University of Bristol student doctor wins comedy award

Riki Msindo said it felt "incredible" to win the Chortle Student Comedy Award 2023

A student doctor who fell in love with comedy when he was 12-years-old has won the Chortle Student Comedy Award 2023.

Riki Msindo, 24, a student at the University of Bristol, joins a rollcall of former winners including Joe Lycett, Jamali Maddix and Phil Wang.

The final was hosted at Up The Creek comedy club in London by Bristol-born comic Mark Watson.

"It felt incredible to win. The award was recognition that I'm actually entertaining people," said Mr Msindo.

"In comedy you do so many gigs and a lot of the time you aren't sure if you're any good or if you're progressing.

"Everyone at the show was so talented, they all made me laugh so much, which made winning feel even more incredible," he added.

Mr Msindo fits in multiple gigs a week around his medicine degree

For his 12th birthday present, Mr Msindo was taken to watch comedian Trevor Noah, which sparked his interest in becoming an entertainer.

Mr Msindo said: "My mum tells me the first thing I wanted to be was a comedian, but it was seeing Trevor Noah that really got me interested.

"The only other thing I've wanted to do is to work in medicine.

"When I was a kid I was burnt badly when some boiling water fell on me. I spent three weeks in hospital and learnt that this thing called medicine existed."

'Incredible city'

In Bristol, Mr Msindo is able to combine his dual loves of medicine and comedy.

"I fell in love with Bristol as soon as I arrived. It's just such an incredible city," he said.

Mr Msindo has been fitting in multiple gigs around his medicine degree and after recently graduating, he plans to continue gigging as he takes up his first job as a doctor in Brighton.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]