Rich McCulloch named as Southport New Comedian Of The Year

Rich McCulloch has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Southport New Comedian Of The Year.

The hilarious comic won the top prize in a fiercely contested Grand Final on the 12th night of the 17-day Southport Comedy Festival.

A Southport native, now living in Leeds, Rich is an alternative musical comedian, combining surreal storytelling with lively physical performances.

Performing comedy for just 18 months, Rich is the current winner of the Lawrence Batley Theatre Best New Act 2025. He was also Shortlisted for Best Newcomer and Best Alternative Act, at the Yorkshire Comedy Awards 2025.

He was among eight superb stand up comedians from all over the UK who were competing in the Grand Final at Victoria Park, with nearly 200 people entering this year.

He was awarded the Southport New Comedian Of The Year trophy by Dragon Soop Sales & Marketing Director Isabelle Kent, along with a £300 prize.

Runner-up on the night was Oliver Bowler, from Bolton, a talented rising star of the UK comedy scene. A natural born storyteller, with just two years of comedy under his belt, Oliver has been hailed by his comedy peers as one of the most exciting stand-ups to hit the circuit in recent years and is marked as one to watch after winning over audiences across the UK.

In third place was Tabish Akbar. A data scientist, based in Manchester, Tabish has been doing comedy for just under three years. In that time he has gone on to win Beat the Frog, The King Gong, Beat the Blackout, Ding Dong and Backyard Comedy KO.

Also impressing the audience in the Grand Final were: Gill Gee, Marty Riley, Tov Falk,

Ben Robinson and Dave Rowlands.

Rich McCulloch has been crowned the winner of the 2025 Southport New Comedian Of The Year.

Southport Comedy Festival Director Brendan Riley said:

“The Southport New Comedian of the Year Grand Final was absolutely brilliant!

“This is the 17th year we have organised the contest and the standard of the performers was incredible.

“They have all been gigging for less than four years but the quality of their routines and their material was fantastic

“All eight of our finalists could forge careers in stand-up comedy.

“We had a huge response to our call for entries this year. At our Grand Final, we had finalists who travelled from Southampton, from Bradford, from Manchester, while our winner hails from Southport but now lives in Leeds.

“It was a superb showcase for new and emerging talent and a great accolade to be able to put on their CVs.

“The audience was brilliant, really supportive of all our acts.

“Once again, we kept ticket prices low at just £5 each to encourage people to come and enjoy these emerging comedians performing.

“We’re very grateful to our sponsors, Dragon Soop, who have supported the event for the past four years.

“Dragon Soop is an exciting, progressive brand, and this event fits perfectly with their profile.

“Congrtatulations to our winner, Rich McCulloch, and to all of this year’s finalists.

“I’d also like to thank this year’s judges; Isabelle Kent (Dragon Soop Sales & Marketing Director), Alan Adams (Southport Flower Show General Manager), John Harding (magician and comedian), Babu Patel (S.B. Patel) and Andrew Brown (Stand Up For Southport Director).”

Dragon Soop Sales & Marketing Director Isabelle Kent said:

“Dragon Soop is thrilled to have been part of another fantastic Southport Comedy Festival Grand Final, the talent on stage was phenomenal.

“Huge congratulations to winner Rich McCulloch, along with runners-up Oliver Bowler and Tabish Akbar.

“Dragon Soop is proud to support an event that celebrates emerging comedy talent and brings so much laughter to Southport.”

The 14th annual Southport Comedy Festival in association with Halliwell Jones Kia Southport all takes place under canvas in a luxury heated and seated marquee courtesy of Elite Events in Southport’s famous Victoria Park, home of the Flower Show, from now until Sunday 19th October 2025.

More acts still to come include UK comedy icon Mick Miller (Thursday 16th October 2025), American comedy legend Rich Hall (Friday 17th October 2025), high-energy festival favourite Jason Byrne, (Saturday 18th October 2025) and Irish Comedy Queen Deirdre O’Kane (Sunday 19th October 2025).

The entire festival is being staged in a giant luxury heated and seated marquee courtesy of Elite Events in Victoria Park, home of Southport Flower Show.