» Three cheers for Brighton funny girl Zoe Lyons
It’s celebcity with Jo Brooks
Brighton comedian Zoe Lyons scooped a comedy award from TV channel Dave with a dig at troubled singer Amy Winehouse. Zoe’s joke has been officially declared the funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe.
Her winning one-liner was, “I can’t believe Amy Winehouse self-harms. She’s so irritating she must be able to find someone to do it for her.”
The 33-year-old, from Brighton, made the joke in her show, Mangled Mantra of the Messed-up Modern Mind. She scooped the prize in the inaugural comedy awards from the TV channel which bills itself ‘the home of witty banter’. Zoe said after receiving the award “I am absolutely delighted to have won the award. I know self-harming is not funny but it’s just a joke, so I’m not going to beat myself up about it.”
She received almost 12 per cent of the public vote and takes home the Dave Award for the Funniest Joke of the Fringe and a cash prize. Zoe is not shy of winning awards, at her debut at Edinburgh last year with her solo show Fight or Flight, she was nominated for an If.comedy best newcomer award.
Jo Brooks is director of Brighton-based PR company JBPR Ltd
Steve peeves Reeves
Hove resident Steve Coogan won’t be getting a Christmas card from US
actor Keanu Reeves this year. Coogan, who will soon be setting off on his live UK tour, has named his new rent boy character after the Matrix star.
Steve said in a recent interview, “I play a gay rent boy. He changed his name by deed poll to Keanu Reeves, because that’s one of the people he likes. He has very, very modern hair, wears low-cut jeans and scarves and he stares and he tries to look pale and interesting. He’s normally on something and is a compulsive liar”. You can catch Steve doing all of his favourite characters including Keanu at the Brighton Centre on Friday 21 November. For bookings go to www.brightoncentre.co.uk
At the first stroke
The famous British institution that is the speaking clock has lost its sponsor! Brighton voiceover artist Sara Mendes Da Costa who reads the famous lines has now had to re-record, losing the “sponsored by Accurist”
The speaking clock began in 1963 and still ‘clocks’ up over 70 million dial-ins every year.
We love you, yeah, yeah, yeah!
If you are a Beatles fan then head down to the Naked Eye Gallery on Western Road in Hove.
Legendary snapper Tom Murray is showing his limited edition shots of the fab four, taken in 1968. The exhibition is called Mad Day Out, Summer of 1968 and runs from 29 August until the end of September. For more information on opening times call the gallery on 01273 204800.
Brighton meets Scotland
Spotted: Glaswegian band Glasvegas in Brighton last week. The new darlings of the music press did a live promo gig at HMV in Churchill Square on bank holiday Monday.
01273 622555, www.jb-pr.com
