COMEDIAN Josh Widdicombe has been announced as one of the new patrons of arts centre Bovey Paradiso.

Josh, who grew up in Haytor Vale and attended South Dartmoor Community College, will be the Comedy Patron for the growing arts and cafe community in Bovey Tracey.

A spokesman for Bovey Paradiso said: ‘We’re delighted to share that comedian Josh Widdicombe is joining the Paradiso family as our new Patron for Comedy.

‘As many of you will know, Josh grew up in Devon, went to South Dartmoor Community College, and has recently moved back to our great county, so it feels especially lovely to have someone with such strong local ties supporting this strand of our project.

‘As our Comedy Patron, he’ll be offering guidance as we start on our journey to shape and grow our comedy programme here at Paradiso.

‘We’re really looking forward to working with him and developing this part of our programme with his support.’

Run as a Community Benefit Society, Bovey Paradiso is transforming the King of Prussia building in Fore Street into a community gallery, 80 plus seat auditorium for cinema, theatre and music, artists’ studios and a café/restaurant.

The aim is to ‘enrich the lives’ of the local community and reinvest profits to benefit all.

So far more than 400 shareholders, along with sponsors and grant support is well on the way to completing the multi-arts venue.

Josh has joined as a volunteer patron to bring his expertise, raise the organisation’s profile, help with networking and influencing, and raise funds.

His career has seen him star in Channel 4’s multi award-winning The Last Leg, is a team captain on Sky Max’s Rob Beckett’s Smart TV, and appears regularly on QI, Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo, A League of Their Own and Have I Got News for You.

He starred alongside Nish Kumar on Hold the Front Page, and performed at The Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall.