6. What do your parents/children (delete as applicable) think of your job?
It’s all very surreal for them. For many years when I was living at my mom’s, I was doing stand-up comedy and still working multiple jobs so to her and my family I wasn’t earning money from my comedy, so I must of really sucked. Next thing they know I move to London and within 2 years I’m doing stand-up on TV so for them it’s like “how did that happen?”
7. What’s the worst thing about being a comedian?
We are the cousins of those street performers who paint themselves in silver and stand still.
8. I think you are very good at what you do (that’s why I’m asking these questions). What do you think of you?
Honestly I think I’m running at about 60% on stage. I see my weaknesses and I’m trying to get better, I want to be more animated on stage for example. I’m quite static but my energy is high but my feet are very planted. I want to own the stage more, prowl a bit, really work my fitbit. I want to do more stories and longer routines that’s the goal for my next show.
9. How much do you earn and how much would you like to earn?
I earn enough to pay rent and buy nice trainers, I want to earn enough so I can do the “mobile stack” photo that rappers do were they hold a giant stack of money towards their ear like a phone. However much that is I want that much. Or a more sensible answer is just enough money where I can work maybe 6 months a year and the other 6 months hunt UFO’s or eat crisps.
10. How important is luck in terms of career success – have you had lucky breaks?
I had a lucky break, a few months after I made the out of the blue decision to just move to London, I was at an open mic, and the person who is now my agent saw me doing new material, and they showed interest in me and a few months later they signed me and It’s been amazing ever since. I remember thinking about cancelling that gig, glad I didn’t. I really do live by the saying “funny will always prevail” - if you’re truly funny nothing will stop you achieving whatever you want from this business, just need a good amount of hard work and persistence.
Luck is a huge factor in this business, talent for sure matters but when that lucky break comes round and you have the talent to back it……BOOOM BABY!
11. Alan Davies has said that comedians fall into two categories - golfers and self-harmers. The former just get on with life, the latter are tortured artists. Which are you – or do you think you fit into a third category?
Yes, self-harmer for sure ha ha. I went through a stage where I felt like I was just doing comedy to spite myself, my career wasn’t going very well at all and my material stunk, but I just carried on and told myself whenever I had a bad gig that it was what I deserved. I do comedy because I don’t like me very much generally, but in doing comedy I have definitely found a happiness I wouldn’t of got from say working a “normal” job, but I might of got the same level of happiness if I owned a trampoline.
12. Who is your favourite person ever and why – not including family or friends or other comedians?
I daren’t say a celebrity as I don’t want to read this in years to come and realise he was done for sexual misconduct etc. But I will say I love postmen and women as all I do is order crap online to fill the hole inside me and they are always really polite when delivering my nonsense.
13. Do you keep your drawers tidy and if not why not? (please think long and hard about this question, it's to settle an argument with my girlfriend. The future of our relationship could depend on your response).
Naaaaa …all my drawers look like I just moved in or I’m ready to leave, as long as I know this drawer is for underwear and socks I don’t care if its tidy or not, I will fold jeans and put them in the drawer but that’s purely for space reasons.
