Lost Voice Guy finds fame
LOST VOICE GUY TO STAR AT ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE
NEWCASTLE United legend Alan Shearer branded it “The biggest win in the Toon for decades!”
Labour MP Laura Pidcock sent her congratulations, and David Walliams confessed his undying love.
Yes, Lost Voice Guy triumped in the Britain’s Got Talent final.
The Consett comedian, real name Lee Ridley, wowed the audience with his comedy routine to win the £250,000 jackpot and a spot at this year’s Royal Variety Performance.
After his win, social media users were quick to congratulate the comedian, who has cerebral palsy, on his win, including Shearer.
He tweeted: “The biggest win in the toon for decades! Congratulations @LostVoiceGuy from all of us @AlanShearerFndn Absolutely brilliant”
County Durham MP Laura Pidcock said: “He won!!! Congratulations @LostVoiceGuy”
Judge David Walliams tweeted: “What a magnificent result! I love him”
Another tweet said: “So happy that Lost Voice Guy won tonight! So funny and a massive inspiration. Never give up on your dreams. Believe and you will achieve!”
One Twitter user said his win was about more than comedy.
“Lost Voice Guy stands for much more than comedy, he stands for all those people out there with a disability and showing the world no matter what life throws at you, you can still live your best life”
“The happiness Lost Voice Guy has is really inspiring. He never stops smiling. Truly inspirational to so many people,” another said.
Lee, 37, is unable to speak and, while his self deprecating brand of humour has earned him new fans across the country, he was already well-established on the Newcastle comedy circuit.
The panel had been full of praise for Lee, with Alesha Dixon saying he would “inspire so many people”.
Comic Robert White was runner up of the ITV show and singer Donchez Dacres was third. Eleven acts competed in the final.
Lee said he was “really grateful” for all the love he had received. He uses a machine called a Lightwriter to speak.
But his disability did not stand in the way of his hilarious stand-up act, in which he uses pre-recorded sentences on a computer, becoming the first comedian to win the show in its 12-series history.
He studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and worked for Sunderland City Council’s communications team – but now works as a full-time comedian.
He caught his first big break at the Edinburgh Fringe festival, where he first performed in 2013.
A year later, he scooped the BBC new comedy award, previously won by comedy legends Alan Carr and Peter Kay.
On the back of the prize, Ridley earned a BBC Radio 4 sitcom, Ability.
With his brand of self-deprecating humour, Ridley won the hearts of the nation with his appearances on BGT, gently poking fun at his own disability. On winning, he joked he was very excited to perform in front of the Queen, saying: “I’ve loved her since she sang Bohemian Rhapsody.”