Now in its second year, FHM Stand-Up Hero is, says publishers Bauer, the widest, most accessible, most prestigious most entertaining competition in the UK, with one of the biggest comedy prizes ever.
The competition, which aims to find Britain's best undiscovered stand-up comedian, was this year made into a series of programmes co-created by Steve Coogan's top TV comedy production company Baby Cow and Signal TV.
Hosted by Australian comic Brendon Burns, and culminating with this week’s final, Stand-Up Hero was a six-part series, broadcast on ITV4.
26-year-old Josh (pictured), who hails from Haytor Vale in Devon, has been performing stand-up for two and half years. He entered Stand-Up Hero earlier this year and was one of 25 comedians to appear in five heats, the winners of which went head-to-head in a grand final in front of judges Ronni Ancona, John Thomson and Jo Caufield. In addition to the title of FHM Stand-Up Hero, Josh scooped a prize of £10,000 cash.
Josh is regarded as one of the best up-and-coming acts on the UK circuit and is fast establishing himself on the live circuit supporting huge comic talent such as Kevin Bridges, Michael McIntyre, Alan Carr and Shappi Khorsandi.
Commenting on his win, Josh, who doesn't yet know how he'll spend his money, said: "I am delighted to win FHM Stand Up Hero, this is the best thing to happen to me since I met Nigella Lawson."
Host Brendon Burns added: "Stand-up is hard, really really hard and takes years to perfect, but once in a blue moon you find a freak that just knows how to do it from the offset. Josh Widdicombe is one of these freaks."
