Omar Badawy is the Winner of this So You Think You’re Funny? competition, Gilded Balloon’s celebrated search for the next generation of cutting edge comedians, which this year celebrates its 33rd year.
Following an exciting series of heats and semi-finals, Badawy has been crowned the winner of this year’s competition with Rae Brogan as first runner-up and Andy Watts as second runner-up.
With almost 450 applicants, around 30 regional heats that took place across the country and were streamed live on zoom in partnership with some of the UK’s highest profile comedy venues, and semi-finals streamed live in association with Next Up Comedy, this year’s competition has been one of the hardest fought in such exceptional conditions. For the first time in the competition’s history only the Grand Final was held in front of a live audience (as well as being available to watch live on Next Up Comedy).
The So You Think You’re Funny? Grand Final was hosted by Mark Watson – who was himself a finalist in 2002 – in front of a sold out live audience in The Wine Bar at Gilded Balloon’s iconic Teviot building. The competition was presided over by a panel of judges from across the Comedy industry. They were –
Artistic Directors of the Gilded Balloon, Karen & Katy Koren, Comedian Maisie Adam, Beyond the Joke’s Bruce Dessau, and Paul Willers from Just For Laughs.
Katy and Karen and the rest of the So You Think You’re Funny? team would also like to congratulate the rest of this year’s Finalists – Farhan Solo, Lottie Field, Kathleen Hughes, Nate Kitch, Caroline Maddison, Kathy Maniura and Phil Marzouk.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors at Gilded Balloon said: “It has been on the hardest 18 months in the history of So You Think You’re Funny? and it’s been amazing to have been able to bring new comedy to the live stage again. We searched through lockdown and came up with 10 very worthy finalists who all have a future career in comedy. It was very difficult to choose - however thanks to our panel of judges we have chosen our worthy first second and third.
Omar Badawy will win a cash prize of £1000, a run as part of Gilded Balloon’s 2022 Fringe programme, a complementary professional headshot photoshoot by Steve Ullathorne, complementary filmed copy and professional photographs of the winner’s spot from the Grand Final to use in their showreel alongside mentorship and support from Karen Koren and the So You Think You’re Funny? team.
Picture: Steve Ullathorne
