The Leicester Comedy Festival is an annual event that has taken place for the last 30 years in Leicester to celebrate creativity, community, and laughter, showcasing some amazing performers. But there is one comedian in particular that we at The Bridge are especially interested in: Kevin Hudson.
We caught up with Kevin last week to talk about comedy, community, and supporting homelessness. Despite working full time as an accountant and only seeing comedy as a hobby, Kevin has been a Silver Stand-Up finalist seven years in a row, and the Leicester Comedy Festival 2025 will be his sixth comedy festival.
“Even when I retire, it will still be a hobby. I don’t want to do any big travelling for shows; I’ve lived in Leicester for 30 years and I’m happy to stay in Leicester and work in the surrounding areas.”
Kevin spoke about how much he loves the close knit community his comedy has created, telling us that sometimes his accountancy students come to support him. He once knew everyone in the audience, including a long lost friend from 30 years ago who had found him through his shows.
Despite the love and care he has for comedy, it wasn’t until last year that Kevin made a profit from his performances. During his time at the Leicester Comedy Festival in 2024, Kevin made £150, but he wasn’t sure what to spend it on; it wasn’t until he was leaving a Leicester City match and saw a Union FS collection table that he thought to donate to The Bridge.
“I knew about The Bridge from when they had the coffee truck, and a friend supported The Bridge in the past. I donated the money and got a thank you from David; I didn’t expect an email thanking me.”
David Fawcett, our CEO, had reached out to say thanks, learnt about the money coming from the performance, and asked Kevin to let us know if he would be doing it again in the future. Which we’re happy to announce, he is! We asked Kevin what to expect in his upcoming show,
“I dabble in poetry; I’ve gone to a few open mic and spoken word nights. I’m still writing for the comedy show, so I might have poetry included.”
We’re not the only charity Kevin donates to; he’s a long time supporter of Shelter, The YMCA, and One Roof. We asked why he was such a consistent supporter of homelessness charities, and he talked about his particular dislike of the fact that homelessness exists.
“It shouldn’t be a thing, and no one should be in that situation. And then you get certain people that only want to look after certain people. But you should be able to do both. You shouldn’t even need a charity for it–all fundraisers are great–but wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to do them?”
But until we get there, Kevin is set on continuing to donate and get involved in fundraisers. His first fundraiser was for Soft Touch Arts, an arts education charity in Leicester, and later he contributed to a book of puns called All Puns Blazing, made and distributed by Big Difference, all profits going to charity.
If you’d like to see Kevin during the Leicester Comedy Festival, he is performing at 45 West on the 6th of February at 9:15pm and at Peter's Pizzeria on the 22nd of February at 4pm. Click here to learn more and book your tickets.
You can also find him at the Comedy Tapas, on at the Knight and Garter, and at open mic nights around Leicester.
If you’d like to raise money for The Bridge yourself, join our Big Sleep fundraiser! Click here to learn more and sign up by yourself or with a team.
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