Comedy of the Week - The Edinburgh Comedy Awards Gala 2025

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

Comedy fans can catch the nominees for The Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2025 in this showcase for BBC Radio 4.Guaranteed to be packed with laughs, this special will be hosted by last year’s Best Comedy Show winner, Amy Gledhill.The prestigious awards is celebrating its 45th year and is recognising a Best Newcomer and a Best Show. In this gala, hosted by 2024 Best Show winner Amy Gledhill, we'll hear from all the nominees to give listeners around the UK the chance to hear the cream of this year’s Edinburgh crop. The gala was recorded at the Gilded Balloon, one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s iconic comedy venues.Nominated for Best Show are: Ian Smith, Katie Norris, Ed Night, Sam Jay, John Tothill, Sam Nicoresti, Creepy Boys and Dan TiernanNominated for Best Newcomer are: Molly McGuinness, Toussaint Douglass, Ada & Bron, Elouise Eftos, Ayoade Bamgboye, Kate Owens and Roger O'Sullivan.Host: Amy Gledhill Producer: Georgia Keating Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow Edited by Giles Aspen Recorded by Sean KerwinRecorded at The Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. It's that time of year again where for one month and one month only, the historic streets of Edinburgh are overtaken with brightly coloured flyers and ambitiously arranged a cappella groups. And thousands of comedians call things like Joe or Joe. It really is a magical month for comedy lovers, and we've gathered the best and brightest for your delight. Please put your hands together for the Edinburgh.

Thank you for Comedy Awards Gala 2025. I'm Amy Gledhill and we are very excited to be recording this awards gala for BBC Radio 4, The Home of Audio Comedy. This is your front row seat to the best and hottest comedians of the year as chosen by a panel of both industry experts and comedy punters. And trust me, they know what they're talking about. they really do pick some unmissable shows by incredible comedians like Steve Coogan, Rose Mattafeo, Tim Key, Sarah Milliken, Aheeshire, Bridget Christie, Frank Skinner, and me.

Yes, that's right, me. Amy Gledhill, winner of Best Show 2024 with Make Me Look Fit on the poster. Hold for applause. Thanks so much. This year, the Edinburgh Comedy Awards are co-sponsed by Nika Burns Donald Taffner of DLT Entertainment

and the Victoria Wood Foundation. It's also the award's 45th birthday, 45 years old. That's nearly half a century of helping to launch comedian's careers and making it easier for the producers of Taskmaster to pick their line-ups. Cheeky, cheeky. So today on Radio 4,

we're bringing you a little taste of this year's nominees. This is honestly so hot off the press, guys. The nominees were only announced yesterday, afternoon and this show is going out tonight. Can you believe it? We've not even given the acts any time to get over their celebration hangovers. Right, it's time to showcase the nominees for Best Show, which for 2025 is co-sponsored by Nika Burns and DLT Entertainment. Let's be honest, this is the biggest prize in comedy. It's our version of the Oscars, but in our ceremony, there's absolutely no chance Meryl Streep can win. Do you know, I'd be a few

if she could do comedy as well. Save something for us, Meryl, please. Nominated for their show, Futspar, Half Empty, please welcome Ian Smith. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much.

My name's Ian Smith. I come from the north of England. Any other northerners in? Yeah, a couple, okay. I come from a town called Goul. It's a weird little town. I give my favourite example of what Gould is like. So I went back there recently.

I saw a man on a mobility scooter just driving around a kid threw a egg at him then the man stood up off the mobility scooter he ran after the kid and he punched that kid in the face and that made me proud to come from Goal

one of the few towns where you get to see Benefit Fraud live I saw a man in Goal he's very confident he's walking down the street and he's wearing three bum bags. Three full bum bags. I can't imagine being in a situation

where I filled one bum bag and I'm not looking down at the rest of my stuff thinking this is clearly a rucksack situation. Not this man is filling up bum bags till he's finished. Moving out, 60 bum bags just wrapped around him. Full of weird people

gole. And it's hard being a norther living in London. That's my situation. I'm a northerner. I live in London. And when London is here a northern accent, they just assume that you're thick rather than getting to know you and finding it out that way, which is more polite.

Like, I was out with three friends of mine, and these are all quite sort of middle-class, privately-educated guys, and one of them brought their new girlfriends along. She's also sort of stereotypally, or middle-class, privately educated. And this girl, she did something that I think is unacceptable.

So she's talking, but after certain words, she turns to me, and only me, just to check in and see if I'm. know what that word means. You can't do that. At one point she said, oh, I'm training to be a physiotherapist at the minute, and then she looked over and went,

oh, Ian, pop your crayons down. For a second. Do you know what a physiotherapist is? I'm looking around like, why is this happening to only me? And why have none of my mate stepped in and gone, don't do that. Abigail, that's quite offensive.

They're looking at me like they've been wondering this, the whole relationship. They're like, ask him more stuff, he's thick, this one, look at him. Look how many bum bags he's wearing. That's weird. I bet he's got a pet kestrel. His dad won't let him do ballet.

I bet you. Two different films. But I got my own back on her, starting doing it back to her with very simplistic working class words. So at one point I said, might just nip to the bar and get some crisps if anyone.

Oh, Abigail, are you aware of crisps? How best to describe them to someone like you? They're like a little individual Dauphinroix that have been overcooked. I did the Dauphinoi joke in my hometown of Gould. 150 people from Goul, Dauphinwa, silence. And that was very awkward because considering what I'd got annoyed about,

I then had to turn to 150 Norveners and go, Do you know what Dauphinor is? Become the villain in my own story. I'm going to leave now. And not many comedians would end their set as bluntly as that. I'm going to go, enjoy the rest of your show. Very nice to see you. I'm going to see you.

I'm going to see you later. It's Smith, everybody. Nominated for their show, your old mucker. Please welcome Ed Knight. Yeah. Give it up for Amy, everybody. Hell yeah. Yeah, you guys having a good fringe?

Yeah. That's, yeah, hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Good to be here. Yeah, thank you. No, thank you. Yeah, no, it's good to be here. I'm, you know, I'm bust, my head's busted. I'm mentally ill.

I got OCD, you know about that? It's when you sort of tidy up too much because you think it'll make your dad come back. No, don't cover your mouth with your hands. Let those chuckles free. That's why we're here. That was just a joke. That was a joke.

I'm sorry about that. That was a joke. My dad was around when I was a kid. I just only got to see him on weekends. My parents weren't separated. I was just, you know, busy. Thank you. Thank you very much.

My name's Ed. I've also got body dysmorphia, which is when you're like fit, but humble about it. And, yeah. Yes, it's difficult to be, you know, mentally ill because it's my amygdala. That's what they're telling me.

You know about the amygdala? Well, you know the hippocampus. Turn, turn left at the hippocampus. Can't miss the amygdala. And it's the bit of your brain that does complex emotions, right? And they scan loads of people like me, and the amygdala's overdeveloped, and everybody's massive, and they think that's why, you know. And it's very interesting to me because it's that it's that,

because it's the, you think it would be good that it's a bit big because it does emotions, but it's a catastrophe if it's huge. It's like, you know, when you hear about those people who's tits are so big that they have a bad back. and that's what's going on up in my brain I'm artful I'm soulful I'm depressive and doleful

I'm like a I'm a zillennial Sylvia Plath I'm going to stick my head in an air friar get it done in half the time I don't know what I'm doing it do you know what they call it Dubai chocolate because you have Dubai it from the shop

don't like that gag? Laugh anyway. We salute the rank, not the man. They love it over in that quadrant. I'm dying up here. I'm dying up here. No, it is good.

Round applause for the NHS. Yeah, no, that's me. Thanks, bye. Thank you. Echo! for their show, We the People. Please welcome Sam J. Thank you guys for having me.

I'm from America, so I've been just spending my time here trying to figure out Scotland. It's a confusing place. As nothing works the way it works, like the soap, don't get it soapy here. Y'all don't believe in ice. That's crazy. It's crazy when I first got here

I went to a pub and I asked for a gingerill and the guy just put a hot gingerail down and he was trying to walk away and I was like hey hey bro could I get some ice and he looked at me a little confused and then he went in the back and he brought out a hotel bucket size of ice and he put two cubes in there and he stepped back like he did work

and I was like I need a little more ice than this and then he looked at me as if I was taking the supply of ice from the whole restaurant and it got me to thinking like in America are we using too much Are we like taking the ice from the rest of the world? Because I had a button and ice hit the ground where I'm from. We got floor ice.

We kick it. Move that ice. I ordered some chicken wings at this same place because it was the only thing I could recognize on the menu. And then they brought them out and they were small. But then I realized that's probably the size of real chickens. I noticed the white people here are real confident too. It's like a different level of confidence.

I'm from America. Our whites aren't that confident. It's like the white people here are confident. And I think it's because the U.K. is the well from which all whiteness springs, you know. It's where it started. Y'all just got a different strut to you. I also think it's because you colonized, you know. I think that's major.

You did colonization. That's huge. That takes confidence. It takes confidence to colonize a place. Like, the United States did shadow slavery. That's like, you know, a sucker move. Colonization, you gotta go to the place. You gotta go like, what's up, India?

Put your dukes up. Then you battle it out with India. Then you win. And you go, guess what, India from now won? You're gonna put my face on all the money. I'm gonna put my flag up everywhere. I go everywhere. Whenever I come back here, you're going to roll out the red carpet from me. You got that? And then you go, I'm going home. And then the Indians go, could we come with you? And you go, no. You stay in India. You never go where I go. Even your cops are confident. Like, they just got sticks.

Imagine the confidence It takes to think you can control society with a stick Our cops got sticks Guns, tasers, and tanks And they still can't catch a dude in Timberlands You know I'm marveled by this place By

Thank you. Okay, nominated for their show, Go West Old Mid, please welcome to the stage, Katie Norris! I'm here! Oh, thank you so much everybody. I think congratulations are in order. Hello, if we could all raise a glass. a glass, if you have one just imaginary

one's fine. Do Al Pacino on becoming a father at 83. Robert De Niro 79, Clint Eastwood, 81, the power of the male seed. It's amazing, isn't it? So inspiring. It's like these men are suddenly ready to become dads. But they'd

rather be dead longer than they have to do it. And for centuries, women have died these horrendous deaths in childbirth, haven't they? And now men are as well. Edinburgh, do you reckon when old sperm enters the womb? It's like, Now, why did I come in here? Is this the post office?

I'm not sure I'm ready to have children yet, by the way, just letting the men know that now. Sorry to disappoint. It's better to be up front, isn't it? Sorry, that mum was looking at my ovaries. But I know I look like I could push out triplets with three puffs on my vape, but I'm not there yet. And I'm focusing on my career right now

as a godmother. Do we have any godparents in? Lovely stuff. I take my role as godmother very seriously. My first godson, Jasper, was actually conceived in my spare room during the first lockdown. And you don't just lie back and become a godmother. You don't just spread your legs and become a godmother. You're chosen.

Now, guys, if you haven't seen me before, I'm now going to sing, and I should probably warn you that I am quite good. Now Edinburgh, why would anybody want to become a godmother? Well, I'll tell you, darlings, it's the power, it's the prestige. Now, we've all heard about the maternal hierarchy, haven't you, darlings? Of course, you have mother biological, and then of course you have stepmother, tragically misunderstood. And then of course you have me, the godmother, the prima mamma! Now the godmother is a rare and special breed, charisma and credentials of what godmother's need.

Elected, selected, anointed by the earth worth a thousand times more than what a godfather is worth. Now boys, come with me to the bottom of the garden, let's go see the toads. Each of them used to be my boyfriend. What is one of those? A suitor, a sweetheart, a fellow or a fellow. Just make sure they're not a DJ of the techno. What's a DJ? A boy who cannot love. May I introduce you to Judy?

This toad is Simon. His pits were always smelly. Little Jason here light who come up on my belly. Racist sexes couldn't drive poor Charlie had it showed. And this one's just a regular toad. I'm your godmother now. Mother now, listen to my tales, heat my weary warnings, my magic never fails. God, Mommy, Katie, Biddle-Diddle, dood, my brilliant, amazing woman. Then why aren't you married, Auntie Katie?

Your father is a rich man, your mother was a model, and then you split her in two. At least she has a penthouse, a Tesla and a hot tub, and I live in a shoe. But don't worry boys. I still am very wise. Do you want to be men that women don't despise? I need a poo. That's not important. Now, God Mummy will tell you how. Don't be an estate agent with a shiny suit. Living in Hackney's not interesting or cute. Don't be a comedian. Too late for me. Don't get your teeth done in Turkey. I'm your godmother guardian. If your parents dies, my godly shoulder on which you both shall cry. Godmoney, Katie, you'll love. Lucky, lucky boys. Now hark at my god mommy's noise. Oh, ha ha ha ha ha. Sorry, I love you. I'm a godmother now.

I'm a gaudy, whaty, mommy. I'm a brilliant and amazing woman. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Katie Norris! Woe! Okay, nominated for their show, This Must Be Heaven.

Please put your hands together and welcome the brilliant John Tot Hill! Hello. How are you doing? You're right? It's so good. I've been loving the Edinburgh Fringe. She's almost said to me yesterday, the problem is with you, John,

is you drink wine like wine. And it's like, really, do I? I drink wine like water, do I? Really, I drink a tiny cup of wine once a week over the sink. You know? When I'm dying of thirst. Okay, drink wine like water.

I drink water like wine. I drink wine like Diet Coke. Correct. All right. But also, okay, can I ask you a question? How obvious is it that 15 months ago I had two sessions with a personal trainer? Did that work? Did that work? Do you ever get that? Sometimes, sometimes completely by accident, I will lock eyes. with myself in like fully naked

in a full length mirror and I go oh my god oh my god right this has got to stop okay do you ever do that looking at yourself I do that every Sunday evening this has got to stop okay I didn't realize it got this bad and I'm finding it really hard to make it stop do you know why

because I love it I absolutely love it and people go what are you talking about what do you love all of it yeah like drinking I love it but even like Sitting. I love it.

The irony that I am a stand-up comedian. I assure you, this is the five minutes of the day I'm not sat down. I promise, absolutely ridiculous. Oh, I absolutely love it. So I thought, no, but I've got to make it stop. So instead of making it stop myself, I'll get a personal trainer.

I'll pay hundreds and hundreds of pounds to a man who looked like he could have bullied me at school. Yeah? And then maybe he can make it stop for me. First thing they say, they go, oh, we can't make it stop for you. Hello, sorry, what are you there for then? Yeah?

And this guy, he takes me to a hit class. Do you know about these? Hipped, double I, high intensity institute technology. I was like, hang on, wait. Interval, interval training, right? High intensity interval training. But it's one of those, okay,

you know when sometimes they throw a bit of money at an exercise class, you know? And you can get quite posh exercise classes now where you walk in, there's quite low lighting and there's sort of house music playing, you know? And you think this would be quite nice, couldn't it, if we got rid of the exercise equipment, had a bar and a smoking area,

Something like that. I could learn to love this, actually. Next door, there's a class called Reformer. Do you know about this? That's Pilates. Reformer. I thought it was a roundtable discussion about the Lutheran Church.

I listen to the rest is politics. I'm something of a reformer myself. You know, where do I sign? And then afterwards, after this class, the personal trainer looks at me and he says, So, John, what are your fitness goals? It's like, are you clinically insane? I want to make it stop.

Couldn't make that clearer. And I want to look absolutely fantastic. I want to look like if I shot a CEO, there'd be a lot of sympathy for me. Anyway, guys, that's been my time. I've been John Tot Hill. God bless you. Thank you. John Tot Hill, everyone.

Okay. Nominated for their show, all in. Please put your hands together and welcome the brilliant Dantyana. Hello. For the benefit of the listener, I forgot my mic and then I came on stage without a mic and now I've got a mic and I probably didn't need to reference it. Just for the benefit of the listener, I'm pulling quite a puzzled face right now. I'm quite lucky, really, for comedy, because I've got this face. I don't really have to say very much, and I can get a laugh. But it's sort of wasted on the radio, you know.

Sort of the first time in my life I've got a face that isn't for radio. I'm gay. What's your problem? Oh, you're gay? Well, I didn't expect this would be the gig I'd pull up, but... Bosh! Come on! Let's do it right now!

Mmm! Yeah! I've been doing drugs since I was 14. First drug I ever did was poppers, right? right. Poppers are legal because they sell them as rheumotorizer. That doesn't feel ethical

to sell them as rheumotorizer. It'd be more ethical to sell them as poppers, you know. Having big letters, the side effects. These will give you a migraine, make your asshole absolutely massive. There's people out there who are genuinely looking for

a new scent for their gaff. and they've got no idea why it stinks like a gay club and they've both got the biggest rectums in the world, man. They don't know. Imagine that dinner table chat. Is it just me, John? Or is yours absolutely dilated as hell as well? Can we not just get a diffuser?

Shut up, Sue. I like the way this one makes me feel. Now see if you can get another crayon in there. It's not for everyone, this is it? You're all good. We've only got an hour of my bit left. Hour left. I'm dyspractic.

I get extra time. Great Jantan. Okay, nominated with their show, Baby Duma. Please put your hands together for the wonderful Sam Nicaresting. Hello. How you guys doing, all right? Lovely to be here. My name's Sam. My actor has recently been described as a laugh for a minute, which sounds pretty good, but if you think about it, pretty bad hit rate. Actually, we're talking 60 second silence between every gag. Are you kidding? How's the show? Oh, you would love Sam Nicarresti. There was time to commemorate the war dead in between every punchline.

That's not what I want. Get a little nervous being out here. I worry about quite a lot, quite a lot. to be scared of in the world. I'd say the one thing I'm not terrified of at the moment is AI. Have you guys heard about this? The rise of the machines saying these things are getting smarter than us. I am sorry, but machines have always

been smarter than me. What are you on about? I could be outfoxed by a Cassio calculator, thank you very much. Are you kidding? I can't spell boobies upside down. I've been that's impressive. I'm trans. That's why I'm dressed like the ghosts of liberal future. come to haunt Katie Hopkins at Christmas.

I was inspired, become trans by my childhood hero, the Siberian Railway. We heard of her? What a long woman. Hell yeah. It's difficult coming out as trans. My God, you get in trouble

a lot to wrap your head around. I was quite lucky. When I came out as trans, I was already in a very loving relationship. My girlfriend has been very supportive. I must say, it is not entirely clear how you'll come out about being trans

when you're already in a relationship. I mean, what do you do? Sit down and say, honey, huge news, you're gay. It's a lot for the little lady to wrap her head around, I think. We're in trouble right now as trans. Oh my God, we're told,

hey, you, stay away from sports. Me? My pleasure, mate. I honestly, I don't know what you're on about. I was of the impression that dressing like this meant I would never have to think about football again, quite frankly.

You've tricked me. somehow, you and Chloe Kelly, you've pulled me back in. It's crazy, man, J.K. Rowling, having a go at me. J.K. Rowling, a person second most famous for pretending to be a man in order to infiltrate the male-only space of modern crime fiction. I'm sorry, I do not need you to be gender-critical of me. Thank you very much. I have it covered. Change my pronouns. Anyone here changed their pronouns?

Yes, not many. That checks out. It's very difficult, man. Before I was trans, I've got to be honest. I mean, I only just learned what an adjective is. Do you know what I mean? And I think they're really nice. Have I got that right? A lot of things.

You get misgendered and it happens. I try not to worry too much. You know, like everywhere I go, people still say to me stuff like, oh, good afternoon, sir. Can I see your ID, please, mate? Oh, good God, he's got a gun. What are you going to do? Microaggressions all the time.

I'm robin the bank. Oh, come on. Come on. I've been here at two. This festival's been too long. This festival's been too long. I miss my cat. I can't wait to get back to my cat. Give me a chair if you like cats. Hell yeah. I knew you guys would be a cat crowd because I've sent those posters you put up around the town. You know the ones? Have you seen this cat? I've phoned up that number. That's a good one. Thank you so much for sharing. Cheers. All right, I'm in Sam Nicolesti. Thank you.

Sam Nicaresti! Okay, it's time for our last. Main show nominee. Oh, I know. And then there's just 9,000 newcomer nominees. Nominated for their show Slugs, please welcome Creepy Boys. Good afternoon.

We are creepy boys from the show Slugs. We are a techno-punk comedy puppet clown duo. I'm wearing a blow-up. chair. And we are excited to be here to share a piece of our highly visual show. On the radio. Hit the music. Duck in it, duck in it, Donald, duck in it, Donald, ducking it, Donald, ducking it, duck in it, got that Donald, duck in it.

doing today. You're looking so free. Nothing stands in your way. You got a shirt, a hat, a smile on your face, but you're straight up naked. Get below the way. Danu, Danu, Danu, Danu, guide me. Whip your junk out, we can be free. Duckin'y, ducking it, Donald, ducking it, Donald, ducking it, got that Donald Duckini. For the listeners at home. Grums has dropped their pants and is dancing around naked. Their labia is flashing in the breeze. 8.55 I roll out of bed. Button up my shirt. Tie a tie a tie on my neck. I don't need no jeans. I'm alone in my room. So I free bullet in the Zoom. Be free You try to teach me

Duckin'y, duck in it, Duckin'y, Donald Duckin'y, Donald Duckin'y, Duckin'y, Dougin'y, duckin'y, duckin'y, duckin'it. What if they reject me? I know, they don't know what I really have. Ducking it's so different.

I'm not like the others. There's my hope they won't understand. Donald, Donald I've tried for three years, feels like, feels like 20, oh. Donald, is there nothing I can do? I've lost all hope I can't go on. But think of our Donald. So breezy and so free, he believes in you.

And I believe in me. He. Um, Duckin'-Duck-N-A-Dun-Dun-Duck-Y-Dun-Duck-N-Duck-N-Duck-N-UK-N-DUC. Sam has dropped his pants to reveal a feather diaper, like Donald Ducks, the lower half. He's removed a codpiece, his flaccid penis dangling in the breeze. Penal Donald Donald Duckie, Messiah.

Donald Donald, Donald, Donald, suck, suck. The creepy boy! Whoa-wee! So that is all the nominees for Best Show. Give it up for everyone you saw! Okay. Okay, so now it's time for those nominated for the Best Newcomer Award,

co-sponsored by Nika Burns and DL. entertainment. Everyone in this category has written and performed an hour long show at the Edinburgh Fringe for the very first time, which is a huge achievement. Are you ready to hear from the future of comedy? Nominated for their show Slob, please welcome the brilliant Molly McGinnis! Hiya, you're right? Hi, you're okay. Right, so I live in Manchester, right?

But once I went to London to go on a date, that's dead sad, that in it. That's bad, but like I completed Tinder at home, you know. And he seemed normal. He had a Costco card, so I thought, I'm going to give him a go, right? So I got the train to London, and when I got there, he cancelled. I know gutting, right? I was stuck there, the cheap-o ticket.

Right, so I was at Houston, and I got a burger king at Houston. Got a burger eating it. And then this homeless man comes over, and he goes, oh, give me some of that, about my burger. And I'm like, all right, yeah, fine, you can have it. Good deed of the day, you know. And then I'm drinking my drink, and he's like, oh, give me some of that drink. And I'm like, oh, mate, like, I don't like sharing a drink with anyone, you know.

I won't even share a drink with my mum. And his tongue's yellow for some reason, but I give it him anyway, right? And he's dead nice, he's called Kevin. Proper character, dead funny, tells me his life story. Don't ask anything about me, but that's classic, in it. But we're getting on, we're getting on. And Kevin comes up to me, right, he stands in front of him there, and he goes, come on, let's get out of there.

What vibe am I giving off? Anyway, he's here tonight. No, no, he won't. take my calls. You won't. I always attract characters, like wherever I go. Mad characters. There's this pub that I love.

I go to a lot. But there's a lot of characters in there and they're always hitting on me. So I've been trying to friend zone them. And how I've done that is I've said I've going to start a lonely hearts club to find them a lady, right? But I don't actually know how to do that.

So I'm just going to like read out their information and like see if any of you's fancy them. It's all right. It works. I've called it a lonely farts club. A bit of fun. So we've got Wayne, 60, white male married. Looking for Big Busty Professional with eyes and hair.

Must be able to cook chops. Don't ask me to put pictures of you on my Facebook. It's my page. That's Wayne. Then we've got Gary, 58, uneducated, unemployed male, seeking sexy, sane woman under 40 to be my karaoke and sex partner. Must like Stacey Dooley's War on Drugs and have plenty of plastic bags. Have to be home by 6pm as I have a tag on, it's not my fault that bus driver had it coming. And then finally we've got Brian.

63-year-old, recent orphan. Oh, sad. Interests are simply read, bat-gammon and normal gammon. Don't like dogs or sources of any kind. Look at so what he was good at changing back. and can have a laugh. Any takers? No, I'm not even in airfare.

Because I got up here today. Nah, they couldn't be asked. They couldn't be assed. Turn that music off. Thank you very much. Molly McGuinness. Okay, nominated with their show, Accessible Pigeon material.

Please put your hands together for Tucson, Douglas. Edinburgh, how are we? Give me a cheer if you're here because you've seen me before. Good, that's how I like it. The PR's working a treat, baby. Three grand. Now give me a cheer if you're here for the pigeon material. not enough of you

because I'm not like the rest of these hat comedians at this festival you're looking at the UK's number one pigeon material comedian that's right I like pigeons I like pigeons because they're a proper working class bird pigeons

don't believe me I can prove it every pigeon looks knackered get on board people I'm only doing pigeon material. This is the act. Park bench. That's where you find them, pigeons. That's the spot, baby.

That's where they'll be, and also me. Also, unrelated. My therapist thinks that a lot of my problems stem from deep introversion. I don't know why she thinks that. every session, I say nothing. Those of you are also introverts. Could you make yourself publicly known? They never do.

I suffer from this thing called introverted thoughts. They're like intrusive thoughts, but they just keep to themselves. Before I go, do you want to hear my favourite pigeon fact? I'm really excited to share this for you guys I can't wait to see your reaction I'm so excited okay there were pigeons

in this country who fought in World War II there were pigeons in this country who fought in World War II there were pigeons in this country who fought in World War II

it's not enough there were pigeons in this country who fought the Germans. The Germans had the Luftwaffe. I'm coming up here, people. You're not safe. The most technologically advanced Air Force at that time.

And we sent pigeons. We didn't even send hawks. We've got birds that prey in this country. You could have done some damage with talons. Instead, we sent birds who eat floor chips. I've been Tucson Douglas. You've been absolutely lovely. Support our pigeons.

Tucson Douglas! Wow. Next up we've got a pigeon in this country who fought in World War II. No, we've got something even better. Nominated for her show, Australia's first attractive comedian. Put your hands together for the brilliant

Eloise F-Tor! Hello! Hello, I know you guys are going, What the hell is she doing here? I know I'm way too hot to do comedy. Thank you so much. Thank you. The demographics, some of you going, have I died?

And gone to heaven? Yes, you have. Hello. Some of you aren't even listening to me. I'm walking in slow motion right now. I know this is radio, just so you know, I'm really hot. Google me later.

Hi. And I'm wearing a piece of tart and fabric as a top and everyone's really stressed about it. Hanging by a thread. Guys, so apart from being Australia's first attractive comedian, yeah, you've seen the other ones. Yeah.

Ew. Yeah. I'm also an actress. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much. I have an IMDB in case you don't believe me. And I don't know if you guys know this,

but actress is actually the Latin word for insecure waitress. Someone talked about that the other day, and I was like, oh, you know, being a waitress isn't too bad. It's kind of like stand-up, you know, you get to talk to people that you'd never talk to in real life. Like I would never talk to you, do I mean? Just kidding. I love meeting different people.

Thank you so much for coming out. Thank you. Are you guys listening to me? I feel like some of you aren't even listening, just Dreamweaver's playing in your head. I, um... Thank you. I feel like some of you were a bit stressed about my outfit.

Are some of you stressed about it? You can say, I can feel the energy shifted when I came out. I was told by a female comedian friend of mine not to dress too sexy on stage because she said, the women in the crowd, we think I'm trying to steal their husbands, that's what she said. It's like, no offense, I don't want to shag Frank,

the retired man in the front row. I'm like kind of famous. I'm sure you graded it, sir, but I'm kind of famous. But there are times when I walk out, you know, when I do like the comedy store in Sydney, for example, I walk out, I do see women in the crowd put their hands on their husband's legs. Yeah, it's like I'm not out here hunting for prey. I'm not a male comedian.

I didn't do this to get laid. I can get laid whenever I want. Sorry, so threatening. It's so funny, like, all the comedians told me, like, comedy's really hard. I was like, is it? I was like, what's so hard about it? I was like, maybe you're really bad at it. Like, maybe you should just give up.

Like, I'm so good at it, do you know what I mean? Like, all the comedians get telling me comedy's so hard, and I was like, oh, God, well, there's just way too many white straight guys doing comedy. It's like, you're not all going to make it. It's like World War I except you don't have to do this. Oh, too much for you guys. Okay, I'm Eloise FDos. I love you so much.

Have a great rest of your night. Eloise Factor! Are you ready for our next brilliant act with their show fecking? It's Roger O'Sullivan. Hello. Hello. My name's Roger.

I'm from Cork in Ireland. Nice, yeah, yeah. I used to live there. then I moved to East London Now I live in fear It's good, it's good You know, I've taken up running From the station to my house

But I still miss a lot of things About back home, like I miss my dad I know, I know Because I love my dad But unfortunately I can't tell him that Because he was born before feelings were released He just can't process them, you know? It's like when you try and paying cash now

and the guy keeps going, oh, contactless, contactless. He's like, fine, I won't hug you, Dad. Okay. He always gave me such great advice growing up, though. Remember one time he sat me down, he said, son, which is the nickname he asked for me. He said, son, if you pick a job you love, you'll never work a day in your life

because you won't get that job. Beautiful. My mom likes to say, she said, this generation, it's so hard for you. Because when me and your father met, one income could support a whole family. But now, sometimes two incomes, aren't even enough to make one family whole.

I don't have the heart to tell her. Back in the day, some lads used to have a second secret family. So one income, two hundred, whole families. I used to love optical illusions growing up. One of my favorite ones were magic eye pictures. Do you remember these? Other optical

illusions are available, of course. But the magical thing about these is they're an image of a load of visual static. And if you squinted hard enough at it, if you squinted hard enough at it, it drowns out your parents arguing, oh! Oh!

Many a day spent, oh, is it a ship? Oh, it's a relationship. And it's sinking. I love them so much that the first time I saw a QR code in the wild. I thought they'd brought them back. I was outside a pub, crouched down, squinting at it.

Until the Vincii blinked, booked a table of four. No idea how I did it. Guys, you've been a lovely audience. Thank you so much. Roger Sullivan! Now, the beauty of the fringe is that comedy shows come in all sorts of shapes and sizes

from stand-up to theatre to sketch to clown and everything in between. Our next act couldn't be here for the gala because it would be very confusing to hear a section of their brilliant show out of context. I'll let them explain why. Please welcome Adrian Braun nominated for their show The Origin of Love.

It's like a cursed couple's character comedy, and we're a real couple. We're a real couple, and then we play all of the couples in the show, but they're all having their own troubles. Yeah, it starts like we're in a stretchy skin fabric trying to come out of... Because originally, it's called The Origin of Love, and originally... Humans used to have four arms and four legs and two heads, and then they got split up. And so now they're all looking for their other half. So the show is a lot of weird, oddballs.

soulmates trying to find their other half and a lot of doomed romances. Yeah, you've got to see it to believe it. Wow. I think you've got to be, there's so many, there's facial expressions. Really fun. Really fun. Thank you so much to Adrian Braun. Now time for your penultimate act.

Nominated for Desha Swings and Roundabouts. Put your hands together for the brilliant Ayurwadi Bamboye! Hello, hello. My name is Ayyadai Bangboi. I'm very happy to be here with you all. Like most comedians who have debuted before me, my father is dead. It's almost like it's a prerequisite to come to this festival,

but he did not die by my hand. Don't you worry. Losing a parent, I was like 20, 24, 25. and I really liked my dad he was quite nice so when he sort of shuffled off this mortal coil

I love a death idiom I sue me I heard one I asked people in my show to give me good good death idioms and someone said pushing up the daisies and there was something so quaint about it you know another one said

he popped his clogs that's quite nice Well, who's got a good, who's got a good death idiom? Just shout it out. Kick the bucket. That's onomatopoeic. Sorry, I almost, I almost ended your life. He kicked the bucket and it was actually quite, it was quite an inconvenience.

I must say. It's like, I don't, I'm trying to think, how would I, how would I describe losing a parent? Losing a parent is like going to Big Asda. They have Big Azda in Scotland. Yeah, so imagine you've gone to Big Azda with your guardian. And you've gone for a big shop. And this is a big shop. You're in the queue.

And the moment the sort of queue starts moving, your guardian says, I just need to go and grab something. From inside. And in your head, you're like, where the heck are you going? But you've got to keep cool. and you say, I mean, I guess, and your guardian disappears into the aisles.

As soon as they disappear, the queue starts moving. The queue is moving, and you keep looking back. When are they going to come back? In fact, the queue is moving so much so that they start scanning your items. And this is a big shop. So you're thinking to yourself,

if I've got to pay for this, I can't pay for it. So the point where they've scanned all your things, you keep looking back to see where your guardian is coming, when they're coming and imagine you look back and you look back they've scanned all your stuff and they never come back

yeah that's what it's like that's exactly what it's like and then you're just sort of left you're left behind oh you like that didn't you? He loved it you're left behind in a way that's quite

decisive so you're trying to make sense of this whole new reality and then you're supposed to just sit through, you sit through condolences, basically. And let me tell you, let me tell you guys something about condolences. Nobody is innovating in that space. It's nobody's innovating in that space, let me tell you.

It is, it is a series of, sorry for your loss. Next. Come on, let's move it along. You don't see things like condolence, a flash mob. No, that would be quite interesting, or sort of like an interpretive dance. And I actually had a game almost where I would rank condolences by genuineness and brevity. You get points for originality and I sort of gamified it that way and it's like I can now probably sit through this. And it became quite interesting.

One of my aunties said to me, you know, you're so lucky. You're lucky your mom is still alive. I'm an orphan. And she's 76. So I would hope so I'll leave you on this I had one, I had a family friend say to me that, you know, take heart

God needed him more God needed him more what does God so desperately need a marketing manager for? Thank you guys so much I've been Ayadee Banboy thank you so much Yes, smashed it.

Now time for the final newcomer nominee. Put your hands together, nominated for their show, Cooking with Catherine. Please welcome Kate Owen. Hi, my name is Catherine, and thank you so much for joining me on cooking with Catherine. This is a cooking show where we feed not only our bodies but our souls. and y'all are a beautiful congregation of souls today. Can y'all feel the Lord's presence right now? So, y'all, normally, I do my cooking show down in the beautiful basement of our eternal

Salvation of Light Church down on Sycamore. But I'm honestly feeling very blessed today that I can do my show for the BBC radio audience. Woo! I've always thought it's strange that there's never been a cook. cook and show for the radio. So I'm very proud to be a pioneer of the form. Now for those listening in at home, you're in there. I have a beautiful congregation of souls around in front of me about 300 people,

and I know that y'all are wondering at home, Catherine, how are we going to see anything that you're doing? And I just want to say, do not fret, because I'm going to explain everything step by step. So, who's ready to cook? When I say cooking, you say time. Cooking? Time. Cooking?

Time. Okay. So, y'all, when I cook, I like to use my hands. And so I am going to bring on my cousin, Billie Jean Marmalade today, to hold the microphone for me. We are going to whip up an easy-peasy egg bag for Sunday after church. Because I don't know about y'all, but I'm so hungry after mass. My belly thinks my throat's been cut.

But what says family more than Sunday brunch after church, right, y'all? So, Alexa, get my kitchen music going. So we're going to be working with eggs today because eggs represent good fertility. Genesis 2.11 said be fruitful and multiply. So the first step is, we're just going to take one egg and gently crack it into the bowl. Oh, my gosh. Sorry about that. Sorry about that. That one was a soft tea.

Sorry, the egg cracked in my hand for those listening. Okay, that's okay. Made a bit of a mess. bit of shell in here. Cut my finger on a shell. That's okay. You know, I actually have a habit of cutting myself while I'll cut. It's okay.

That's okay. It's okay. I cut myself just a little bit of blood, just a little bit of blood, just a tiny, tiny little drop for those listening. And nothing to wipe down. Okay. Tin foil. Mama always taught me to be resourceful

We got it. We got it. Made a cast out of tinfoil there. And did y'all know that tinfoil has antiseptic properties? Perfect. Now we just want to transfer our mixture into our baking dish. a little bit of a little bit of a crunch and then we're just going to pop this in the oven for 350 minutes at 7 degrees y'all

thank you so much that was cooking with katherine That is it. That is it. Have you had a good time? Let's give up one more time for all the nominees for the best newcomer 2025. Incredible! So that's the end of our show. Thank you so much for listening and to all the acts performing. And of course a huge congratulations to each and every one of them. every one of them. They are all winners to me. Until Saturday when the actual winners are

announced. Good luck to them all. This has been the Edinburgh Comedy Awards Gala 2025, hosted by me, Amy Gledhill. Goodbye! The Edinburgh Comedy Awards Gala 2025 was hosted by me, Amy Gledhill. The acts you heard were Ian Smith, Katie Norris, Ed Knight, Sam J, Roger O'Sulliver, John Tothill, Sam Nicaresty, Creepy boys, Dan Tienan, Molly McGuinness, Tucson Douglas, Ada and Bron, Eloise Fhtos, Ayawarde de Bamboyer, and Kate Owens. Additional material was by Eve Delaney. The producer was Georgia Keating and the production coordinator was Caroline Barlow and it was a BBC Studios production for Radio 4. told me that you're looking for a podcast just like evil genius,

but without all those stupid humans. I'm Russell Kane, waddling onto your feed and squawking about my show, evil animals. Every episode, I'm joined by two human guests, or as I like to call them, ex-monkeys, passing judgment on all the creepiest crawlies and the biggest elephants in the room. Are vampire bats, terrifying giant mosquitoes,

are bottlenose dolphins, sex-obsessed savages, and we're going there. Domestic cats? Evil or genius? out on evil animals in the evil genius podcast feed. First on BBC Sounds.