BBC News writes that after a rebellious internet campaign spearheaded (albeit unintentionally) by Stewart Lee, the Japanese ‘performance art’ group won the poll to find the public’s favourite comedy act of the past 30 years.
The awards organisers said that the British public had ‘showed its humorous side’ by voting for the group and awards director Nica Burns said: ‘the public poll has given comedy fans a lot of summer fun.’
On the subject of awards, Stewart Lee won his own prize over the weekend…all because of the Frank Chickens!
The comedian, who will be releasing his Comedy Central stand-up DVD If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Ask For One in October, was awarded the Malcolm Hardee Cunning Stunt prize for the best publicity stunt at the Fringe.
After making an off-the-cuff comment about the Frank Chickens in a scathing email to the Edinburgh Awards organisers about their Comedy God poll – the words ‘Whores. Morons. Illiterates’ spring to mind – his email consequently sparked an online movement bringing the Japanese group back to the Fringe for the first time in 25 years and crowing them Comedy Gods!
The Malcolm Hardee awards organisers said ‘The fact that Stewart did not intend to unleash publicity does not negate his success.’
On Saturday Russell Kane won the coveted Edinburgh Comedy Award and Roisin Conaty won best newcomer.
Copyright : Comedy Central UK