Alana Jackson wins So You Think You're Funny?

Glaswegian comedian triumphs over 596 other hopefuls

Glaswegian comic Alana Jackson has tonight been named the winner of So You Think You're Funny? 2024.

She wins a £2,500 cash prize as well as mentorship – including a place on Soho Theatre's Comedy Plus Lab – among other prizes to help boost her career.

Ciara O’Connor and Ayo Adenekan came second and third respectively at the 36-year-old new comedy competition, run by Edinburgh’s Gilded Balloon venue.

The other finalists were Alex Gogarty, Bert Broadbent, Fab Goualin, Kate Sharp, Laurie Brewster, Paras Patel and Sophia Wren.

Katy and Karen Koren, Gilded Balloon’s artistic directors, said in a statement: ‘Huge congratulations to Alana Jackson, this year’s very deserving winner of So You Think You’re Funny?

‘2024’s competition was one of our biggest and most competitive ever, with an outstanding 597 applicants this year so it’s an incredible feat for these ten finalists to have made it this far and performed in front of tonight’s sold-out crowd.

‘We’d like to say a huge thank you to every comic who entered the competition this year - it was such a talented crop of comedians and we’re sure this year’s finalists will go on to do big things!’

Celebrity guest judge Sue Perkins said, ‘This was a very tough decision. I was a small part of the judging process and there were so many talented people for us to choose from. Well done to everyone who put themselves out there tonight. It’s terrifying and they were brilliant!’

The other judges were Melbourne International Comedy Festival director Susan Provan, So You Think You're Funny? producer Julia Chamberlain and journalists Arusa Qureshi and Bruce Dessau, as wells the Korens.

Previous So You Think You’re Funny? winners have included Peter Kay, Aisling Bea, Ivo Graham, Dylan Moran, Tom Allen, Lee Mack and Tommy Tiernan.

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Published: 22 Aug 2024