Entertainment
26 February, 2026
Local talent Deadly Funny
YOU may have seen him on Facebook “flicking lure for barramunga” or introducing his videos with a “hello my everything”, now Rene Simpson could be on his way to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival after winning Mareeba’s Deadly Funny event.
Deadly Funny is a competition organised by the Melbourne Comedy Festival to unearth the funniest First Nations talent from across the country.
The competition was open to all aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over the age of 18 who perform all kinds of entertainment such as stand up, music, sketch, or dance.
Competition winners have the opportunity to perform in the Deadly Funny National Grand Final at the Melbourne festival where they will be in the running for a $3,000 prize.
Entrants were given the opportunity to sit with seasoned professional comedians in a two-hour workshop to help refine their ideas before unleashing their talent onstage.
Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation, along with Ngoonbi and TRACQS, hosted Deadly Funny events in both Mareeba and Kuranda recently, which saw Simpson take out the Mareeba show and Leonard Hunter Donahue win in Kuranda.
Originally from Kuranda and now working on country with Western Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, Simpson has garnered quite a large following on social media in recent years.
His notoriously funny videos, predominantly on Facebook, have become widely known not only in the local area, but all over Australia.
After winning Mareeba’s event, Simpson has the opportunity to lock in a spot at the renowned comedy festival if he’s selected by festival executives.
The two host comedians at the local events were Leon Filewood and Ghenoa Gela. There were also guest performances by Jay Wymarra and 2023 Deadly Funny Winner and local Shahnee Hunter.
