Last month Dabbers’ four-month search to find the next unforgettable face of its iconic UK bingo hall bbvevents reached a triumphant finale. The annual Dabbers Comedy Caller Contest, which first launched back in 2018, with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Kate Butch among its previous winners, once again proved why it’s one of the most unique competitions on the UK comedy circuit.
This isn’t your average talent contest. Contestants must fuse a fully realised comedy character with quick-fire hosting skills, write original (and genuinely funny) bingo calls, keep the energy soaring, manage the mechanics of the game, and command a room full of lively bingo players. It’s a juggling act that requires equal parts comedian, compère, improviser and ringmaster.
This year’s grand final showcased four masters of that delicate balance. In a first for the competition, the final featured no stand-up comics, drag performers or musical comedians. Instead, audiences were treated to four brilliantly crafted character comedians, each bringing larger-than-life personalities, boundless energy and wonderfully eccentric creations to the stage.
Keeping proceedings sparkling throughout the evening was award-winning musical comedian Katie Pritchard, whose infectious enthusiasm, razor-sharp wit and gloriously chaotic energy lit up the room. With effortless charm and impeccable comic timing, she kept the audience buzzing between performances and ensured the night never lost momentum.
The fabulous four finalists were:
- Nerrine Skinner as Sadie the Motivator – an endlessly enthusiastic Australian fitness guru whose relentlessly positive, high-octane motivational coaching had audiences both exhausted and in stitches.
- Tara Boland as an impossibly glamorous Broadway dance instructor straight from the Golden Age of musical theatre, serving old-school showbiz charm with every step.
- Paul Atchison as Klause Fantastiche – a flamboyant and gloriously overconfident magician with clever illusions and tricks.
- And finally Rachel Baker as Gwen – a larger-than-life Midlands matriarch with the warmth of everyone’s favourite aunt, the authority of a no-nonsense community organiser and just enough mischievous sparkle to have an entire bingo hall eating out of her hand.
While every finalist delivered a superb performance, one character captured the audience’s hearts. Birmingham-based comedian Rachel Baker, performing as the unforgettable Gwen, received the biggest vote of the evening to be crowned Dabbers Comedy Caller Winner 2026
As long-time fan of Dabbers since its launch back in 2018, I caught up with Rachel shortly after her victory for an exclusive interview with Bingo Daily.
Firstly, huge congratulations to both you and Gwen! It was such a fun, captivating performance and a thoroughly deserved win. You looked incredibly confident throughout the competition. Did it all come naturally, and what made you decide to enter?
Ah not at all! I get rather nervous before any performance, but Gwen doesn’t. She gives me a pep talk before I go on stage, she is larger than life and I use that to my advantage in moments of low confidence, it’s uplifting. I really see her as a separate entity with her own world and life, I love thinking about what she might be up to at any given moment. Like right now it’s 22:38 and in Gwen world I think she is tufting a rug with a raccoon on it whilst watching ‘come dine with me.’
I decided to enter because I love bingo, interacting with audiences and incorporating music into my shows so it was kind of the perfect competition for me and Gwen. It’s also a longer performance spot than most competitions which appeals to me as I like to cram different elements in.
You’d been an audience favourite throughout the competition. Going into the final, how confident were you that you might actually win?
The audiences have been so uplifting throughout, which genuinely really helped with my confidence through the rounds, however the finalists were all so fab and unique that I thought it could have gone any which way, you never know with competitions. I was so surprised and overjoyed with the win, very thankful for it.
Gwen seemed absolutely made for bingo hosting, with just the right balance of warmth, razzle-dazzle and firm-but-fair boss-lady authority. How did Gwen first come to life, and when was she conceived?
My best mate Lola had a load of her aunts old wigs from her days working in a costume department. The Gwen wig was my fave, Lola said it was made for me and I should keep it. In the pandemic I would sometimes just wear it about the house for fun. In 2022 I first performed as her in a pub garden in Birmingham, from there her world has continued to grow and grow. I think of her very fondly, like an odd friend.
What did you enjoy most about taking part in the competition? How challenging was it combining comedy, original bingo calls and keeping control of a lively room full of players all at the same time?
As always I love meeting the other acts and audience. Gwen had good chats in the toilet, on the dance floor and with the bar staff, that was my favourite thing. In regards to balancing it all, I feel very chaotic as a person and most days I am a bit all over the place, so it feels quite fun to spin plates on stage with bingo, music and audience interaction rather than the multiple mundane tasks that I’m usually dealing with at once. At first I had to find my feet with the bingo calls and I’ve worked out I work better at either improvising or memorising them rather than reading them out from the sheet. I will still be learning as I go, which I enjoy.
The judges mentioned they could see shades of a young Julie Walters in your performance. Which comedians or performers inspired you growing up, and who do you still look up to today?
That is such a lovely compliment and it completely tracks because I loved watching her growing up so subconsciously she has influenced my style. I’ve always loved big characters from the likes of Ab Fab, Horrible Histories, Alan Partridge, Caroline Aherne. I still look up to all of them and recently I watch anything with Diane Morgan, Kate O’Flynn and Jamie Demetriou in.
What was your own journey into comedy? When did performing first become something you wanted to pursue?
I was quite a shy child scared to even say ‘yes miss’ on the register so I’m pleasantly surprised that performing is one of my jobs. In year 10 (14/15 years old) I noticed I liked making people laugh and being called funny. I always think it’s a lovely compliment knowing you have provided someone a laugh. I properly started doing sketch comedy and improv at uni and in 2022 I started on the Birmingham stand up circuit. I love it, it brings me such joy to interact with audiences.
It felt like Gwen connected with the audience almost instantly- everyone seemed on board from the moment you walked on stage. Were you surprised by that reaction, and why do you think audiences warm to Gwen so quickly?
Yes I was pleasantly surprised by that. The audiences seemed really receptive and open. I think Kamal on the DJ decks playing out Gwens dance music really aided the vibe. The aim was to get people on board as soon as possible. She starts with a 90s dance tune and on the beat drop she reveals her sequin dress below, dancing around, shaking that ass. I think that introduces people to what sort of show they’re in for and it’s a high energy one.
Winning the competition means we’ll be seeing plenty more of Gwen at Dabbers. We can’t wait! So, when can audiences expect to catch you hosting your first shows?
I am buzzing for it! I love that stage and space. I think people can expect a hell of a lot more dancing, some surprise guests, more mini games (I love doing these in longer shows) and maybe a new outfit or two for Gwen, she told me she wants me to make her a bingo gown, so I suppose I’ll have to do that once I’m back from the Edinburgh Fringe run,
What else is coming up over the next few months, where can people see you perform?
In other work, I’m off to the fringe for the month this August, as part of Big Value Showcase with my stand up (6th-30th 19:30, The caves) and Gwens show ‘This is NOT a Pyramid Scheme’, (20th – 31st, Hoots, Nic 5, Nicholson Square, 22:50)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/big-value-showcase – big value
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/rachel-baker-presents-gwen-this-is-not-a-pyramid-scheme
The post Dabbers Bingo Comedy Caller Contest Winner 2026 Exclusive Interview appeared first on BingoDaily.