C4 contest finalists announced

The finalists in the Channel 4-backed So You Think You're Funny? competition have been announced.

Miles Jupp, Seymour Mace, Hils Barker, Inder Manocha, Alan Carr, John Bishop, Stefano Paolini, Michael Downey and The Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe III will compete for the title at the Edinburgh Fringe on August 26.

Previous winners of the title have included Dylan Moran, Rhona Cameron and Tommy Tiernan.

The judges will be Steve Coogan, Montreal comedy festival director Bruce Hills, E4 boss Andrew Newman, Channel 4 executives Stuart Cosgrove and Robert Popper, Sunday Times Culture editor Helen Hawkins and Karen Koren, artistic director of the Gilded Balloon.

The final, hosted by Graham Norton, was the quickest-selling ticket on the fringe.

Published: 17 Aug 2001