Student Blogs

I've just been sent a press release from Paramount Comedy announcing that Ricky Gervais’s support act/best mate/whipping boy Robin Ince will be part of the judging panel at this year's final. Robin will add to the list of comedy heavyweights present on the night including Patrick Monahan, resident warm up for BBC1’s “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross”, who will host the night and if.comedy award winner Brendon Burns, who'll be performing.

Patrick Monahan, resident warm up for BBC1’s “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross”, will be one of the hosts at the Magners Paramount Comedy On Tap Funniest Student 2008 final.

The event will take place at London's Comedy store on 10 March and will also feature a set with our special guest, if.comedy award winner Brendon Burns.

From what I hear, the competition is hotting up and with two weeks to go before the deadline for submissions, the final should be a great night!

And finally ... from Adrian MacKinder

I am a regular on the stand up circuit and I agree this is a really good idea. I recommend anyone who thinks they're funny to enter. It's such a competitive business, these competitons are a really rewarding way of getting your talent noticed by the industry. This one is worth entering as Paramount is so high profile and the panel of judges are also of a high calibre, last year they had Jonathan Ross agent among the judges!

I went along to watch the last final and apart from the fucking brilliant opportunity to play at the Comedy Store in London, the winners got the chance to develop ideas for Paramount as well as high profile gigs set up. Last year's winner, Hannah George has become a very good friend of mine and she'll no doubt agree with me when I say that it really helped her get stuck in to the comedy circuit - and I'm not even getting paid by her to say this! Here's the link to enter this year's competition: http://www.paramountcomedy.com/live-gigs/comedy_on_tap/funny.aspx

While on the subject of the Comedy Awards it seems the attempt Jonathan Ross to be funny while hosting have met with a mixed response. Even though it wasn't broadcast this year, controversy has still dogged the show.

I'm sure ITV bosses were really happy with his routine as no doubt were the McCann and Gibbons families. Read all about it.