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.

And the last two semi-finalists are...

Angela Barnes (runner-up, Brighton heat) and Tez Ilyas (runner-up, Newcastle heat) are through to the semi-finals. Well done!