Jon Ashworth's charity gig for Leicester Comedy Festival

Labour frontbencher Jon Ashworth is to turn his hand to stand-up.

The MP, who is Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will take part in a fundraiser next summer organised by the Leicester Comedy Festival.

And he started his comedy career with a stolen joke - paraphrasing Bob Monkhouse.

‘They laughed when I said I was going to do stand-up,’ the Leicester South MP said. ‘Well they ain’t laughing now.’

He added ‘I can’t believe I’ve agreed to do stand-up. But it’s all for charity and sitting opposite Boris Johnson in the Commons has given me plenty of material.’

In the Stand Up Challenge, which usually features local businessmen, participants receive mentoring from comedian Anthony King in putting together a five-minute routine.

The Leicester Comedy Festival and its associated Kids’ Comedy Festival have today announced that it  will be returning  from February 3 to 21 next year.

Ed Byrne, Angela Barnes,  Angelos Epithemou, Tez Ilyas, Rosie Jones, Tony Law, Stewart Lee, Al Murray and Ian Stirling are among those confirmed for the programme, which launches online at12.30pm today.

Director Geoff Rowe vowed:‘Whatever happens between now and February, the festivals will take place as we are developing a programme of live and online events.

‘I know how painful it has been for colleagues and friends who have had to cancel shows and festivals over recent months and I’m incredibly grateful that we can continue to celebrate British comedy with our festivals.’

The 2021 festival will feature its usual range of special events including Q&As, seminars and the UK Pun Championships. However the  annual Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Competition  has been postponed until June. 

Last month, Big Difference Company, the charity  behind the festival was awarded £105,000 from the  Government’s  Culture Recovery Fund to help cope with the effects of coronavirus. Geoff Rowe said the payment ‘will help secure a future for the festival and our community programme’.

Published: 4 Nov 2020