Meet London’s New Night Czar, Tasked With Reviving The Capital’s Nightlife

Back in August, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced he was looking for someone to reinvigorate London's pitiful nightlife and clubbing scene. They would receive the impressive job title of "Night Czar" and for a salary of over £30,000 for just 2.5 days of work a week, they would be tasked with "developing and diversifying" London's night-time economy. Well, after what we're sure was a gruelling application process (we're picturing a nightclub dance-off between the final candidates), the comedian and broadcaster Amy Lamé has been chosen to help turn London into a 24-hour city, the Evening Standard reported. Lamé, 45, was born in New Jersey but moved to London in the early '90s and now has British citizenship. Having run the LGBT club/performance night Duckie since the mid-‘90s, she said one of her first priorities would be stopping the closure of further nightclubs and music venues.

“It’s a privilege to be London’s very first night czar," she said. "I can’t wait to hit the streets and have loads of ideas of what I can do for revellers, night-time workers, businesses and stakeholders. “For too long, the capital’s night-time industry has been under pressure – music venues and nightclubs in particular are closing at an alarming rate," she added. “With the advent of the Night Tube, and the Mayor’s commitment to protect iconic venues across the city, I’m confident that I can inspire a positive change in the way people think about the night-time economy.” Lamé is also an LGBT activist and an active member of the Labour party, having run as its parliamentary candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood in 2014. She was also the co-Mayor of Camden between 2010-11. In her new role, Lamé will work alongside Khan, the police, Transport for London and the Night Time Commission, local planning and licensing authorities, club and venue owners. The Mayor said he was "absolutely delighted to announce the appointment of London’s first ever night czar," reported the Evening Standard. "The recent closure of the world-famous nightclub Fabric [in Farringdon] and the threats facing other venues across the capital show why Amy will be a much-needed ambassador for the city after dark." We look forward to bumping into her in the club on our next night out in the capital.