The winner of America’s Got Talent 2015 Paul Zerdin has announced a new UK tour for 2023.  The tour starts on Fri 1st Southend Palace Theatre and culminates with two shows at London’s Leicester Square Theatre on 10th & 11th November. 

“I am so excited to be back on the road later this year and I especially can’t wait to introduce you to my new characters which have really unsettled my existing dysfunctional sponge family, and it’s my most personal show yet”    PAUL ZERDIN   

The last few years have been extremely busy for Paul on both sides of the Atlantic since his 1-million-dollar America’s Got Talent win.  He had a headline residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip for 6 months in 2016. In 2017 and 2018 he appeared on spin-off shows ‘America’s Got Talent - The Champions’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent - The Champions’. Since then, Paul has toured the US and UK with his critically acclaimed shows ‘All Mouth’, ‘Puppet Party’ and ‘Hands Free’. The latter has been filmed for a TV release next year.  

He is currently starring in the West End’s biggest and best pantomime at the London Palladium – Jack & The Beanstalk which is his 28th panto season!  On Christmas Eve he is special guest on ‘The Lost Voice Guy’s Christmas Comedy Club’ on ITV1 at 10.40pm. 

Zerdin is arguably the UK’s number one ventriloquist and made his TV debut in 1993 as the host of GMTV’s ‘Rise and Shine’. He then went on to win ITV’s The Big Big Talent Show, hosted by Jonathan Ross. Since then, he has appeared on countless TV shows including The World Stands Up (Comedy Central), The Stand-Up Show BBC1, Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford (ITV1), Tonight at The London Palladium with Bruce Forsyth and Bradley Walsh (ITV1), Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show (BBC1) and three appearances at The Royal Variety Performance. Winning Series 10 of America’s Got Talent in September 2015, Zerdin and his sidekicks soon went viral on YouTube, receiving millions of views from around the world.  

Despite being worried due to lack of work, lockdown proved to be one of the most creative periods in his life during which he wrote his last tour show, his latest comedy special and created his own TV show for YouTube called ‘Sponge Weekly’! 

During this time, he also became single for the first time in years, which he found a big shock - no job, no partner and the future of live entertainment at that point looked very, very uncertain. However, he got through it with the help of his close friends including Nigel Havers and his lovely wife with nightly Zooms. He joined dating apps, from which he has multiple stories, even dating a famous actress. 

He loves travel and has been lucky enough to work all over the world; he even once went on a 30-hour trip to Argentina for a single 15-minute performance, making time for a steak before he came home!  Paul is totally obsessed with his job and even works on new ideas and jokes when he is on holiday! 

His hobbies include mono skiing and scuba diving!  Paul is a Gold Star Member of The Inner Magic Circle and lives with his sponge family and partner, Emma, in Surrey.   

The pair got together after reconnecting on Facebook after the second lockdown. At the time she was living abroad, however she came to see him in the UK where they spent quarantine together and then she never left…!  They had previously met 16 years ago when they both appeared in a show together. 

The dates are as follows: 

SEPTEMBER 

Fri 1st                            SOUTHEND – Palace Theatre  

Sat 2nd                         HIGH WYCOMBE – Town Hall 

Sun 3rd                         MILTON KEYNES – The Stables  

Fri 8th                            WORTHING – Pavilion  

Sat 9th                           TUNBRIDGE WELLS – Trinity Theatre 

Thurs 14th                     BRISTOL- Redgrave Theatre
Fri 15th                         BEDFORD – Quarry Theatre 

Sat 16th                         BURY ST EDMUNDS – Theatre Royal 

Wed 27th                       ISLE OF WIGHT – Shanklin Theatre 

Thurs 28th                     CHIPPING NORTON – Theatre 

Fri 29th                         MONMOUTH – Savoy Theatre 

OCTOBER        

Sun 1st                         SALFORD QUAYS – Lowry 

Thurs 5th                       BRIDGWATER – McMillan Theatre 

Fri 6th                            POOLE – Lighthouse 

Sat 7th                           LAUNCESTON – Town Hall 

Thurs 12th                     NORTHAMPTON – Royal & Derngate 

Fri 13th                         DISS – Corn Hall 

Sun 15th                        NORWICH – Playhouse 

Sun 22nd                       LYTHAM – Lowther Pavilion  

Thurs 26th                     HEREFORD - Courtyard 

Fri 27th                         WINCHESTER – Theatre Royal 

Sat 28th                         COLCHESTER – Mercury Theatre 

NOVEMBER 

Thur 2nd                        BRIDPORT – Electric Palace 

Fri 3rd                            MAIDSTONE – Hazlitt Theatre 

Sat 4th                           RADLETT – Centre  

Sun 5th                         SHREWSBURY – Theatre Severn 

Wed 8th                         LEICESTER – Curve (Studio) 

Thurs 9th                       SOLIHULL – Core Theatre 

Fri 10th & Sat 11th          LONDON – Leicester Square Theatre 

Picture: Steve Ullathorne