Preston’s New Comedian of the Year competition this year was missing something at its finals… contestants from Preston. The competition has left people wondering is people from Preston are really that funny.
Preston’s funniest man at the annual Frog and Bucket Comedy Club talent search was judged to be Brennan Reece, even though he’s not from Preston, he’s from Manchester.
The Ashton-under-Lyme native, 24, beat competition from eight other finalists. There weren’t any Preston locals in the top three either, as Scouser Adam Staunton came second and Peter Phillipson, another Mancunian came third.
No one from Preston made it into fional, apart from the star guest Dan Nightingale, and the host comedian, Phil Ellis.
But the results aren’t that surprising, considering the fact that only one born and bred Prestonian entered the competition, Jay Edwards, but unfortunately he was knocked out in the third heat.
A couple of students from the University of Central Lancashire took part, but were unceremoniously “croaked off” within a minute of the first heat. Freddie Quinne, a popular new comedian on the circuit made it to the final, but had to give up his place after he was offered a new job in Japan.
The manager of the Preston Frog and Bucket, John Gray, said: “It seems Preston people just really aren’t funny! We advertised it at first to just people in Preston. There are one or two people on the open mic scene but, other than that, no-one at all signed up.”
Local comedians did face stiff competition from the ultimate winner though, as Brennan is a regular competitor at other Frog and Bucket comedy nights, and has won the title of Beat The Frog Champion of Champions at the Manchester branch of the club.
The Preston Frog and Bucket is where Brennan did his first ever comedy gig, and he chose it because he thought that no none in the audience would know him. However, that wasn’t the case: “I got there and a friend of mine from Preston was in! He didn’t know I was on, it was just pure coincidence. It means a lot to win in Preston as that’s where I started.”