The shortlist for the ‘Takeover Radio 106.9FM NCF Joke of the Festival Award’ has been announced, celebrating the start of the 10-day Nottingham Comedy Festival.
Based in Ashfield in north Nottinghamshire, the community youth radio station Takeover Radio 106.9FM has partnered with the Nottingham Comedy Festival to create the first joke of the festival award in the 17 years of the festival.
With a prize of £106.90, plus a free entry to next year’s festival, the award attracted a long list of entrants from across the comedy spectrum. A panel from the Nottinghamshire comedy industry were then given an anonymous list of all the entrants to produce a shortlist of their favourites, with a panel from the station’s team and listeners now voting for their favourite.
Nick Mellors, a volunteer at Takeover Radio 106.9 said: “When we worked with ISH this summer to create the year’s most valuable joke of the Fringe award, Takeover Radio helped put Ashfield on the map at the world’s largest international arts festival – proving that we will not allow communities like ours to continue to be overlooked and to show that our young people can and do have a part to play in the creative fabric of our country.
We’re therefore delighted to be able to support the wonderful Nottingham Comedy Festival as it brings great and innovative comedy to our county, from TV names like Glenn Moore and Ashfield’s own Jacob Nussey to less well known surreal and alternative performers, and to continue to showcase the awesome creative talent we have across the area.”
Helen Stead, Nottingham Comedy Festival organiser, said: “In the year when we are launching our first dedicated programme of Kids Comedy Shows as part of the Nottingham Comedy Festival we are especially delighted that Takeover Radio, as our local youth radio station, is supporting our first joke of the festival award – the Takeover Radio 106.9FM NCF Joke of the Festival Award.
The seven finalists are:
· Philip Simon: I asked my son if he was old enough to join the Secret Service. He said, "MI5 or MI6?" (Philip Simon: ‘School's Out Comedy Club’ is at The VAT and Fiddle, Sunday 9th November at 12pm)
· Alex Mitchell: I did my driving test in Luton. My driving instructor asked me to pull over whenever it was safe to do so. I drove to Cambridge.” (Alex Mitchell: ‘Tough’ is at The VAT and Fiddle, Saturday 8th November at 8pm)
· Friz Frizzle: I'm afraid of going to the Doctors because there's a risk that they'll tell me there's something wrong with me, and I don't like criticism. (’ Friz Frizzle's Funny Turn’ is at Hockley Emporium, Saturday 1st November at 7.30pm)
· Denzil de Cristo: “! used to be in a rock band, we toured the Far East.” “Singapore?”. “Yeah, Drummer was rubbish too." (Denzil de Cristo: ‘Artificially Intelligent Procrastinating Pundit’, is at Hockley Emporium, Saturday 8th November at 7:30pm)
· Angela Bra: My mum always said that "money doesn’t grow on trees”. Which is a shame because if trees were a bank they’d be the only one with any branches left. (Angela Bra: ‘Secret Diary of a Bingo Call Girl’, is at The Lord Roberts, Tuesday 4th November at 8pm)
· Joz Norris: Sometimes I worry I'm a bad parent, but then I give myself credit for how hard I work to put food on the table. Admittedly my wife pays for the food and cooks the food, but I'm always the one who puts it on the table. (Joz Norris: ‘You Wait. Time Passes’ is at Fisher Gate Point, Saturday 8th November at 9.30pm)
· Henry Michael: When I’m not doing this I’m actually a GP, which is why you probably haven’t seen me before. (Henry Michael: ‘Kevin Daniel & Henry Michael - Happy Hour’ is at Canalhouse, Monday 3rd November at 6.30pm)
The Nottingham Comedy Festival runs until 9 November in venues all across the city – details at https://www.nottinghamcomedyfestival.co.uk/2025-line-up .
