Channel 4 has today confirmed the five celebrities who are set to be thrust into the often unforgiving world of stand-up comedy for Stand Up and Deliver, an entertaining new two-part series for early 2021, in support of Stand Up To Cancer.
NMP Live presenter and broadcaster Reverend Richard Coles, joins Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder, former Conservative Party co-Chairwoman and NMP Live keynote and after dinner speaker, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Love Island’s Curtis Pritchard and former Coronation Street actress Katie McGlynn who will each be paired up with an established comedian who’ll mentor and train them in their attempt to master the art of stand-up comedy.
Corporate comedy favourite, David Baddiel, will coach Reverend Richard Coles, whilst family-friendly funnyman Jason Manford will be tasked with shepherding Shaun Ryder, Nick Helm will guide Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Judi Love will be in charge of Curtis Pritchard and Zoe Lyons is championing Katie McGlynn.
But which one will prove they have a natural vocation for comedy and be crowned the King, or Queen, of stand up?
Comedy, it's no laughing matter
Whilst delivering the perfect joke or comedy one-liner might seem easy to an outsider, especially if someone appears to have the gift-of-the gab, in reality, performing stand up comedy is no laughing matter, it takes great skill and timing to deliver a perfectly honed stand-up routine.
Professional comics work at their craft for many years, sometimes over a decade before they finally make it big, whilst these novice celebrities have just a matter of weeks. The five famous faces will be tasked with perfecting their routine alongside their celebrity mentor before performing in a special stand-up performance.
Who’ll have the last laugh and get top-billing as Stand Up and Deliver Champion? Watch this space for television air dates.
Stand Up and Deliver was commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Factual Entertainment, Alf Lawrie and Commissioning Editor Becky Cadman. Produced by Lime Pictures under Sarah Tyekiff, Head of Unscripted, with Tamsin Dodgson as Executive Producer and Genna Gibson, Series Producer.
