A University of Sussex student has made it to the semi-finals of a student stand-up comedian competition. Adam Hess, 22, won the second heat of the Chortle Student Comedy Awards at the University College London (UCL) on Wednesday 2 March.
The annual awards seek the best student comedian across the UK “with competitors vying for a coveted place in the final at the Edinburgh Fringe” in August, according to Chortle’s website. The winner receives a £1,000 prize and £250 is given to the runner-up.
Simon Bird, the actor and comedian from The Inbetweeners, the Bafta award-winning sitcom on E4, entered the national competition in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. It was in 2008 that he came second in his final attempt.
Originally from Croydon, Adam Hess, a third-year undergraduate studying economics, explained how he got involved: ““I’ve always known about it but never thought to enter, but this year just thought ‘why not?’”
He added: “I was surprised to win my heat due to my relative lack of experience and the strength of the other performers.” The semi-finals are in May, in either Manchester or London.
To see Adam perform, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTnQNEYSrAE&feature=channel_video_title.