Stand-up comic and writer Madeleine Brettingham has taken first prize (as chosen by the audience) at this year's World Series final. Rob Nother, a tack sharp political Irish comedian from Dublin, was both runner up and won the panel prize.

Their fellow contenders in the final were:

Laurie Brewster – A sardonic Southerner now living in Newcastle. 

Louis Etienne – Bradford born stand up.

Max Gill - from London.

Archit Goenka – Indian comedian now living in the UK.

Joe Gurski – A screen writing graduate from the University of Manchester.

Joe Hodgson – Idiosyncratic Oldham comedian.

Ste Lomas – stand up from Liverpool.

Molly Rob – stand up originally from Cockermouth.

The night was hosted by Rob Mulholland who was also marking having won the competition himself 10 years ago.

The final is just three weeks after John Bishop returned for a cosy gig at the Frog while on his mammoth 25thanniversary tour as the club was the site of his first ever attempt at stand up. So you never know who you will see at the beginning of their career. Telling the BBC prior to his return to the club he said, “I had to come back here (The Frog) because this stage and this room changed my life.”

The four competition heats began at the end of September where everyone who “beat the frog” throughout the year compete to be crowned the winner. Every Monday the gong style night pits acts against the audience. Three people are given cards by the compere, then the acts take to the stage all competing to complete their full five-minute set without being “croaked off”, which happens when all three of the cards go up. At the end a winner is selected via a “clap off”.

Previous winners include Dan Tiernan, Ola Labib and Brennan Reece.

Pictured: Madeleine Brettingham (right) and Aimee Perry, Frog and Bucket booker. © Andy Hollingworth Archive