"A Star Is Sharpened" On Madeleine Brettingham winning ‘So You Think You’re Funny?’

A Star Is Sharpened
By Eligh Gold, August 22, 2025

There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when a new comedian walks onto a stage, disarms an audience with an unexpected turn of phrase, and lands a punchline so precisely timed that it feels like a revelation. That magic was in full force this year when Madeleine Brettingham was crowned the winner of ‘So You Think You’re Funny?’, the UK’s most prestigious competition for emerging stand-up talent.

Her victory wasn’t just a win — it was a moment.

The Competition That Launched Legends

Since its inception in 1988, So You Think You’re Funny? has been the gateway for some of the UK’s most celebrated comedic voices. Past winners and finalists include the likes of Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Sarah Millican, Aisling Bea, and Maisie Adam — and now, Madeleine Brettingham joins that impressive lineage.

Held annually during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the competition is known not only for spotlighting fresh talent but also for identifying comedians with a clear, original voice. And Brettingham’s voice couldn’t have been clearer — or funnier.

Who Is Madeleine Brettingham?

A name that might be new to casual comedy fans, Brettingham has already been building quiet momentum in the circuit. With a background in writing and a brain that clearly processes the absurdity of everyday life through a razor-sharp lens, her comedy is marked by intelligence, timing, and just the right dash of joyful weirdness.

In her winning set, she delivered tightly crafted jokes about millennial anxiety, misguided self-help trends, and the delicate politics of group chats — all with an onstage presence that felt both unassuming and confidently in control. She doesn’t shout to be heard; she leans in and makes you lean with her.

Her writing style is deft and unhurried, allowing the punchlines to breathe — and then land with unexpected force. One reviewer described her as “what might happen if Victoria Wood rewired her brain with a Twitter feed and an anthropology degree.” It’s a fitting image.

Why This Win Matters

At a time when the comedy world is being pulled in all directions — from slick Netflix specials to TikTok snippets, podcast rants to AI-generated jokes — a win at So You Think You’re Funny? still holds a certain purity. It’s one comedian, a mic, and five minutes to convince a roomful of strangers they’re worth watching. No gimmicks. No edits. Just craft.

Brettingham’s win is a reminder that wit still wins — that well-constructed material, performed with authenticity and heart, can still stop people in their tracks. It also suggests that the next wave of British comedy isn’t just funny — it’s smart, subversive, and refreshingly grounded.

What’s Next for Brettingham?

Winning SYTYF opens doors. Past winners have gone on to land BBC Radio shows, panel appearances, full-hour Fringe runs, and national tours. With her unmistakable voice and a knack for tight storytelling, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brettingham making moves into writing rooms, pilot pitches, and podcast charts very soon.

But for now, she’s right where she should be: standing on a stage, mic in hand, laughing with (and at) the world, and enjoying the moment she’s absolutely earned.

Madeleine Brettingham may have just stepped into the spotlight, but if her performance at So You Think You’re Funny? is anything to go by, she won’t be stepping out of it any time soon.