Listen to this article:Each year, Mecca Bingo holds a competition for bingo callers in searching to find the best one. Recently, this year’s final took place at the Mecca Wednesbury club, and six experienced callers from Mecca clubs across the UK competed for the title, having battled their way through a number of regional heats.
The callers were judged on a number of criteria, including personality, stage presence, bingo calling skills, audience engagement and other talents. In the end, Kelly Horton, 46, was awarded the title Caller of the Year 2024. Kelly, who has been a caller at Mecca’s club on Brierley Hill High Street in Dudley for 17 years, had impressed throughout the heats with her enthusiasm, ease with customers, and line dancing skills.
When it came to the final, she rose to the occasion by calling a perfect game of bingo before getting the crowd on their feet to dance to a remix of the R&B classic “Stand By Me”.
After winning, Kelly said:
“I can’t believe I’m Mecca’s Caller of the Year! The atmosphere at the final was fantastic. The other callers were amazing and everyone was so supportive. Whoever won, everyone would have been delighted for them. I started doing line dancing for fun and a bit of exercise. It’s really accessible – anyone who can walk four steps can learn how to line dance. I was nervous at the final but when I started playing the music, the audience jumped up and joined in straight away!”
While line dancing is not a must-have skill for bingo callers, it certainly encapsulates the community spirit that bingo is renowned for. Recently, Foxy Bingo ran free line dancing sessions in Birmingham as part of its “Get Your Fox On” advertising campaign, but it seems as if Kelly came at it from a different angle.
“Bingo calling is great fun, and a huge part of my life. In my spare time I also volunteer at the Wollescote Community Centre, and it was there that I realised I could use my line dancing to get everyone moving. Everyone at the centre is really proud that it’s won me the Mecca title.”
Having won the Mecca bingo caller competition, Kelly will now go on to represent the bingo operator in the grand final of the National Bingo Game Caller of the Year competition, which will be held in Wakefield this November.
She will be competing against callers from other operators, including smaller independent bingo halls as well as holiday parks. The event will be judged by a professional panel as well as fans and the winner crowned as the industry champion.
Speaking about the final, Kelly said that she hopes to follow in the footsteps of the reigning title holder Benj Maycock from Mecca Wednesbury, who won with his unique rap calling style.
“Having competed at Wednesbury against some of the best of the best it’s a real honour to be heading to Wakefield to represent Mecca in the industry’s National Bingo Game Caller of the Year competition. I hope I’ve done Brierley Hill proud and can’t wait to celebrate with our customers.”
Bingo callers are often overlooked, but their duties go far beyond shouting out numbers. A good caller will not only ensure the game runs smoothly but also create an atmosphere in the hall and make the games more engaging and enjoyable for players.
Andy Crump, managing director of Mecca Bingo, explained just how important bingo callers are and why Kelly was chosen as the winner:
“Our bingo callers have a hugely important role to play in delivering brilliant entertainment experiences for our customers. They create the atmosphere for every game, make sure that every customer is engaged, announce all our lucky winners and most definitely help to create exciting memories for all our players.
In addition to clear voices and top calling skills, the judging panel was looking for big personality and talent for our Bingo Caller of the Year. We found that in Kelly and we’ll be backing her all the way when she represents Mecca at the National Bingo Game Caller of the Year competition in November.”
The National Bingo Game Caller of the Year competition is held every two years and the winner takes home a trophy and a £1,000 cash prize, while runners-up receive £500 and a commemorative trophy.
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