Talent show favourite on the city that made him
The
comedian who is favourite to win tonight’s Britain’s Got Talent final has revealed how Edinburgh honed his act.
Lee Ridley, who has cerebral palsy and is unable to speak, has stormed the primetime talent show as Lost Voice Guy. The 37-year-old, who performs with the aid of an ipad, only began his stand-up career six years ago but is now on the verge of a life-changing £250,000 prize payday. And he says performing in Edinburgh in 2012, just a few months after making his comedy debut, was a seminal moment.
“The Edinburgh Fringe has always been a massive part of my life,” said Lee, from County Durham.
“I’ve seen so much good comedy there and quite a lot of bad comedy, too, which I’m sure has influenced me.
“My first couple of years performing at the Fringe convinced me this is what I love to do.
“It gave me the encouragement to try my hardest to succeed as a comedian. I’ve taken quite a few shows there now, which has helped improve me as a performer.
“I’m looking forward to coming back in August with my new show, Inspiration Porn, but I’m not sure what to expect. It might be a new audience, but hopefully they’ll enjoy it as much as my BGT stuff – even if it is a bit darker.”
The ex-communications worker at Sunderland City Council is also the star and writer of a new BBC Radio 4 series, Ability. And he says Britain’s Got Talent is just the latest surprise in a career that has been full of them.
“When I started this six years ago, I honestly didn’t have any ambitions – it was just a bit of fun and I tried it