Hancock's half hour with teen comedian (VIDEO)
Nick, one of the city's most famous faces, was a judge on the talent show and was impressed by what he saw of 16-year-old Dave Pengelly.
Despite missing out on a place in the final, Dave did secure a promise from the former They Think It's All Over presenter to be put through his paces at a comedy master-class.
And yesterday the Stoke City-loving star proved as good as his word as he met Dave at the Regent Theatre to talk over the teenager's comic routines.
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Nick, last seen on TV presenting primetime ITV1 game show Duel, said: "I have seen Dave twice now, both in the last two years of Stoke's Top Talent. He's been just about the only stand-up to take part.
"It is a very nerve-racking thing to do, but both times he has got through to the heats and I have seen a big improvement in him.
"Stand-up is a very lonely thing. It is not the sort of thing anyone can teach and you can only really practice in front of an audience on stage."
Nick added: "I thought it might help Dave to go through a few pointers. I started off in clubs when I was aged 20.
"That improves you. There were a lot of comedy clubs about and I was doing a lot of sketch-based stuff.
"Dave's style is not aggressive, it is gentle and vulnerable which can be very effective. But people have got to know he is in control."
Nick said: "Being a stand-up is a lot like being a teacher, going into a classroom full of unruly pupils having to catch their attention. An awful lot of stand-up comics are ex-teachers, including me."
Dave, of Brookwood Drive, Meir, is a student of performing arts at Stoke-on-Trent College's Burslem campus.
And the former Moorside High School pupil, who lists Middlesbrough comic Roy 'Chubby' Brown as his favourite comedian, said: "It was nerve-racking when I first performed stand-up at Stoke's Top Talent.
"I had never done anything like that before. After I did it, I thought I had achieved something.
"Hopefully Nick can teach me the basics and, if I get future shows, I can take it on board.
"I used to watch him on They Think It's All Over with my dad, so it's quite surreal to sit down with him and talk about comedy."
SOME OF THE SENTINEL'S BEST JOKES
What did the bartender say to the sandwich?
"I'm sorry, we don't serve food."
What do you call a man with a spade in his head?
Doug.
What's the most important thing to learn in chemistry class?
What did one snowman say to the other?
"Do you smell carrots?"
What's black and white and very noisy?
A magpie with a drum set.
How do you keep someone in suspense?
I'll tell you tomorrow.
How do you kill a circus?
Go for the juggler.
How do you know when there's an elephant under your bed?
Your nose touches the ceiling.
How do you make a sausage roll?
Push it down a hill.
Why did the golfer wear two pairs of trousers?
In case he got a hole in one
Heard about the man who got sacked from Alton Towers?
He sued for funfair dismissal.
Why did the chewing gum cross the road?
It was stuck to the chicken's foot.
What kind of cheese isn't yours?
Nacho Cheese.
What does an envelope say when you lick it?
Nothing. It just shuts up.
Why did the hedgehog cross the road?
To see his flat-mate.
How do you make a bandstand?
Take their chairs away.
What do you call a donkey with ear muffs on?
Anything you want. He can't hear you.
What's the best way to call a Tyrannosaurus Rex?
Long distance.
What did the grape do when it got stepped on?
It let out a little wine.
What's Santa's favourite pizza?
One that's deep pan, crisp and even.
What's ET short for?
Because he's only got little legs.
What's your best (clean) joke? Tell us below...
IT'S THE WAY YOU TELL 'EM: Nick Hancock, left, gives young comedian Dave Pengelly some words of advice on how to make the big time. Picture Shaun Smith
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