Jack Gleadow takes title

Former magician Jack Gleadow has won the New Comedian Of the Year title at the Great Yorkshire Fringe.

His victory in York comes just two weeks before he also competes in the finals of the Chortle Student Comedy Award and the Amused Moose new comedy award at the Edinburgh Fringe.

He said: ‘It was as great night - everyone on the bill was good. The £750 prize will get me to Edinburgh for the Fringe next week, so it couldn’t have come at a better time! 

‘These kind of contests are really hard to do - you only get five minutes and that’s how long it normally takes you to warm up an audience. You just have to treat it as a normal gig, stick to your material. I used some props and audience  interaction, a real mixture; I’m a jack of all trades: you could call me a one-man variety show."

Gleadow’s first gig was above a pub in Hull owned by an ex member of The Beautiful South. ‘I had a fun gig and instantly got the bug but I didn’t quite have the perfect 10 yet,’ he said. ‘‘I did magic till I was10 then switched to comedy five years ago. I definitely want a career in comedy, either acting, presenting anything in the creative arts.’

Gleadow previously won International Young Magician in 2013, Hilarity Bites New Comedian Of The Year in 2014 and Hull Comedian Of The Year in 2016.

The other finalists in the Yorkshire event were Tom King, Kelli Taylor; Mike Carter, Edy Hurst, Anth Young, and James Harkness performing as Dougie.

Here he is in action:

Published: 1 Aug 2017