Our own Charlie Shakespeare was at the Dabbers Social Bingo venue for the the Dabbers Comedy Caller Final on Sunday, 7th July and was on the spot as the drama unfolded.
Right Place, Right Time
We revealed the finalists in a post last week, but due to an appendix related emergency weekend Lil Wenker had to pull out of the contest. In her place her friend Dru Cripps duly re-entered the competition as a Wild Card entry, having been knocked out in the heats, and in a ‘you couldn’t make it up’ scenario, went on to win the whole thing!
The Dabbers Comedy Caller contest in run in association with The British Comedy Guid and sponsored by Malibu. Dru walked away with a £1,000 prize and a 12 month contract with Dabbers as their top caller. This gives him the unique opportunity to ‘reinvent, transform and revamp the sought-after and glorious position of Bingo Caller’.
The Winning Act
Dru really had a unique take on calling the numbers and this, together with his persona as an ‘old skool 90’s raver’, complete with low-slung balloon pants that he was very lucky not to lose completely, stole the show.
The act involved arriving on stage using a mime routine to a soundtrack of big dance beats and when he started the bingo calling incorporating a loop station, improvisational beatboxing and dance moves – all whilst timing the plucking of the the balls from the bingo machine and occasionally stopping to lift those baggy pants!
Dru secured the most audience votes to win the contest overall, but there was also a judging panel of industry experts who voted supposed ex-government minister who recently lost her seat Babs Romance as their winner, securing a 12-month supply of Malibu for her trouble.
Dabbers Founder Jonny Unknown commented, “What a finale show – So much energy from the audience and four brilliant contestants competing! The best act won on the day, but gosh it wouldn’t be Dabbers without some last minute twists and drama” Post show Dru Cripp has offered a share of the prize money with friend and fellow finalist Lil Wenker whom he replaced in the contest.
About Dru Cripps
Dru Cripps is 24 and from Oswestry Shropshire . As with other past winners of the Dabbers Comedy Caller contest he intends heading to Scotland for previews of his new show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 2nd to 12th August. If you want to look out for it, the show is titled ‘Druniversal Credit’ and is a one-man show about his experiences in the arts world.
It sounds like this is a show you could see again and again as his act is mainly ‘Showing up and seeing what happens’, according to the man himself and often depends on the audience present at the time. He intends the shows to be ‘spontaneously funny chaos’.
See our Video Highlights of the Dabbers Comedy Caller Event
Top Bingo Offers:
Advertiser Disclosure: When you use WhichBingo, there are never any hidden fees or costs. To help fund our work we may earn a referral commission if you create an account via our site. This commission never impacts the impartiality of our reviews and ratings.
18+ New Customers. Opt in. Deposit & play £10 on any Bingo Room. Get £50 Bingo Bonus, x4 wagering, max redeemable £200. Rewards expire after 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly.
New players only. 18+. UK only. Min deposit £10 and £10 stake on slot games required. 40 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza credited automatically. Free Spins value: £0.10 each. Free Spins expire 48 hours after crediting. No wagering on Free Spins; winnings paid as cash. Eligibility restrictions apply. Full T&C’s apply. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org.
1st deposit only. Stake £10 on bingo for £40 bingo bonus (£30 online & 2 x £5 Club vouchers). 4x wagering requirements on online bingo bonus. Full T&Cs apply.
18+. New customers only. Register today, deposit & spend £10 on Bingo tickets to receive £50 Bingo bonus (accept & wager 4x within 7 days). Only completed games can be credited. Access to Free Bingo (available daily 11am-11pm) available after registration. Free Bingo games are part of the ongoing bingo schedule. To take part, players can be in the Free Bingo room during the session. Prize and winners advertised are minimum guarantees per session. Debit cards only. Offer Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs Apply. GamCare.org.uk #ad
18+ New players only. Min deposit £10 and £10 stake on slot games required. 100 Free Spins on Big Bass Splash. Free Spins value: £0.10 each. No wagering on Free Spins; winnings paid as cash. Bingo tickets: Min deposit £10 and £10 real-money spend on Bingo required. Max ticket value £0.10. No wagering on ticket winnings; paid as cash. Tickets and free spins expire after 48 hours. Full T&C’s apply.
New players. Dep (exc. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £10 on a selected slot for spins or in Main Event Bingo for bonus. Wagering & max wins apply. Individual promo T&Cs Apply. Full T&Cs Apply.
New players. Dep (exc. PayPal & Paysafe) & spend min £10 on a selected slot for spins or in Main Event Bingo for bonus. Wagering & max wins apply. Individual promo T&C’s apply. Full T&Cs Apply.
New players only. Deposit (excluding PayPal & Paysafe) and spend £5 in selected bingo rooms to qualify. Wagering requirements, maximum win limits and promotional restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs Apply.
For 26 years, WhichBingo has helped players discover, compare, and share their opinions on bingo, slots, and casino sites. What began as a directory of UK bingo sites in 2000, has grown into a hub featuring hundreds of brand reviews, a record-breaking annual awards event, original entertainment and coverage of land-based bingo halls and events, and a community that continues to shape what we do. Much has changed during that…
A Greater Manchester holidaymaker has won a £250,000 National Bingo Game jackpot at Regal Bingo Bridlington. That’s quite the cherry on top of a holiday, eh? 67 year old Stephen Clarke was staying with his wife Dawn at Hawthorne Holiday Park when the couple decided to head out for a spot of bingo on Monday 24th August. A bingo player for over 20 years, Stephen matched every number on the…
UK bingo is on the up, with new clubs opening, a tax break from the government, and younger players embracing the game. Nicole Garrett, the new CEO of the Bingo Association, spoke to WhichBingo about her outlook and goals for UK bingo. The Outlook is Positive Garrett (pictured above) acknowledged that the UK had seen bingo clubs closing in recent years, but was starting to see new clubs opening now….
When it comes to playing at casino sites in the UK, we are a nation that aims to make the small wins count Our 2026 Bingo & Casino Player Survey asked 1,915 people how much they try to build up before cashing out. We also asked how much they typically wager per month – and the answer to both questions was smaller than you might guess. The typical amount people…
For 26 years, WhichBingo has helped players discover, compare, and share their opinions on bingo, slots, and casino sites. What began as a directory of UK bingo sites in 2000, has grown into a hub featuring hundreds of brand reviews, a record-breaking annual awards event, original entertainment and coverage of land-based bingo halls and events, and a community that continues to shape what we do. Much has changed during that…
When it comes to playing at casino sites in the UK, we are a nation that aims to make the small wins count Our 2026 Bingo & Casino Player Survey asked 1,915 people how much they try to build up before cashing out. We also asked how much they typically wager per month – and the answer to both questions was smaller than you might guess. The typical amount people…
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to ‘crack down’ on betting shops to clean up Britain’s high streets. Burnham associated betting shops with ‘dodgy businesses’ and vape shops as contributing to a decline in the high street. Burnham’s announcement comes about four months after Remote Gaming Duty on online gaming almost doubled, rising from 21% to 40% in April 2026. The Betting and Gaming Council says the increase has affected…
If you have ever slid past a long screen of terms and conditions without understanding much of it – you are not alone. According to our 2026 Player Survey of 1,915 UK players, only 22% of people say terms are easy to understand. But fear not, we’re going to break down the 5 key things to look for. The 78% of Players Our 2026 Player Survey asked 1,915 UK players…
If you’ve signed up to a UK slot site recently (or are planning to), you’ve probably noticed a few similar games being mentioned. So, we did the numbers and found the top 5 slot games in UK casino bonuses so far in 2026. If you sign up for free spins, there is a good chance you’ll be playing one of these games, so here’s a bit of a preview of…
The rules of the game are evolving, and the UK’s biggest bingo and casino brands are responding by putting players first. We spoke to the WhichBingo Awards winners to get their thoughts on success, what makes them stand out, and what UK players can expect next. Foxy, Coral, Ladbrokes: Giving Back to the Player Entain, the company who run Ladbrokes, Coral – and Best Promotions winner Foxy Games emphasised their commitment to…
Nearly half a million votes were cast by real players in WhichBingo Awards 2026 – and with so many votes cast its crazy how close it was. One category was decided by just 18 votes. We’ve gone behind the numbers to reveal the other interesting statistics and stories that went into voting. The Race Decided By Just 18 Votes Thousands of votes were cast but Best Promotions was decided by…
After a record-breaking 500,000 votes from across the UK (nearly double last year’s total) the WhichBingo Awards 2026 winners have been crowned. Players decided 12 Main category winners. Four Editors’ Choice winners were selected by the WhichBingo editorial team through hands-on testing, WhichScore data, and years of tracking how brands actually perform. The winners were revealed on the night at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel, Gibraltar. And for the first time…
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to ‘crack down’ on betting shops to clean up Britain’s high streets. Burnham associated betting shops with ‘dodgy businesses’ and vape shops as contributing to a decline in the high street. Burnham’s announcement comes about four months after Remote Gaming Duty on online gaming almost doubled, rising from 21% to 40% in April 2026. The Betting and Gaming Council says the increase has affected…
If you have ever slid past a long screen of terms and conditions without understanding much of it – you are not alone. According to our 2026 Player Survey of 1,915 UK players, only 22% of people say terms are easy to understand. But fear not, we’re going to break down the 5 key things to look for. The 78% of Players Our 2026 Player Survey asked 1,915 UK players…
If you asked a room full of people why they have a flutter, you might expect a mix of answers. But according to a recent survey of 20,000 UK players, there is one main reason – and it’s probably not surprising. Top of the list was the chance of winning big money, cited by a hefty 84% of people who gamble. The survey, run by the UK Gambling Commission, also…
Brits are turning to VPNs in huge numbers to access illegal gambling sites, racking up an estimated 150-200 million minutes on dodgy casinos in January 2026 alone. And seriously risking their money in the process. VPN usage in the UK has surged since the Online Safety Act came into force in July 2025, and Gambling Commission research recorded around 20 million visits to illegal gambling sites that month. Often marketed…
If you’ve ever wondered where your local bingo hall gets their bingo tablets from or how bingo random generators work, Charlie Shakespeare is your guy! Charlie, adorned with a hard hat, visited Leisure Electronics to check out the factory and work hub of bingo hall equipment and casino tech. Inside Leisure Electronics (trailer) What Is Leisure Electronics? Originally a service provider making sure bingo equipment worked on site, Leisure Electronics…
Stephanie Davis shot to fame as a teenager on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s BBC talent show Over the Rainbow before becoming a Hollyoaks favourite, and when she sat down with the home of the best bingo sites WhichBingo, we were happy to see she was in a candid mood, ready to revisit the “cruel” reality of being voted off live TV, the Saturday-night shows she thinks are long overdue a comeback,…
If you asked a room full of people why they have a flutter, you might expect a mix of answers. But according to a recent survey of 20,000 UK players, there is one main reason – and it’s probably not surprising. Top of the list was the chance of winning big money, cited by a hefty 84% of people who gamble. The survey, run by the UK Gambling Commission, also…
If laughter is the best medicine, write out that prescription, doc. The winner of Dabbers Bingo Comedy Caller Contest 2026 (sponsored by yours truly, WhichBingo), is <<insert drum roll>> Gwen! On Friday 17th July, comedian Rachel Baker was in role as her alter-ego Gwen became the Queen of bingo. Gwen ate up the laughs all the way to the top, pipping fellow grand finalists Tara Boland as Dusty Creases and…
by
Esther Barnett Rubin
3min
Updated May 13, 2025
Anita Heffernan
Author & Former Editor
The Bingo Queen is a fun name earned from colleagues through Anita Heffernan's exceptional knowledge and commitment to the online bingo world. With over 20 years of experience as both a player and an expert in the industry, Anita has built a reputation as a trusted authority on all things bingo.
6min 
Reader comments