Josh Pugh on preparing for the BBC New Comedy Awards

Here's a chat with Josh Pugh, who is heading up the judging on this year's BBC New Comedy Awards...

Hi Josh. You've had a great 12 months. How are you feeling about how things are going career-wise for you?

Things are dead good, enjoying coming up with stuff and having an audience who are willing to indulge it a bit; a dream come true really.

Social media has been a good tool for me. I don't take it too seriously, and it certainly will never be as fun as live stand-up, but I'm grateful for everyone who has found me on there, even the guy who keeps sending me Joe Rogan clips telling me to "get on there".

Now you're the head judge of the BBC New Comedy Awards 2023. Tell us more about the role and where you're going to be heading with the heats...

It's a genuine honour to be asked, I love seeing new comedians and combine that with a bit of authority and I'm loving it. Heats are in Sunderland, Leith, Ballymena, Bangor, Nottingham and London so a good mix and hopefully as many people will be able to enter as possible.

What will you and your fellow judges be looking for particularly?

I want to have a proper laugh, I don't even know what I'm looking for until I see it, I'm going in with a completely open mind.

2022 head judge Fern Brady said it was really really tough to pick between the finalists due to a consistently good standard. Do you think you're going to be a decisive judge or sit on the fence?

In my personal life I'm a terrible decision maker, changing my mind all the time, over-thinking every aspect of the day-to-day but, when it comes to something like this, I think I'll be pretty decisive. That said, I'm sure the heats will all be close. I also have two other judges to lean on at each heat and I'll definitely be doing that.

You've entered a number of competitions across your career yourself. Any tips for newcomers as to how to approach things?

I'd say: Do your best stuff, try and enjoy the gig and don't worry about where you place; it's a huge bonus if you do well competitions but certainly not the end of the world if you don't.

More generally, do you have any good tips for someone who is just starting to try stand-up?

Nothing exciting other than to gig loads, do the things you think are funny, eventually it comes together, everyone works it out at different speeds but just enjoy it; there will be bad gigs, great gigs... try and not let either affect your mood too much. Find your mates in comedy and support each other, it's great.

Before you get going on your new judging role, you're heading back to the Edinburgh Fringe for a couple of weeks. It's a work in progress show?

I'm doing some work in progress shows right at the start, I think the first two are even before the fringe officially begins... Hoping people will come to those ones, like drinking at the airport before the main holiday starts.