_{© Steve Ullathorne}

Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year

Over 300 acts compete for the title of New Comedian of the Year and a £1,000 prize in Leicester Square Theatre‘s hunt for the best new acts in the country.

Now in it’s 16th year previous winners and finalists include Rob Beckett, Rachel Parris, Sofie Hagen, Tim Renkow, Jess Fostekew, Nigel Ng, Rosie Holt, Alasdair Beckett-King, Tez Ilyas, Viggo Venn and loads more…

Heats take place throughout the Autumn season at the Museum of Comedy, culminating in the final in the Main House at Leicester Square Theatre in December.

Entry Requirements
The competition is open to any non-professional act who's been performing for 5 years or less and entries from character acts, musical acts and sketch groups are welcome. The only restriction is that all contestants must stick to 5 minutes of material or risk disqualification.

2026 Applications are now open!

Apply here:

2026 Dates

Heats:
Thu 10 September: 7pm
Fri 11 September: 7pm
Sat 12 September: 4 pm
Sat 12 September: 7pm
Sun 12 September: 4pm
Sun 12 September: 7pm

Sat 19 September: 4pm
Sat 19 September: 7pm
Sun 20 September: 4pm
Sun 20September: 7pm

Fri 25 September: 7pm
Sat 26 September: 4pm
Sat 26 September: 7pm
Sun 27 September: 4pm
Sun 27 September: 7pm

Fri 2 October: 7pm
Sat 3 October: 4pm
Sat 3 October: 7pm
Sun 4 October: 4pm
Sun 4 October: 7pm

Fri 9 October: 7pm
Sat 10 October: 4pm
Sat 10 October: 7pm
Sun 11 October: 4pm
Sun 11 October: 7pm

Quarter Finals:
Sun 1 November: 4pm
Sun 1 November: 7pm
Wed 4 November: 7pm
Fri 6 November: 7pm

Thu 12 November: 7pm
Fri 13 November: 7pm
Sat 14 November: 4pm
Sat 14 November: 7pm
Sun 15 November: 4pm
Sun 15 November: 7.pm

Semi Finals:
Thu 12 November: 7pm
Fri 13 November: 7pm
Sat 14 November: 4pm
Sun 15 November: 4pm

Final:
TBC

 

PAST WINNERS

2025
Winner: Roman Harris
Runner Up: Lizzie Simpson
3rd Place: Dom McGovern

2024
Winner: Rohan Sharma
Runner Up: Lianna Holston
3rd Place: Abbie Edwards

2023
Winner: Sallyann Fellowes
Runner Up: Christian Jegard
3rd Place: Hugh Peacocke

2022
Winner: Will Owen
Joint Runner Up: Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa & Viggo Venn
3rd Place: Sarah Roberts

2021
Winner: Sam Nicoresti
Runner Up: Dee Allum
3rd Place: Dan Tiernan

2019
Winner: David Eagle
Runner Up: Josh Baulf
Joint 3rd: Lily Phillips & Luke Craig

2018
Winner: Sam Lake
Runner Up: Darran Griffiths
3rd place: Calum Stewart & Yumna Mohamed

2017
Winner: Mo Omar
Runner Up: Ali Woods
3rd place: Jack Gleadow

2016
Winner: Joby Mageean
Runner Up: Lewis Dunne aka Stanley Brooks
3rd place: Micky Overman

2015
Winner: ZakSplijt aka LJ Da Funk
Runner Up: Bilal Zafar
3rd place: Yuriko Kotani

2014
Winner: Joshua Ross
Runner Up: Don Tran
3rd place: Evelyn Mok

2013
Winner: Tim Renkow
Runner Up: Garrett Millerick
Joint 3rd: Alasdair Beckett-King & Amy Gledhill

2012
Winner: Funmbi Omotayo
Runner Up: Phil O'Shea
3rd place: Sofie Hagen

2011
Winner: Matt Rees
Runner Up: Richard Todd
3rd place: Adam Hess

2010
Winner: Tim Shishodia
Runner Up: Mark Stephenson
3rd place: Ian Smith

2009
Winner: Rob Beckett
Runner Up: Jim Campbell
3rd place: Tania Edwards & Sally Tatum

Other finalists include... Rachel Parris, Tez Ilyas, Jess Fostekew, Olga Koch, Huge Davies, Nigel Ng, Janine Harouni, Joe Jacobs, George Lewis, Tom Ward, Bobby Mair, Harriet Kemsley, Sunil Patel, Jenny Collier, Lauren Pattison & many more...