James Kirk Wins So You Think You’re Funny? 2010

Scottish comic James Kirk has beaten off stiff competition from eight other up-and-coming comic talents to be crowned the winner of So You Think You’re Funny? 2010 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Paisley-born Kirk, the only Scottish contestant of the night, was followed in second place by Liam Williams. Third place was awarded to Rob Beckett.

The competition, run annually by the Gilded Balloon, gives each contestant just seven minutes to prove how funny they are. This year the judging pannel included the Gilded Balloon’s artistic director Karen Koren and Australian stand-up Tim Minchin. The night was compered by one time So You Think You’re Funny? competitor and television comedian, Rufus Hound.

As this year’s winner, Kirk walks away with £2000 prize money and a trip to perform at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival. Now in its twenty-third year, past competition winners of the prize have included the likes of Rhona Cameron, Lee Mack, and Dylan Moran.

This year the search for the best comedy newcomer took competition organisers to Bath, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton and London. To be considered, competitors must have had less than a year’s experience on the comedy circuit.

Talking about the awards Tim Minchin said: “Competitions are good to win because it will boost your career, but it also makes those who don’t win angry. And anger will give you a bigger boost. So it doesn’t matter what the result is or what we think.” Speaking about Kirk’s win, he went onto say he “came on and did comedy on his own terms”.