Chris Cantrill has won the Audible Best Comedy Show award at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe Festival for his performance in "Rewilding," a parody whodunnit inspired by his life in rural Northumberland and the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree. The 42-year-old comedian, who received the award just minutes before taking the stage, cited his recent work writing for Saturday Night Live UK as a key influence on his comedy and helped him secure the top honor on his fourth nomination.
The Audible Best Comedy Show award, in its 45th year and often regarded as the “Oscar of comedy,” has previously been won by performers such as Frank Skinner, Steve Coogan, Jenny Eclair, and Rose Matafeo. Cantrill, originally from Bradford, West Yorkshire, described his time writing for SNL UK as one of his most intense yet rewarding experiences, noting the fast-paced environment pushed him to constantly develop and experiment. “It’s bringing silliness back and people are really trying stuff,” he said.
Cantrill’s career has evolved through multiple nominations for the award, including two as part of the duo Delightful Sausage alongside Amy Gledhill, who won the prize in 2024. Reflecting on his win, he described an emotional moment after his show where he acknowledged his parents, resulting in tears from both himself and the audience.
This year’s Fringe has seen a strong presence from Saturday Night Live UK contributors, including Paddy Young, Ania Magliano, Larry Dean, and Omar Badawy, who was also nominated for Best Comedy Show. Additionally, Lorna Rose Treen, another SNL UK writer, was part of the team recognized with the Audible Panel Prize for embodying the “spirit of the fringe.” Treen led a charity event, One Joke, featuring a lineup of 60 comedians attempting to tell as many jokes as possible within an hour, with hosting by her regular performing partner Jonathan Oldfield.
Cantrill said the Fringe experience was different for him this year due to his role mentoring emerging comedians, describing himself as feeling like “a dad” to a group of younger performers scattered throughout the festival.
Amid the celebratory atmosphere, several performers described increasingly challenging crowd behavior at this year’s Fringe. Stand-up comedian Alexander Bennett shared footage of an audience member appearing to snort a line of cocaine during a small gig. US comic Michael John Ciszewski reported disruptions, including a front-row attendee answering a FaceTime call during an emotional moment and another being heavily intoxicated. One audience member described the behavior as the worst she had witnessed in two decades at the festival. Zoe Wohlfeld, performing her solo show "Dog Funeral," recounted a front-row spectator pulling out needles, prompting a humorous exchange about crochet versus knitting.
Despite these issues, the festival continues to serve as a significant platform for comedians to develop and showcase new work, with Cantrill’s win underscoring the ongoing influence of television comedy in shaping the live scene.