The BBC has announced the 2026 cohort for the BBC Comedy Collective bursary scheme. The programme includes directors Charlotte Serena Cooper and Chloe English, writers Harry May-Bedell and Maura Campbell, and the writing partnership of Mohammed-Zain Dada and Milli Bhatia. Writer performers selected are Elijah Young, Kimberly Hart Simpson, and Sabrina Ali. The cohort also includes producer Danielle Goff and editor Ewan Denny.
Each recipient receives up to £10,000 in paid shadowing on a BBC comedy production and a £5,000 development grant. Participants are assigned a production mentor and a point of contact within the BBC comedy commissioning team. The scheme provides access to ambassadors including director Christine Gernon, editor Gareth Heal, and producer Ash Atalla. Estate representatives Geoff Schumann, Paul Whitehouse, Tessa Le Bars, and Lucy Ansbro also serve as ambassadors.
Emma Lawson, BBC interim director of comedy, stated that the programme supports creatives from across the UK to build careers in scripted comedy. Previous delegates in the scheme attended the BBC Comedy Festival in Liverpool, the Belfast Media Festival, and the Edinburgh TV Festival. Past participants attended a development day featuring sessions on agent acquisition and pitching, as well as a workshop with Saturday Night Live showrunners.
The program provides financial support and industry access to writers, directors, producers, and editors. The 2026 cohort consists of eleven individuals from London, Liverpool, Leeds, Northern Ireland, the North East, Wales, and Scotland. Each bursary winner receives a combined total of up to £15,000 in grants and shadowing payments.