While working as a sports writer for The Guardian, Josh Widdicombe decided to start trying his hand at stand-up comedy in 2008. He took to the craft immediately and was rewarded with first prize at the comedy finals in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later that same year. Widdicombe's style is observational and casual in tone, often riffing on firsthand stories from his personal life. His 2010 award as the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year further confirmed his status as one of the UK's top up-and-coming stand-ups performers.