Holly Ludlow wins West End New Act of the Year 2024
- 1st: Holly Ludlow
- 2nd: Prateek Kohli
- 3rd: Tasmin Sarkany
The West End New Act of the Year for 2024 has been named as stand-up comedian Holly Ludlow.
She triumphed at the live final, which took place last night (8th April).
Prateek Kohli was named runner-up by the judges, with Tasmin Sarkany placed third via an audience vote.
Now into its third year, The West End New Act of the Year competition was set up to give a platform to the new acts who found their career development hampered by the pandemic. Over 300 acts applied to take part this year, with more than 100 taking part in the heats.
The final was judged by Matt Arnold of Dulwich Hamlet Comedy Club, Ali Warwood of Commoner's Comedy and Clara Heimerdinger of Nice and Spiky. Hatty Ashdown performed a headline set as the votes were counted.
The other acts on the bill were Orlando Gibbs, Lucy Pook, Simon Hall, Jen Zheng, Laura Quinn Goh, Hamish Lloyd Barnes, Lizzie Simpson, Merry Martyn, Thea Carroll, Mj Hunter, Stacey Edwards, Sam Adamson and Martha Burns.
Resident MC Steve McLean says: "I'm glad I wasn't judging, the standard of the acts on the night was so high that almost any of them could have had a podium finish."
The competition will return in September with a variant version aimed at new comedians who are over the age of 35. Applications for those heats will open in July.