Ricky Gervais launches search to discover ‘Britain’s second greatest comic’

Ricky Gervais has teamed up with Dutch Barn Vodka to launch a competition to discover ‘Britain’s second greatest comic’

Called The Spirit of Comedy, the nationwide talent search will launch in 20 towns and cities across the UK from May 2025 – including a heat in Cardiff with the aim of discovering the UK’s next best stand-up comedian and take them global.

Winners of the competition will receive a cash prize of £5,000 and be invited to open for Ricky Gervais at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on 15 November 2025.

Dutch Barn Vodka, co-owned by comedian Ricky Gervais, has launched the progressive stand-up comedy competition with multiple regional rounds reaching all corners of the UK, and a grand final that will take place in London on 1 October 2025.

Aiming to unearth new comedy talent and promote them to a global audience, alongside the competition, The Spirit of Comedy will be a community for comedy lovers to enjoy a laugh at any time of the day.

Dutch Barn Vodka is a premium vodka distilled from British apples in Yorkshire by Ellers Farm Distillery. A Certified B CorpTM and committed to helping its drinkers ‘have a laugh’, every guest attending a Spirit of Comedy event will be welcomed with a complimentary Dutch Barn cocktail.

When speaking about the competition, Ricky Gervais, co-owner of Ellers Farm, said, “As well as trying to make Dutch Barn a billion-dollar global brand, we thought we might as well try to find Britain’s second greatest comic.”

Chris Fraser, founder and Chairman of Ellers Farm, added, “We’re building a brand that loves to have fun and want Dutch Barn to be at the heart of comedy for a long time to come, with plans to take The Spirit of Comedy around the world alongside Dutch Barn. We also know Ricky won’t live forever, so we thought we should start trying to find the next big thing.”

The Spirit of Comedy schedule:

First round: May to July 2025, including 20 towns and cities across the UK (including a heat in Cardiff).
Second round: August & September 2025, including 5 towns and cities across the UK.
Final round: 1 October 2025 in London.

Highlights of the shows will be broadcast on the Dutch Barn YouTube channel, with judging to include a combination of audience voting and expert panels.

With a mix of prizes at each event and progression to the next round of the competition, Dutch Barn invites aspiring comics to apply to The Spirit of Comedy by submitting a short clip of their comedy at www.DutchBarn.com/SpiritofComedy.