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Aisling Bea – Winner 2012 & Jonathon Pelham – 2nd place

In second place came Jonathon Pelham. His material was very personal and self deprecating, and he had the audience on his side right from the beginning!

Wayne Mazadza & Murdo Haggs – joint 3rd place

Joint third place are Wayne Mazadza and Murdo Haggs. Wayne is a Zimbabwean based out of Edinburgh and Murdo was the only Scottish lad in the finals this year,

Congratulations to the winners and the finalists- it was truly an excellent show!

This sponsorship signals the beginning of a great new relationship, highlighting Foster’s long term commitment to discovering and developing up and coming comedy talent.

So You Think You’re Funny? is the leading amateur comedy competition in the UK and has seen the likes of Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Sarah Millican, Johnny Vegas, Dylan Moran and Jack Whitehall as winners and finalists in previous years. The 2012 competition will start on May 21st with the first regional heat in London with the final being held at The Gilded Balloon during the Edinburgh Festival in August.

Niall McKee, the Brand Manager of Foster’s said “Foster’s and So You Think You’re Funny? is a great fit and we are very excited about the new partnership. We share the same values of developing the best up and coming talent in the comedy industry and we believe our latest comedy collaboration will provide the perfect foundations for a wider talent support network in the future.”

Karen Koren, Artistic Director of The Gilded Balloon says “We are particularly excited in this our 25th year of the competition and believe that Foster’s and Gilded Balloon together can discover and nurture the comedy greats of tomorrow!”

THE 2011 SO YOU THINK YOU’RE FUNNY? WINNER IS TOMMY ROWSON.

In 2nd place Dayne Rathbone.

In joint 3rd place Lucy Beaumont and Fern Brady.

After a series of unfortunate events I decided to take to the stage. I’m only four gigs in now but I’ve got the bug and it’s becoming hard to concentrate on my day job in Comet, they keep finding me behind the 55 inch tellies, squatting and talking to myself.

Fern Brady

This time last year, former journalist Fern Brady was interviewing the 2009 winner of SYTYF for the comedy magazine she worked for. She never expected to find herself in the final of the same competition one year on.

Andy Clark

Andy Clark is a Macmillan Carer, which pretty much makes him bullet proof as an audience member. He doesn’t tell jokes at work and he doesn’t wipe bottoms on stage. He is still waiting for Rome to apologise for Wallsend.

Darren Connell

I’m very grateful and excited that I’m in this competition, looking through the history of who has been involved gives me shivers. It’s my dream to be a stand up comedian.

Stuart Hossack

I like playing with narrative and music and the way they interact. I like the shows I run in Southampton, Brighton and Cardiff. My favourite comedians so far are Will Ainsworth, James Bran and Richard Herring.

Alex Kealy

Alex Kealy is a young, awkward, gangly comedian trapped inside the body of a young, awkward, gangly comedian. He deals in young, awkward comedy, often performed ganglily (he tried spell-checking this online but was hampered by the fame of former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly).

Nicola Mantalios-Lovett

I’m a 26 year Greek Geordie with an unhealthy attachment to my dog and a love for all things coconutty. I regularly say horrible things with a sweet smile on my face, some of those things make people laugh.

Dayne Rathbone

Hi it’s me Dayne I won the RAW comedy competition in Melbourne in 2011 this year. Thank you for giving me this opportunity in the So You Think You’re Funny? competition which I hope I will also win.

Tommy Rowson

Tom started performing stand-up in October and reached the semis of Amused Moose and the final of the Laughing Horse competitions. He’s made many short comedy films, including Arrowman Sam.

2011 SYTYF? Finalists in alphabetical order (click for further info on each finalist)

• Lucy Beaumont
• Fern Brady
• Andy Clark
• Darren Connell
• Stuart Hossack
• Alex Kealy
• Nicola Mantalios-Lovett
• Dayne Rathbone
• Tommy Rowson

2011 SYTYF? Final Judges

• Karen Koren: Artistic Director, Gilded Balloon
• Bolu Akindoyin: UK Product Manager, EA (The Sims 3)
• Angela Robertson: A&R Director, Universal
• Susan Provan: Director, Melbourne International Comedy Festival
• Bruce Hills: Chief Operating Officer, Just for Laughs
• Bruce Dessau: Comedy Critic, London Evening Standard
• Lee Mack: Comedian

Compere

• Jarred Christmas

Nick Dixon’s style is intelligent yet accessible, with a relaxed delivery that complements the sharpness of his writing. He won the famous King Gong show in May 2012.

Athena Kugblenu

Athena Kugblenu started performing in March 2012, wondering if she would be up to the challenge. Of Indian-Caribbean and Ghanaian descent, the north London native likes to think with careful handling, no topic is off bounds for a good laugh.

Colm Tyrrell

I am a young Dublin comedian. I am studying Business Studies at University. I have loved every moment since my first gig and I hope that I am still performing for many years to come.

Dave Green

Dave Green performs a mixture of surreal ramblings and surreal ramblings. His hobbies include rambling and repetition. His misanthropic persona and downbeat delivery are fast proving popular with audiences and promoters alike.

Joshua Ross

Joshua Ross combines off-kilter one liners with his own askew world view. He has been performing in London’s most glamorous open mic venues since Autumn 2011.

Liam Jeavons

I’m a 21-year-old Actor/Comedian from Birmingham who’s been doing Stand up for 6 months. I’m inspired by performs such as John Cleese, Charlie Chaplin, Peter Sellers and my favorite comedian is Peter Kay.

Robin Parmiter

Robin Parmiter is a York-based comedian who explores his various psychological worries and subsequent journey into self-help.  He is also a medium-slow bowler and monthly subscriber to Oprah Magazine.

Viv Groskop

Thrilled to be on stage in Edinburgh for the first time. I dedicate my performance to my husband and children without whom I could have done this bloody ages ago

Conor Neville was born in September 1987 in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, Galway, Ireland at approximately one minute before lunch time. From there he has never looked back. He began doing stand-up comedy in late 2011. He also works as a journalist.

Clarence Frank

Reviewed early on as ‘pathologically truthful …’ Clarence has been performing on the open mic circuit for nine months, twice taking home The Gong Show’s  new act crown. A lifelong admirer of great stand-up, getting through to the semi finals  of So You Think You’re Funny 2012 is his proudest moment to date.

Gareth Mutch

Gareth Mutch is 18 years old and is from Livingston. Since starting stand up Gareth has made it to two semi-finals but never a final. Also the Skinny said he would sell out the 02 by march, it’s now August, says a lot.

Jamie  Carragher

Jamie is still a few gigs away from reaching double figures. He cleverly planned his first gig to happen in America so if it went terribly it could remain a secret. Just happy to be here.

Lauren Pattison

I’m Lauren Pattison & I’m 18 from Newcastle. Depending on when you read this I’ll either be tearing my hair out waiting for my A Level results or tearing my hair out BECAUSE I’ve received my A Level Results.

Billy Breeze

Michael Cox

I have always told jokes and my love for comedy goes back as far as I can remember. It took a near death experience to spur me to finally try stand up, a lifelong ambition. And here I am. BOOM!

Xander Flatt

Xander has been described as “funny” by several people and has been compared to the likes of Stewart Lee, Tim Minchin and Simon Munnery. He enjoys reading, cooking and writing in the third person so as to avoid sounding egotistical.

I am a Norwegian who has embraced the British humour, and now feel part of it. I live in Brighton were I have been part of the comedy scene for 1 year.
‘An engaging oddball, with innate funny’ – Chortle

Alex Smith

A journalist once said to me “we have a quote saying you’re style is posh, trendy, camp with a superiority complex.” They refused to reveal who had said this but whoever the judgmental SOB was, they were spot on.

Chris Chopping

It took Chris Chopping two years of working behind the bar and sweeping the floors at a top comedy club to summon the nerve to step up to the mic himself. Since then he hasn’t looked back.

Dan Caton

My name is Dan Caton. My serrated tongue and piercing observations are blended with vulnerability, boyish innocence and glitteringly camp displays to leave you befriended yet split at the sides.  I endeavour, above all, to entertain you.

David Reilly

David Reilly is a 22 year old comedian from Cavan, Ireland. He has been described as “immediately likable and very witty”. As well as stand up, David also writes for the Irish comedy site Humourisms.com.

James Beckett

James Beckett, a mopped hair stutterer and tricky little scamp with cheeky stage presence. His day to day is mostly filled with spreadsheets, so being let out at night is the only opportunity he gets to socialise.

Murdo Haggs

Always one to keep life easy Murdo wanted to try comedy, so he tried it.

Paul-David Collins

Paul-David Collins began performing stand-up in November 2011, after several years of writing. It’s gone pretty well so far, which he finds surprising and is always somewhat suspicious of, in case it has all been lies. He is married, with two children, who like it when he goes out.