Karen Koren: Still funny after all of these years . . .

ONLY 12 more days to go now and, with the Olympics behind us more and more people are arriving to enjoy what the Fringe has to offer.

This year we are celebrating the 25th fabulous So You think You’re Funny?, the UK’s most prestigious newcomer comedy competition.

Since it began in 1988, So You Think You’re Funny? has kick-started the careers of dozens of the country’s top comics including Dylan Moran, Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Tommy Tiernan and, more recently, Sarah Millican, Kevin Bridges, Russell Kane, Jack Whitehall and Rhod Gilbert.

We have now finished the 2012 heats, which went very well, and the final next Thursday promises to be a great show.

The lovely and very funny, Jason Byrne had to interview me about the competitions 25th anniversary the other day. It was so hot and humid where we were filming that I felt as if I was going to melt. They had to keep stopping and patting me with tissue and powder – very embarrassing.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t use it, but Jason was very understanding as he ignored my squelchy face.

What I love about the Festival is the good humour, lots of smiling faces and people enjoying themselves. It’s great to bump into people I’ve not seen in a long time.

Alan Davies popped in, he’s enjoying performing stand-up again after a substantial break. Also, even though he is busy with three Fringe shows, Phill Jupitus still has time to pop into the Gilded Balloon to say hi.

I also bumped into the very talented Stewart Lee, who has been going on about the death of the Fringe, but he knows that the Fringe is very much alive and will stay so for a long time to come. We’re both sentimentalists and just want to keep it as good as it’s always been.