When you go to a lot of comedy competitions you start to see the same faces popping up in the finals. I spotted the very talented Bilal Zafar about a year ago and earlier this year he won the New Act of the Year competition, which is the most prestigious of the umpteen newbie competitions you can enter. The East London stand-up has made his name with a brilliantly honed routine about a Twitter spat over what was thought to be a Muslim-only cake shop. We won’t give the routine away, but needless to say it is sharply observed, pertinent and has an inspired pay-off. Zafar is doing his first full show in Edinburgh this summer and it is called Cakes, so presumably the routine will feature there. It will be fascinating to see how he constructs a whole show now. With satirical routines about Christian shoe shops and Jewish bicycle repair services? Zafar could go far.

Bilal Zafar is at Just The Tonic at the Mash House from August 4 - 28, tickets here.