Seagull impersonator says birds get a 'bad press'

The winner of a seagull impersonation contest says she thinks the birds get "a bad press" and sound "fantastic."

Trish Clemit, from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, has been crowned overall winner of the 2026 Seagull Festival Championships in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, having discovered her hidden talent at Butlins aged eight.

"All my life I've been waiting for a competition then I found out about this one through a friend and I thought right, I'm going down all the way from Hebden," she said.

The contest is split into under-12s and over-12s with viral sensation Cooper aka 'Seagull Boy' returning to judge the impersonations.

The festival was held at Weston Museum with seagull-themed games and seagull-themed Morris dancing.

Clemit said she was "really, really pleased" to win.

"I've always loved seagulls," she said.

"I know they have problems and stuff but I've got an affinity with them."

Head judge Cooper said there are specific things he looks for when deciding his winners.

"I look for good volume, good costumes and the most happy people basically."

Cooper became an overnight sensation aged just nine after winning a European championship in 2024, and went on to defend his title in April.

Since first going viral in 2024, 'Seagull Boy' has been interviewed by TV and radio stations around the world, was followed by a Korean film crew for three days as part of a documentary about seagulls and even won €1,000 (£867) on a German game show.

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