36th year of new act competition

Samira Banks has been crowned the 36th winner of So You Think You’re Funny?, the UK’s longest-running comedy newcomer competition. 

Banks, whose Middle Eastern father arrived in the UK as a refugee, took the title at Edinburgh’s Gilded Balloon tonight.

Chris Donovan, a former writer on BBC Radio Scotland’s Breaking The News, came second and Lancashire’s Lizzie Norm came third.

In a statement, Karen & Katy Koren, the artistic directors of the Gilded Balloon said, ‘Huge congratulations to Samira Banks. This year’s competition was fierce, hence our judges submitting 10 finalists instead of the usual maximum of  nine, so Samira should be incredibly proud.

"So You Think You’re Funny? is the UK’s longest running and most established competition of its kind. We’d like to thank every single comic who entered this year’s competition and we can’t wait to follow the finalists’ careers - we’re sure in years to come they will be some of the UK’s biggest comics."

Gary: Tank Commander star Greg McHugh  was a guest judge  and said of the competition: ‘It's a great reminder of the incredible new talent breaking onto the comedy scene across the UK and I'm sure everybody at tonight's final saw some comedians who are set to do huge things in the future. Huge congrats to all ten finalists and to Samira Banks for taking the crown. You won comedy!’

Former So You Think You’re Funny? winner Maisie Adam hosted the final and other judges were Susan Provan of the  Melbourne International Comedy Festival, US talent booker Marianne Ways, critic Bruce Dessau as well as the Korens. 

The other finalist's were Alex Lennox, Archit Goenka, Carwyn Blayney, Chantel Nash, Cormac Sinnott, Lauren Carroll,  and Sophie Garrad. 

Published: 24 Aug 2023