Quintessential Comedy | Devoted to British Comedy

A quick read of the Independent interview with bearded gag-vacuum Justin Lee Collins revealed that the cider drinking buffoon got a break via BBC Talent.

Oh I could tell you a thing or two about BBC Talent…

Back in the day when I was a struggling writer and musician, I entered the BBC Talent competition with a cleverly mixed tape of me doing standup - clever because I was in fact stood in my bedroom playing to a prerecorded audience.  You just don’t get comedy gigs on Teesside, and certainly didn’t in 2000.

Imagine my surprise when this tactic worked, and I was invited to Newcastle’s Hyena Comedy Cafe for the regional heat!

Of course competition was good, and mainly comprised students.  Few acts were local.

Backed up by some good friends and my dad, I found myself going on last.  This should have been good for me, although by then I was quite legless, and forgot a third of the routine.  It wasn’t a surprise that I didn’t win.

What was a surprise however was that act 4 of the 8 acts that evening did win.   Doubly curious was the fact that Rob Newman was nowhere to be seen, yet here was some cock ripping off his act verbatim and winning.

BBC Talent my arse.