Asians Ahir Shah and Urooj Ashfaq win top prizes at 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Awards

BRITISH Asian stand-up Ahir Shah won the best show award at the 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Awards for his show Ends.

Shah, who was previously nominated for the top comedy prize at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2017 and 2018, dedicated the prize to his wife-tobe, and to his late director Adam Brace, who died in May this year, aged 43.

“Turns out he was really holding me back,” he joked.

He described his win as the “second best day” of his year, after his wedding, which will take take place this autumn.

On the achievement for south Asian representation, he remarked, “F*** me, we got No 10, now best newcomer and best show.” Shah is also known for his writing and performances on BBC Two’s show The Mash Report, as well as appearances on multiple UK panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and Mock The Week. Urooj Ashfaq, a Mumbaibased comic, who previously performed her show earlier this year at Soho Theatre in London, walked away with the best newcomer award for her debut show Oh No!.

She previously told Eastern Eye, “Around 80 per cent of my show is based on personal experience and then there are 20 per cent random jokes that I really like.”