COMEDIAN Sarah Millican has revealed the humble way she spent her prize money, 15 years on from winning the Edinburgh Fringe’s Newcomer award.
The 48-year-old stand-up comic won the award in 2008 for her debut Fringe show Sarah Milllican’s Not Nice, which was inspired by her then-recent divorce.
Since then, Millican from South Shields, Tyne and Wear, has sold out arena tours and become a regular on panel shows including Mock the Week, Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie To You?.
Known for her confessional and crude humour, 15 years on from her big break, Millican took a trip down memory lane to reveal her heartwarming reaction to winning her first big award.
In a post to social media yesterday, Millican wrote: “15 years ago today I won the Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“I won £5k and paid it off my car loan. I had excellent friends with me whose faces I had to check in case I’d heard the announcement wrong.
“I ran into the street to get signal to ring my then boyfriend, now husband. I’m a week from starting my 7th tour. Sheesh.”
The comedian also accompanied the post with a snap of herself moments after claiming the award which she described as: “It’s a photo of me after I’d just won the award. I look about 12. I’m actually 33.
“I have shoulder length mousey-brown hair, small brown glasses and I’m wearing an orange top.
“My smile is huge. There’s hustle and bustle around me. It’s pure joy to me. I did good.”
Her post has since received over 28,000 likes and more than 370 comments from fans quick to leave comments of adoration for the comic.
Reid McLain wrote: “That is so awesome. We are so glad you are doing it — making people giggle, laugh, chortle, and snort worldwide.”
Paul Stewart commented: “One of the funniest stand-ups out there.”
Stephanie Merritt wrote: “I remember this like it was yesterday. (Which it must have been because we’re still in our early 30s, right?!) You did well, lass.”
Georgy Jamieson said: “You’re an inspiration.”
This year, Millican also sent her support to Fringe act Georgie Grier who performed her one woman play to only one member of the audience who attended.
Georgie posted a picture of herself crying to social media and wrote: ‘There was one person in my audience today when I performed my one woman play, ‘Sunsets’ at Edinburgh Fringe.
“It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s fine…?”
After Georgie received a slew of supportive comments from comedians including Jason Manford and Dara O’Briain, Millican also chimed in: ‘Totally fine. And normal. Dara is right.
“Well done on having the bottle to do it. Feel proud.”
She later added a picture of the flyer for her 2008 Fringe show, saying: “…here is my flyer from my very first show, Sarah Millican’s Not Nice in 2008.
“My first show that year had an audience of five and I knew four of them.”
Millican also shared a picture of a flyer for her 2008 Fringe show with the caption ‘As lots of
The 2023 Newcomer award is yet to be announced, however Lorna Rose Treen won this year’s Dave Funniest Joke of the Fringe award with her quip: “I started dating a zookeeper – but it turned out he was a cheetah.”
