Famous Scots.Kevin Bridges.

Kevin Andrew Bridges (born 13 November 1986) is a Scottish stand-up comedian. He has appeared on many television panel shows, including Would I Lie to You?, Have I Got News for You, and has performed on Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.

His 2012 television series Kevin Bridges: What’s the Story? was based on his stand-up routines.

Career

Stand-up

Bridges began performing on stage when he left school shortly after turning 17, doing stand-up comedy gigs at The Stand Comedy Club in his hometown of Glasgow and then throughout the UK. He said he was inspired to try stand up after reading Frank Skinner’s autobiography. At 18, he reached the final of Channel 5’s So You Think You’re Funny competition at the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2006, Bridges performed his first full-length solo show at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, to a sold-out audience and much critical acclaim. Moving into bigger venues every year, Bridges sold out his hometown festival in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He performed at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Bridges appeared on the BBC’s Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, where he performed at the Edinburgh Playhouse.[3][4] He returned to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2009 with his show ‘An Hour to Sing For Your Soul’. He was nominated for best newcomer in the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.

In 2010, Bridges took part in Channel 4’s Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London. He won the breakthrough award at the 2010 Chortle Awards.

Bridges’s debut DVD, titled Kevin Bridges: The Story So Far… Live in Glasgow, filmed at Glasgow’s SECC, was released on 22 November 2010, and went on to sell over 350,000 copies.

In 2012, Bridges embarked on his second stand-up tour of the UK, The Story Continues. The tour broke box office records, selling out the SECC five times and selling over 45,000 tickets on the first day. Bridges performed 136 dates during the tour, including ten sold-out shows at the SECC.[10] His second DVD, titled The Story Continues… was released on 12 November 2012.

In 2015, Bridges embarked on his third stand-up tour of the UK, A Whole Different Story. The tour saw Bridges sell over 500,000 tickets across 145 dates, including 16 sold-out shows at The Hydro in Glasgow. During the tour, he recorded his third DVD, which went on to sell over 300,000 copies, including 40,000 in its first week, outselling fellow comedians Michael McIntyre and John Bishop.

Bridges became disillusioned with stand-up after his 145-night tour in 2015. After having a discussion with his father, he decided to take a sabbatical from performing. During this period he moved to Spain and was eventually inspired by the freedom he had to return to stand-up. When Bridges returned from Spain, he did “three or four” unannounced work-in-progress gigs to test out his new material.

After over a year away from stand-up, Bridges returned in 2018 with The Brand New Tour, which included a record 19 sold-out nights at The Hydro. Bridges was awarded the ‘Gie it Laldy’ award by the CEO of the Scottish Event Campus, in recognition for playing forty-six shows across the SEC Centre and The Hydro.He has also sold more tickets for the Scottish Event Campus than any other solo artist.[17] His Brand New Tour was also voted the UK’s Ticket of the Year in a poll conducted by Ticketmaster. Bridges is the first comedian to top the annual poll voted for by Ticketmaster customers.