A Somersham stand-up will be taking his comedy Down Under on a trip of a lifetime after being hailed the English Comedian of the Year.

Jack Campbell, 23, of Penn Way, battled through the stages of a national competition, which attracted more than 300 entrants, to win the top prize of £1,500 and a chance to perform at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in February next year.

In the competition final held at the Udderbelly on London South Bank, the comedian faced nine other award-winning comedians as he performed in a show hosted by Mock the Week regular Stephen K Amos.

“I was a bit overwhelmed really,” Jack told The Hunts Post. “I was just having a nice time and there were other people who I knew there that night.”

Not only was Jack the youngest at the final, he was also the only comedian who has a day job – he makes a living as voice over artist. But that may now change with his ambitions to write and perform for television.

As a former teacher at Peterborough Regional College, Jack uses stories and observations from his life to get the laughs from the audience.

Although he doesn’t have a ‘best joke’, he said: “I have a piece I use in every single place which is: ‘Sometimes when I’m bored I watch snooker on rewind so it looks like the referee is stealing the balls.’”

It’s a joke, he added, that fails to work at a snooker club.

Former Abbey College student Jack said he was funny as a youngster but so were his mates – they used to just make each other laugh.

His love of comedy started when he was young and included watching comedy on VHS tapes, but Jack didn’t start stand-up until university where he got involved in the comedy society.

Although his dad Peter is very supportive of his stand-up, he said his mum Karen does not really understand it and thinks he should probably get a proper job.

Jack is currently performing across the country and will be at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival next month with a two man show These Boyz Need Therapy.