Showdown on Sunday

The six finalists in this year’s BBC New Comedy Award have been named. Here's more about the final six:

Sikisa Bostwick-Barnes

Performing under just her first name, or by the stage name Twix, Bostwick-Barnes is from London. After graduating from Kingston University with a degree in law, she now works in the charity sector.

Sikisa first became drawn into the world of comedy while working at the Cavendish Arms and she recalls: ‘They run a weekly comedy night called Comedy Virgins and the promoters (who were also my bosses) said that I should give it a go as they thought I was funny. I remember going on stage without knowing what I was going to say and just talking about a news story I heard about a man jumping in a lion's den at a zoo. I got a few laughs, but at that time still didn't think I was funny, but a year later I thought I would give comedy a proper stab and started gigging.’

On getting through to the final of the BBC New Comedy Award, she said: ‘To be recognised for having a talent and for being a funny woman of colour is amazing.’

Jacob Hawley

Born in Stevenage, Jacob grew up in Bedfordshire, before heading off to the Greek resort of Faliraki where he spent his evenings performing Kings of Leon songs to holidaymakers.

On his return, Jacob moved to Kennington in London and studied for a degree in theatre arts at Middlesex University, where he now works.

He said: ‘Paul Sinha really inspires me. When I was 19 I worked the bar at a comedy club. I hadn't started performing comedy but I knew I wanted to be a comedian. I'd watch him every night and he was amazing. It was usually quite a rowdy night but he had an amazing knack of controlling the room and also being introspective, vulnerable and interesting. I would always be inspired to go home and write.’

Heidi Regan

Originally from Newcastle, Australia, Heidi has been living in the UK for nine years and currently resides in London. After completing a degree in communications, aspiring writer Heidi took up a number of jobs such as media monitoring and, most recently, as a receptionist at an animation company, which allows her to focus on writing in the evenings.

She said: ‘I always had stage fright and a complete lack of interest in ever doing stand-up myself, but eventually I had a crisis about how to get my writing out into the world. However, after my first gig I immediately saw it was not only not going to kill me, but that stand-up was a wonderful world of fun and puzzles and some of the most wonderful people I’ve met in my life. And also that stage fright is curable."

Heidi won So You Think You’re Funny 2016 and she once won the Australian Writers Guild award for the best unproduced feature screenplay, for a comedy she wrote about a killer shark. She describes her comedy as ‘slightly surreal and silly’.

She said getting through to the final of the BBC New Comedy Award ‘means so much because being raised on BBC comedy was a really big part of why I moved over to the UK. It is also wonderful when a competition can show you that a very silly idea you’ve had can actually connect with some audiences. It’s a very nice confidence boost.’

Andy Field

Born and raised in Crawley, Andy holds a Bachelor’s degree in comedy writing and performance from Southampton Solent, as well as a Master’s in creative writing from Brunel University.

Having always wanted to be a stand-up, Andy performed his first gig during fresher’s week in Southampton, recalling: ’It went really well, too well in fact because it made me cocky for my second gig where I overran by twice my time and the MC turned the lights and mic off to make me leave the stage."

In 2015, Andy won the Chortle Student Comedy Award and says: ‘It means a tremendous amount to me when I gain any success in comedy, as the life of a comedian is the only one I have ever wanted so I'm deeply appreciative of any opportunity to show what I can do and make my dreams into reality.’

Aaron Simmonds

Aaron was born in Pinner, and now lives a few miles down the road in Harrow, saying: ‘It only took 26 years to move that distance. So by my calculations, I could be in Wembley in 30 to 40 years’ time.’

After spending a year at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, Aaron left to become a personal trainer, and has also been pursuing a career in comedy.

He said: ‘When I was four years old, doctors told my parents that I would struggle to ever walk and would never be able to do certain coordination based activities like juggling. But, after 20 years of physical and mental training, I can juggle..."

On taking part in the BBC New Comedy Award, he said: ‘I think the most exciting part so far was when my first heat went out on radio. It was the first time that my grandparents and cousins had heard me do stand up and to be able to do that (with suitable material!) was really great.’

Morgan Rees

Morgan Rees is from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, but currently lives in Bristol and works as a data consultant. He was a finalist last year’s Chortle Student Awards 2016 and describes himself as a ‘rambling Welshman who tries to weave on- liners into a narrative’.

He said: ‘The moment of realisation that comedy was a thing that I wanted to pursue was when I discovered that some performers wrote their own material. I learnt that from readying Ronnie Corbett's autobiography and later got inspired by Dave Allen, Les Dawson and Rob Brydon in Marion and Geoff. Getting this far in the competition has been fantastic.’

WITHDRWAN: Yumna Mohamed

Yumna made the finals but had to pull out at the last minute due to a family emergency, and was replaced by Rees.

Originally hailing from Johannesburg, Yumna Mohamed moved to London last year where she currently lives in Tower Hamlets. Before this, she lived in New York, where she graduated from journalism school, and she has been working as a financial journalist ever since.

Her comedy career started when a friend signed her up for an open mic in one of Johannesburg's first comedy clubs, The Underground.

She once performed at amateur night at the Apollo in Harlem, but admits: ‘My performance did not go well. My audience was made up of
Harlem residents and German tourists, and I was booed off stage and then later booed out of the Popeye’s restaurant next to the theatre. Luckily, like my comedy idol Norm McDonald, I find failure personally entertaining so it was a hilarious anti-comedic moment for me.’

She made the final of So You Think You’re Funny in 2015, but on getting through to the final of the BBC New Comedy Award, she said: ‘Like many comedians, I have a lot of self-doubt that holds me back, especially in an increasingly saturated industry.

‘So even making it to the first heat of the BBC New Comedy Award was very validating and makes me want to work harder. Never has the phrase "it’s an honour just to be nominated" meant more. Even my profound imposter syndrome can’t stop me from feeling proud to make it to the final.’

Published: 10 Aug 2017