With more than 700 entrants aiming to be on this show, the final six had to be good. You can listen to the full radio show here and make your own mind up.
Warming up the audience was the job of Bristol comedian Mark Olver who did a fine job working the crowd and performing a double act with the show's host, Mark Watson. They also made sure we knew how the evening would be structured so that we felt a part of the event.
All six contestants were excellent, and made the choice for the judges a difficult one. George Lewis' innocent-at-large persona seemed a bit too familiar. Catherine Bohart had some good lines on the practical uses of being bisexual and Irish. Michael Odawale was the most political of the bunch and came up with some striking observations, but playing on the rough area he came from felt like something from the past. Lauren Pattison also made play of her roots in Byker, so it was a surprise when one of her best lines featured a moat. Jethro Bradley had a slow, underplayed style and highlighted the need for greater understanding of autism with some sharp observations on how the condition is often perceived. And Sindhu Vee told tales from her inter generational family life in a form that screamed sitcom.
While the judges did their thing, and Radio 4 Land listened to The Archers (much to Mark Watson's bafflement) Olver staged a live version of the Tinder dating app in which, to his amazement, the final two left standing were both from Glasgow. And we were all left wondering if they met up after the show. We also had brief sets from last year's winner of the award, Yuriko Kotani, and the excellent Dane Baptiste.
At 7.15 we were back on air and Watson announced the result. My personal favourite had been Odawale, but, with hindsight, I can see that Bradley was chosen for having the most original style of the group, and several excellent and well worked punchlines. You can hear the second programme here.
There's a lot more to these broadcast sessions than listeners get over the airwaves, and I'd definitely recommend going to one if you get the chance.
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