"Funniest Comedian RICHARD DIGANCE vs NICK DIPAOLO"

Richard Digance (pronounced DYE-jance; born 24 February 1949) is an English comedian and folk singer. Digance was born in Plaistow, Essex (now part of east London). After his family moved to nearby East Ham, he attended Vicarage Lane Primary School and then Thomas Lethaby Secondary Modern. After gaining two A-Level passes in English Literature and Modern British History, he moved to Glasgow, where he studied mechanical engineering at Reid Kerr College, Paisley, during which time he was inspired by Billy Connolly and Mike Harding. In the 1970s he toured the United States. Though failing to make much of a name, he ended up a support act for Steve Martin. He also supported Tom Jones in 87 concerts, and other artists such as Supertramp, Jethro Tull, Joan Armatrading, David Essex and Elkie Brooks. In 1971, he recorded an LP whilst with the group Pisces for the Trailer label. It features the moorland ballad "Jack O'Legs" about a 14-foot-tall highwayman. Richard Digance began his TV career on Sound of The City for Thames TV, produced by Richard Newman, in the early 1970s. This debut appearance was followed by The Old Grey Whistle Test and then the Today programme. The Whistle Test was his only BBC TV appearance except for appearing on The Ronnie Corbett Show years later and then link-man for BBC2 coverage of The Cambridge Folk Festival. He then became a regular contributor on The 6 o'clock Show with Michael Aspel. He had to wait over a decade to be given his own show. His first own TV Special was in 1985 for Thames TV, A Dabble With Digance, and featured newsreader Carol Barnes. After the success of this special he was signed to TVS in Southampton after being a studio warm-up act there for Matthew Kelly and this first series of six programmes screened on Thursday nights. He also filmed a pilot The Three Busketeers featuring himself, Chris Barrie who went on to star in Red Dwarf, and Adrian Hedley. At this time he still continued as a studio warm-up act for The Des O'Connor Show. He was also appearing regularly on late night shows for Tyne Tees Television with Gillian Reynolds.

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Nicholas Rocco Di Paolo (born January 31, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor, radio personality and podcast host best known for his appearances as a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, the Comedy Central Roasts, Opie and Anthony and The Howard Stern Show, as well as recurring roles on Louie and Horace and Pete. After a stint on SiriusXM that ended in 2018 due to being fired, he re-launched his topical comedy show The Nick DiPaolo Show, as a daily online video show and podcast. Di Paolo was born in Danvers, Massachusetts to parents Nick and Joan Di Paolo. In 1980, after graduating from high school, he attended the University of Maine where he was a running back on the university's football team and graduated in 1984 with a major in marketing. He said: "I cheated my way through with a 2.3" grade point average but picked this time as "the best years of my life". He joined the fraternity Sigma Nu. His brother also attended the university and did play-by-play commentary for the Maine Black Bears hockey team with Gary Thorne. After graduating Di Paolo landed several jobs, including office jobs in marketing and as a door-to-door salesman selling meat and seafood. During this time, the stand-up comedy scene in the Boston area had picked up and a friend encouraged Di Paolo to go on stage. Di Paolo was a fan of stand-up and was influenced by watching comedians appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, David Letterman on The Mike Douglas Show, Jay Leno on The Merv Griffin Show, and Robert Klein. He had wanted to have a go for several years but "didn't have the guts" but his lack of enjoyment as a salesman "led me to the stage". Di Paolo performed his first routine in the summer of 1986 at an open mic night at Stitches club in Boston, traveling from a family barbecue with "about 22 beers in me". He recalled his five-minute set went "pretty well" and wanted to pursue it full time, but his salesman job required a temporary relocation to Rhode Island. In the spring of 1987, he returned to Boston and started to make regular appearances at local open mic nights.

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