Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Sam Simmons has taken the top prize at this year’s Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, for his one-man show, 'Spaghetti for Breakfast'. The show, which ran at the Underbelly venue, was named best comedy show at the awards, which are celebrating their 35th year.

Congratulations @samsimmonss winner @ComedyAwards 2015 - see him tom live online @BBCEdFest > http://t.co/2OiKKyImoC pic.twitter.com/ewZFujacZf

— BBCEdFest (@BBCEdFest) August 29, 2015

Continue reading: Sam Simmons Scoops Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award For 2015

Sky has hit back at Channel 4's chief executive David Abraham over what the company perceives to be "glaring inconsistency" in his views on retransmission fees. In his speech at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Abraham accused Sky of being "dishonest" and said the firm should pay to transmit the five terrestrial channels - for fees that would reach £200 million a year.

Steph and Dom on Gogglebox. The production company behind the show was recently told to the US

Abraham said on Friday: "The argument that has been played out that we are looking for subsidy and regulatory defence, is a dishonest one. The fact is the current regime is a piece of government intervention which benefits the pay platforms, it allows pay-TV platforms to take free-to-air channels for free.

Continue reading: Sky Hits Out At David Abraham's "Glaring Inconsistency" Over Terrestrial Channels

The shortlist for this year’s Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards has been released. Seven nominees have been picked out in total for Best Comedy Show, widely considered to be the most prestigious category.

Alex Horne is among the nominees

James Acaster, Alex Horne and Sara Pascoe are among the nominees for the main prize. Stand up comic Acaster has been nominated for the third year in a row. Alex Horne’s ‘Monsieur Butterfly’ set was one of the most ambitious sets in terms of props, as he spent his entire hour of allotted time building a huge contraption with help via audience participation. Pascoe is the only female on the shortlist, and her set entitled Sara Pascoe vs History looked at relationships between historical characters as well as her own.

Continue reading: Alex Horne Among Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards Nominees

The comedian Tim Vine has won the award for funniest joke at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, marking the second time in four years that he has scooped the honor. He won for the one-liner: "I decided to sell my Hoover... well it was just collecting dust."

Tim Vine won this year's funniest joke award [Getty/Scott Campbell]

Vine, 47 - the brother of broadcaster Jeremy - scooped almost a fifth of the votes in the competition run by comedy television channel, Dave. In 2010, the comedian won with the joke: "I've just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. I'll tell you what, never again." He was runner-up in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Continue reading: Tim Vine Wins Funniest Joke For 'Hoover' Gag At Edinburgh Festival 2014

August has arrived in Edinburgh – and the rest of the world, in fact – bringing with it a deluge of travelling live performance from stand up comedy to theatre; everything in between, before and beyond that, too.

The Fringe kicks off (Getty 2014/Jeff. J Mitchell)

The city becomes one of the most visited in the world during the Festival Fringe, so this year, celebrations have kicked off at the airport, meaning newly arrived tourists get a taste of the frivolity and hullaballoo as soon as they step off the plane.   

Continue reading: Edinburgh Fringe 2014 Celebrations Kick Off... At The Airport

Jeremy Paxman is making the move from grumpy broadcaster to one-man entertainer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his new show, PAXMAN. But why, oh why, is the Newsnight presenter focussing so much on beards?

Here's Jeremy Paxman, but without a beard

Well it’s probably got something to do with the awful reception his facial hair received back in August of 2013. He was even trending on twitter because of his chin choices, and it’s fair to say Britain’s 26th rudest man – as determined by GQ – was shaken by this. 

Continue reading: Why Jeremy Paxman Is Concentrating On Beards For One Man Show At Edinburgh Fringe

The Edinburgh Fringe has been the springboard for some of the U.K’s biggest stars. It’s a hustling, bustling supermarket-on-a-Saturday of a place, teeming with talent and bursting with show-offs. You have to be one to be seen in August at the Fringe.

This is a big Fringe for Walsh

At the end of the hectic month, a collection of awards are handed out to the cream of the crop, including nods for seasoned professionals and burgeoning talents alike. This propels said star into new realms of popularity, not least because next year’s flyer can boast extra awards.

Continue reading: Edinburgh Fringe 2013: Who's In Line For The Prizes?

Ok, so it's that time of the year again, when the Edinburgh Fringe Festival announces its funniest joke of the year and we all go, "What, really?" 

Saying that, this year's winner is actually pretty witty and it was dreamed up by Yorkshire comedian Rob Auton, who took the prize by digital TV channel Dave.

He won for the joke: "I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa."

Continue reading: Was This Really The Funniest Joke At The Edinburgh Fringe Festival?

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has made the careers of many British comedians, actors and writers, and David Baddiel is almost certainly one of them. He has returned to the Fringe for the first time since 1998 with a major show, and hasn’t disappointed one bit.

The reviews so far have been excellent: “Major Edinburgh Fringe shows can often be disappointing, hoovering up ticket money that should go to needier newcomers,” complain London’s Evening Standard. “The annual hybrid of trade fair and creativity opened this weekend and it is a relief to report that David Baddiel’s first set since 1998 is insightful, illuminating and extremely funny.”

The Telegraph seemed equally impressed, here, giving an insight into the funny-man’s act: “Vitally, however, the mood is far from self-pitying, as Baddiel repeatedly uses priceless tales, of which he is often the butt, to make serious points” they write. “Once voted the “World’s Sixth Sexiest Jew” (behind, as he resignedly points out, Alan Sugar), he wittily addresses the casual prejudice that his ethnicity has generated, also stirring in a sparkling account of apparent mistaken identity involving him, Ben Elton and Andrew Lloyd Webber.”

Continue reading: Edinburgh Fringe Festival, David Baddiel Makes Strong Return

Former director of the Sydney Festival, Fergus Linehan, has been appointed to take over the Edinburgh international festival, which will kick off this August in the historic city.

Until as recently as 2012, Linehan – a Irish native – was the head of contemporary music at the Sydney Opera House, and currently, he is the artistic director of Vivid LIVE, which this May, presents Kraftwerk performing their eight albums and Bobby Womack's Australian debut. Linehan said: "I am delighted and deeply honoured to have been appointed as the next director of the Edinburgh international festival. I look forward to safeguarding the founding principles of the festival in ways which are engaging and relevant to all. Successful festivals respond to both place and provenance to create a unique identity and this is particularly true of Edinburgh, the pre-eminent festival city."

Stephen Fry made his name at The Edinburgh Fringe

Continue reading: Edinburgh Festival Goes Down Under Yet Again, This Time With Fergus Linehan