Louise Atkinson has won Leicester Comedy Festival’s Comedian of the Year 2025 award.
Louise, originally from Hull, performs regularly at the UK's top comedy clubs and has supported acts such as Sarah Keyworth and Esther Manito on tour. Louise's debut show, Mates, was a success at the Edinburgh Fringe.
On winning the title of Leicester Comedian of the Year, Atkinson said: “Leicester means a lot to me, as I went to university here it’s a nice full-circle moment. What they have done with the festival over the years is amazing. I’m still processing the win, and a plaque sounds very formal, so maybe they should just write my name in pencil so they can rub it out at some point! I’m going to process my win in a bit, after a muffin. What’s next for me is a roast dinner tomorrow and the rugby. Comedy-wise—who knows!”.
Andy Fox was named runner-up.
Other comedians taking part included Ant Dewson, Archit Goenka, Hannah Lawrence, June Tuesday & Lucas Jefcoate.
The final, hosted by Thanyia Moore also included a headline set from 2024 winner Eva Bindeman.
The event took place on 22 February at The Y Theatre as part of the closing weekend of the annual Leicester Comedy Festival.
The competing comedians were nominated for the final by promoters, with the contest already renowned for championing comedy stars of the future, with Romesh Ranganathan, Josh Widdicombe, Jason Manford, Seann Walsh, Nina Gilligan, Rhod Gilbert and Johnny Vegas amongst the previous winners.
This year’s judging panel included Lee Martin (Gag Reflex), Charlotte Lang (The Cabaret Tent, Glastonbury Festival), Taylor McLeod (UTC Artists Management), Kitty Singleton (Off The Kerb) & Altaf Sarwar (LuvEntertainment).
Charlotte Laidet, festivals and programme director at Big Difference, said, "After more than 30 years, the Leicester Comedian of the Year competition once again showcased an incredible wave of new comedic talent. Supporting emerging performers is a key priority for our festival, and we take great pride in this initiative. A huge congratulations to Louise Atkinson for winning this year’s title, and well done to everyone who participated—I have no doubt we’ll be seeing much more of them on the circuit for years to come."
Picture: Dan Flanders/Crosscut Media
