Angela Barnes

How 2011 winner Angela Barnes gave up the day job

In 2011, Brighton's Angela Barnes won the BBC New Comedy Award by a public vote. Here, she shares what she's been up to since taking the title.

Wherein the week is thoroughly mocked standing up rather than sitting down behind a desk, and in an even more ranty fashion. Paul Chowdhry takes over from Jon Richardson as the host for this series of the topical comedy show, taking the week's events and handing them off to comics for lampoonery. Regulars Seann Walsh and Josh Widdecombe return, this week joined by furrowed comic Simon Evans, former maths teacher Romesh Ranganathan and Russell Howard regular Angela Barnes.

Almost by stealth, this vaguely satirical, topical stand-up showcase has made it to a fifth series. Functioning as a sort of halfway-house testing ground between Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You, it's seen a surprisingly illustrious stream of light-entertainment talent pass through its doors.

Jack Whitehall, Kevin Bridges, Patrick Kielty and Rich Hall have all made appearances before moving on; this time Paul Chowdhry takes over hosting duties while regulars Seann Walsh and Josh Widdicombe are joined by newbies Simon Evans, Romesh Ranganathan and Angela Barnes in sticking the boot into the week's news. Decent post-pub fun, if you're in the market for that sort of thing.

Angela Barnes: I am ugly, and proud of it

This might be the last acceptable form of discrimination, but the fact is I don't see people on TV or in films who look like me.

This week's new live comedy

Reviews of Diane Spencer, Claudia O'Doherty and Angela Barnes.

A year in the life of a BBC New Comedy Award winner

Last year's winner, Angela Barnes, talks about how entering the BBC New Comedy Award 2011 transformed her life and career.

Radio 2 New Comedy Award: Winner Q&A

Last Saturday night Angela Barnes won this year's Radio 2 New Comedy Award 2011, fending off strong competition from fellow finalists Joe Lycett, Tez Ilyas, Chris Turner, Mark Restuccia and Pat Cahill.

On Saturday, the network took a tip from The X Factor with the live final of its New Comedy Award, presented by Patrick Kielty. Six hundred acts were boiled down to six, voted on by the audience. This being Radio 2, the audience sounded about as edgy as a Parent Teacher Association drinking Merlot, but that came as a relief to one comedian who said, "There's nothing worse than looking at the crowd and thinking I've got things in my medicine cabinet older than you." There was lots of encouraging applause and no one heckled. My favourite was the acerbic Joe Lycett, with his mordantly Frankie Howerd-esque story of a driving lesson in Manchester, but Pat Cahills ingenious rap about having your dog put down was also very good. The winner was Angela Barnes from Maidstone whose weapon was the one-liner ("It's no mistake that the anagram of Maidstone is I am Stoned - that's all there is to do!") and who should fit seamlessly into the throng of talented female comedians on radio and TV.

Angela Barnes wins BBC New Comedy Award

Angela Barnes, the winner of BBC Radio 2's New Comedy Award, has said she feels "vindicated" by her success, claiming some critics complained she had only made the final because the Corporation needed a female in the line-up.