Samantha Day wins Silver Stand-Up 2025 competition
- Samantha Day has won the 2025 Silver Stand-Up competition, for acts over the age of 55
- She says: "The night was lovely, the audience was supportive, and I was really surprised that I won"
The Silver Stand-Up competition returned to Leicester Comedy Festival on Thursday 13th February, with Samantha Day crowned the winner.
Since its inception in 2012, the competition has celebrated the wit and skills of comedians aged 55+, both established and up and coming.
Day was also recently a finalist in the BCG Pro Talent Awards for Performance. Her biography explains: "Samantha is the sassy, stand-up mum of six Millennials/Gen Zers. Her comedy career kicked off about six years ago, after three decades as an accountant and single mum. Now she's free, she's really hit her stride, as a truly original act who's progressing fast on the circuit."
She says: "The night was lovely, the audience was supportive, and I was really surprised that I won. I have been doing comedy for five years, and while I qualified for the Silver Stand-Up last year, I didn't have the courage to go through with it. It took me 12 months to build up the confidence!"
The final also featured Julie Metcalfe, Kevin Hudson, Kevin O'Brien, Lubna Kerr, Mark Ahier, Mark Vincent and SJ Wyatt.
The show was hosted by Mrs Barbara Nice with the judging panel including Kevin Daniel (winner of Silver Stand Up 2024), Susanna Clark (Ingenious Fools) and Liam Deacy (LAMP -Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project).
The organisers say: "This year's event was a clear reminder that comedy knows no age limits and that laughter is truly timeless, bringing attention to the invaluable contributions older performers make to the rich fabric of the UK's comedy scene."
Charlotte Laidet, Festivals and Programme Director at Big Difference, the charity behind Leicester Comedy Festival, comments: "Comedy is often perceived as an industry for young people, and older comedians frequently face challenges in accessing the same opportunities, whether they've just started later in life or have been performing for years. For Big Difference Company and Leicester Comedy Festival, it is very important to show that comedy is for everyone, at any age, and to support and highlight the talent of these brilliant acts aged over 55."