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Scotsman
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award: As the prize 'takes a break' in 2025 here are all 16 hilarious jokes to have won the award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Comedian Andrew Maxwell famously once called the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 'exams for clowns', and each year it's the comics with the best jokes who get the 'A' grades. The Edinburgh Comedy Award (formerly the Perrier Award) is handed out each year to the top clown in the class, and since 2008 is has been joined by The Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award. Presented by television channel Dave, each year a shortlist of 10-15 jokes was drawn up by some of the leading comedy critics and comedians in the UK. Designed to celebrate 'the art of joke writing' and making people laugh, the general public then voted for the eventual winner. This week it was announced that 'U&Dave's Funniest Joke Of The Fringe', as it's now called, would be scrapped from the 2025 Fringe, with the TV station behind the gong saying it is 'resting'. So we thought it would be the perfect time to revisit the 16 jokes that have made the grade since the prize was established. 1 . 2024: Mark Simmons "I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship, but I bottled it." | Contributed Photo Sales 2 . 2023: Lorna Rose Treen "I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah." | Contributed Photo Sales 3 . 2022: Masai Graham "I tried to steal spaghetti from the shop, but the female guard saw me and I couldn't get pasta." | Contributed Photo Sales 4 . 2021: Masai Graham "I thought the word "Caesarean" began with the letter "S" but when I looked in the dictionary, it was in the "C" section." | Contributed Photo Sales


Belfast Telegraph
10-06-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Burrito chain Boojum eyeing new locations amid expansion
The chain, which opened its first location on Botanic Avenue in Belfast back in 2007, has opened a few new spots in England over the last year. That includes at the Merrion Centre in Leeds, as well as in Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham. But it's also searching for new restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Sheffield. Speaking about the new Leeds location, the firm said: It's due to open its doors in April, the firm said, creating around 40 new jobs: 'The new store opening in Leeds Merrion Centre will create 40 new jobs including both full time and part time positions.' The chain was sold to the UK company which runs the Zizzi and Ask Italian restaurant chains. The business was bought by David and Andrew Maxwell in 2015 as part of a management buy-in, which was backed by investment firm Renatus. Azzurri Group said it had acquired a controlling interest in Boojum from Renatus Capital Partners. Speaking around the time of the Leeds opening, David Maxwell, the firm's managing director, posting on LinkedIn, said: 'See you soon Leeds… hopefully the first of many stores in mainland UK'.