Comic triumphs in the guise of

Joe Kent-Walters has been named the winner of this year’s BBC New Comedy Award.

The comic – who previously won the Chortle Student Comedy Award in 2021 – wowed the judges at the final at the Kings Theatre in Glasgow, broadcast on BBC One tonight, in the guise of demonic working men's club comedian Frankie Monroe.

Speaking about how he felt after his victory, Kent-Walters said: ‘Absolutely surreal! It's still not set in properly yet but I'm on cloud nine.

‘Having to keep it a secret for the week before broadcast was funny, [it] felt like Bake Off.’

The final – which also featured Paddy Young, Dean T. Beirne, Hester Ectomy (aka Kit Rees), Chantel Nash and Jin Hao Li - actually took place on Monday last week, when judges Josh Pugh, Zoe Lyons and Darren Harriott declared him winner.

A spokesman for producers Phil McIntyre Scotland said Kent-Walters won the panel over with his ‘utterly surreal character'. adding: ‘All three judges agreed, they would love to see more of Frankie and his club in Rotherham that’s also a portal to Hell!’

In Chortle’s review of the final, Jay Richardson said Kent-Walters’ alter-ego was ‘born from an ungodly union of Phoenix Nights and The League of Gentlemen’.

The comedian said of his creation: ‘Going to my local working men’s club growing up, you meet a lot of Frankie Monroe’s – ghoulish old men who love to get one up on you.

‘It's a great energy to bring to the stage and I love that you can simultaneously scare and delight audiences, really fun dynamic.’

Asked what advice he would give to anyone thinking about applying to next year’s awards, he added: ‘Absolutely just do it! What have you got to lose? If you do get through to the live heats, just have loads of fun. They are really class gigs to do!’

More than 1,000 aspiring comedians entered this year’s competition before being whittled down to tonight’s final six.

Published: 15 Nov 2023