Katy Brand: can you teach a degree in 'funny'? Certainly on the comedy circuit there's a bit of snobbery about the idea of going on courses to learn the trade, but then again, there's an awful lot of really bad comedians about, so perhaps the snobbery is misplaced. The interesting thing about this is that there is clearly an idea at Salford University that comedy is a very viable, and potentially financially rewarding career. And the evidence would bear that out, given that people like Mr Kay and Michael McIntyre are now earning millions of pounds a year touring and selling DVDs. Big-hearted comedian Michael McIntyre delivers time and time again. But these are two highly skilled comedians who know exactly what their audience wants and work hard to deliver it time and time again. There is a certain formula to their success, and that's not to do them down in any way. Perhaps this formula can indeed be taught, but I don't want to live in a comedy landscape with only the top ten selling comedians as towering steeples in an otherwise flattened terrain. Cariad Lloyd was nominated as best newcomer at the 2011 Edinburgh Comedy Awards There are other comedians such as Simon Munnery, Stewart Lee, Bridget Christie and Cariad Lloyd who are less formulaic and probably less rolling in cash, but artistically more interesting - can you teach that? Or does that only come with the kind of experimental recklessness (or messing about) that a less business minded comedian might be willing to engage in?