Debi Allen becomes part of Curtis Brown

Comedy agent Debi Allen – whose clients include Stewart Lee, Sue Perkins and Dave Johns – has sold her company to agency giant Curtis Brown.

Allen has more than 20 years experience as an agent. She started in comedy working at the Gilded Balloon box office at the Edinburgh Fringe, and went on to work for agencies Billy Marsh Associates, Roger Hancock and RDF Management – before founding her own company, DAA Management, in 2009.

Following the sale of her company, she will now work for Curtis Brown, one of the oldest literary agencies in Europe which diversified into other talent and now turns over around £16million a year.

The size of the deal to acquire DAA – which also represents  Bradley Walsh, Liza Tarbuck, Kerry Howard, Kevin Eldon, the People Just Do Nothing team and Al Porter – has not been revealed.

Allen said: ‘I have long admired Curtis Brown as one of the leading multi-service agencies, they are forward thinking and lead with a very personal hands-on style. I am looking forward to collaborating with my new colleagues and continuing to grow my clients’ careers with their help and expertise.’

Jonny Geller, joint chief executive of Curtis Brown said: ‘Debi is the queen of comedy and represents some of the best talent in the business, so we were thrilled she chose to join Curtis Brown for the next stage of her journey. 

‘Her energy, experience and sense of humour will add immeasurably to the agency as a whole, and we look forward to welcoming her and her team, and especially her writers and performers, to CB.’

Allen’s co-agents Charlene McManus and Jess Molloy and their assistant Emily Harris will be moving to Curtis Brown too.

Earlier this year, Micky Flanagan’s agent Christian Knowles sold his company, CKP, to showbiz management giant ROAR Group.

Published: 25 May 2017