bill Bailey and they posed with a copy of The Tiger Who Came For A Pint, the spoof children’s book Lock brought on to 8 Out Of 10 Cats Do Countdown.

Bailey, who worked with Channel 4 to create the award, previously said: ‘It’s a way to honour Sean’s memory and to inspire others to pursue their own unique comic brilliance.’

Rushton was previously a Chortle Student finalist in 2016 and So You Think You're Funny? finalist the following year before taking the Leicester Mercury Comedian of The Year award  in 2020.

The other comics who made the final of the award were: Alex Bertulis-Fernandes, Mamoun Elagab, Kyrah Gray, Kuan-wen Huang, Christopher MacArthur-Boyd, Tadiwa Mahlunge, Mike Rice, Lorna Rose Treen, Anna Thomas and Lily Webb.

Published: 25 Jul 2023