Dutch Barn Vodka launches The Spirit Of Comedy competition
- The Spirit of Comedy is a new stand-up competition launched by Dutch Barn Vodka, the brand co-owned by Ricky Gervais
- The prize includes £5,000 and the chance to open for Gervais at Wembley Arena in October
- The live heats start in May. Submit a video clip of yourself to enter
Dutch Barn Vodka, the drink brand co-owned by Ricky Gervais, has launched The Spirit of Comedy, a new progressive stand-up comedy competition with multiple regional rounds reaching all corners of the UK, and a grand final that will take place in London on 1st October 2025.
The winner will receive a cash prize of £5,000 and be invited to open for Ricky Gervais at London's OVO Arena Wembley on 15 November 2025.
The organisers say: "Aiming to unearth new comedy talent and promote them to a global audience, alongside the competition, The Spirit of Comedy will be a community for comedy lovers to enjoy a laugh at any time of the day."
Ricky Gervais says: "As well as trying to make Dutch Barn a billion-dollar global brand, we thought we might as well try to find Britain's second greatest comic."
Chris Fraser, founder and chairman of Ellers Farm which makes Dutch Barn, adds:"We're building a brand that loves to have fun and want Dutch Barn to be at the heart of comedy for a long time to come, with plans to take The Spirit of Comedy around the world alongside Dutch Barn. We also know Ricky won't live forever, so we thought we should start trying to find the next big thing."
The first round of the competition will run from May to July 2025, including 20 towns and cities across the UK.
The second round will run in August and September, with the final on 1st October.
Highlights of the shows will be broadcast on the Dutch Barn YouTube channel, with judging to include a combination of audience voting and expert panels.
To enter, you should submit a short clip of yourself performing via www.DutchBarn.com/SpiritofComedy
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