National Bingo Game Caller of the Year Final was held on Sunday afternoon 17th November at Mecca Bingo in Wakefield. The event opened its doors to over 500 people and saw Issy-Mae Hunt from Buzz Bingo crowned the lucky winner, receiving £1000, a trophy, and the prestigious title as National Bingo Game Caller of the Year for 2024. The six Runners-Up each received £500 and a trophy to commemorate their achievement in participating in the Final.
The nationwide competition whittled down over 200 entrants to just seven finalists, with the final seven competing against each other to be crowned Champion. Customers, supporters, and finalists travelled from around Britain in support of their finalist and were welcomed at Mecca Bingo Wakefield with a complimentary glass of bubbly and a traditional roast Sunday dinner, accompanied by first-class entertainment. The electric atmosphere throughout the day encouraged the finalists to put on their best performance yet.
The event saw great performances from all the finalists, ranging from line dancing to a performance for The Greatest Showman, however, Issy-Mae stole the show with her unique performance with the ukelele and her original song. Finalists were judged on criteria such as their knowledge of the game, presence and stage personality, ability to entertain and their technical skills as a Caller. The other finalists were Anton Fletcher from Castle Bingo Bootle; Debra Phillips from Castle Bingo Merthyr Tydfil; Gary Wilson from Bingo Plus; Kara Smith from Club 3000 Bingo in Ipswich; Kelly Horton from Mecca Bingo, Brierley Hill, and Tim Dobson from Club 3000 Bingo in Blackpool
This year’s judging panel consisted of Miles Baron, CEO of The Bingo Association, Donna Kunyo, winner of National Bingo Game Caller of the Year in 2019, and Daryl Powell the head rugby league coach of Wakefield Wildcats.
Izzy-Mae who is a live bingo host for Buzz Bingo commented on what it means to her to be crowned the winner: “I am so happy that I have won and crowned National Bingo Game Caller of the Year 2024! The whole day has been amazing. I want to thank everyone who came and supported me and congratulate all the other finalists for getting to the final. I am also delighted to be ambassador for the Bingo Association over the next few years.”
CEO of The Bingo Association, Miles Baron comments: “We are delighted to run the National Bingo Game Caller of the Year competition again as it’s a great chance to recognise the talent, dedication, skill, and the vital role of the Bingo Caller in the whole customer experience. This year’s finalists were amazing, making it a tough decision to choose the winner but all judges agreed that Issy deserved to be crowned the champion. From start to finish the atmosphere and entertainment was amazing and really captured what bingo is all about, I would like to thank the judges Donna and Daryl and the Mecca team for hosting a brilliant event. This competition is unique as it brings people from all walks of life together to play the game and enjoy themselves.”
