The 10th annual Bath Comedy Festival New Act Competition saw 10 finalists battle it out in a packed room at Widcombe Social Club. The winner Pete Latham receives £250, a guaranteed paid gig at next year’s Festival and the inaugural Lovehoney Newcomer Award.

Runners up were Carl Carzana in second place, and in joint third, Thanyia Moore And Klaus White. The winner and runners up were each given a goody bag from Lovehoney.

Judges were Graham Smith (former commissioning editor for comedy & entertainment at both Channel 4 and Channel 5), Alan Nixon (first controller of comedy and entertainment at Channel 5, previously Comedy producer at BBC & LWT, and recently Executive Producer at Sky), Jill Edwards (renowned comedy coach and founder of the Comic Boom night at Komedia Brighton) and Festival Director Nick Steel.

Nick Steel said “We are hugely grateful to our wonderful sponsors Lovehoney who are in no small part helping the Festival come of age.” He likened the new award to the famous Edinburgh accolade, saying “This is our ‘Perrier moment’”

Picture by Lloyd Ellington: L-R Richard Longhurst (Co-founder, Lovehoney), Nick Steel (Director, Bath Comedy Festival), Geoff Whiting (Mirth Control), Carl Carzana, Pete Latham, Klaus White, Thanyia Moore, Leslie Redwood (Visit Bath).