Glasgow Hotel hoping to hire 'breakfast banter butler' to work during Fringe 2024

A Glasgow hotel is on the hunt for a professional comedian to entertain guests throughout the Fringe.   

Given its proximity to Queen Street station, which offers regular direct trains to Edinburgh, the AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow is experiencing a significant spike in demand during the Fringe – and it’s now looking for a “banter butler” to crack jokes as the chefs crack eggs, helping festival-goers get into the spirit. 

Today, ads have gone live to offer the paid gig to one lucky candidate – with free accommodation and travel expenses to and from Edinburgh on top — for the entirety of The Fringe. 

As a result of eye-watering accommodation prices in Edinburgh during the festival,  leading to some rooms rising by as much as 1,500 per cent in August, many performers and visitors are choosing to stay in Glasgow instead, or opt out of the fringe altogether. 

Earlier in the year, Manchester-based comedian, singer and actor Jason Manford wrote on X about being priced out of the popular festival: “Edinburgh Festival prices especially for accommodation are an absolute joke! No idea how anyone starting out is managing to get up there and showcase their talents! “I’ve just priced up a week up there and even if every show sells out, I’m still operating at a loss.” The job ad explains that the selected banter merchant is set to be ‘the toast of the hotel, transforming ordinary mornings into laugh-a-minute experiences and setting the perfect tone for the day ahead’.

The role description continues: “Egg-citing opportunity: We’re great at making sure our guests are happy. Your job will be to take it to the next level. We want them “buckled”. Think skull and crossbones emoji, think ROFL, think LMFAO, think Noels’ House Party (inter-generational references preferable).

“You’ll bring thigh slappers, side-splitters, zingers, one-liners, and table-side crowd-work to our wonderful guests during breakfast four times a week for the duration of your run.”

Craig Munro, General Manager at AC Hotel by Marriott Glasgow said:  "With so many people choosing to stay in Glasgow during the Fringe, we thought we’d like to bring a little bit of the Fringe to our guests – and what better way to start the morning than with a set from one of the performers. We always look for new ways to surprise and delight guests. 

“We’ve all heard stories of how performers can be priced out of Edinburgh. We hope this can make the experience a little easier for them and create some special memories for our guests. 

“I’m a big fan of comedy so I’m excited to watch the applications, and we look forward to hiring our first Breakfast comedian!” 

The opportunity is open to everyone performing at the Fringe – as well as up and coming comics who feel they should be. Applicants should send a 60 second video explaining what they’ll bring to the (breakfast) table, why they’re the right person to get guests in the mood for a day of laughter, music, and leaflet-dodging on the high street. 

Candidates should also share their favourite breakfast-related joke. Cracking a few eggcellent breakfast puns in there could score some extra points.

Once appointed, the Breakfast banter butler will start in August, whenever they’re taking to the stage in Edinburgh. The hotel will make sure they have some time to enjoy Glasgow before the first show -- and time to unwind after their last.

Wannabe breakfast banter merchants can apply here.