Interview: Josh Widdicombe
Sitcom star, popular panellist, and acclaimed stand-up comedian – Josh Widdicombe brings his latest considerations on the world to the Brighton Dome
Josh Widdicombe has a flourishing TV career. He co-presents the award-winning C4 programme, The Last Leg, one of the most popular comedy shows on television. He has also made memorable appearances on Mock the Week, QI, Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You and The Jonathan Ross Show. In addition, he has written and starred his own sitcom, ‘JOSH’, which was broadcast on BBC3 last year, and returns for a highly anticipated second series this autumn.
Josh begins by underscoring how delighted he is to be returning to the live comedy arena after a sustained period locked away in various TV studios. “I love stand-up,” he beams. “I think of myself as a stand-up. It’s not like a proper job, but it’s what I do. Other things just happen to me, and they have all come out of my stand-up. It’s good to remind myself why I ended up getting my own sitcom.”
Josh adds that he relishes the whole process of touring. “I really like the lifestyle, and I really like travelling around the UK. It’s a very pleasant way to see the country. It’s really interesting to see where people come from and then talk to them about those places.
“It’s also quite a meditative way to spend your time. When you know you’re going to be in a car for the next four hours driving to tonight’s venue, your day is prescribed. You think, ‘This is going to happen’. So you just sit there and chat because you can’t do anything else. It’s actually very stress-free.”
So what subjects will Josh be addressing in ‘What Do I Do Now…’? “As a stand-up, you naturally talk about what’s interesting you, so I’ll be discussing what’s annoying me right now.
The fact that The Last Leg goes out live helps – that gives it a real energy.
“But I’ll also be doing a lot about growing up in Devon in the 1990s. At my primary school, there were only four children in my year. It was a very different experience from a lot of other people’s. So I’ll be doing some comparing and contrasting with how I live now.”
During the tour, BBC3 will be transmitting the second series of Josh’s sitcom. The comedian explains that, “The main character is called Josh and it’s based on me five years ago. It’s me when I wasn’t as successful and was living in a shared house. It’s about the trials and tribulations of that.
“The sitcom Josh is not a success. He’s single and frustrated with his life. He’s a character who’s trapped – that’s what all sitcoms boil down to. I don’t want to watch anyone else being successful, and I don’t want to put viewers through that, either!”
The comedian is also continuing with his other major TV project, The Last Leg, the much-loved topical comedy show which Josh co-presents with Adam Hills and Alex Brooker.
Josh attempts to put his finger on why The Last Leg, which has grown in popularity since its initial short run during the London 2012 Paralympic Games, is so widely adored. “Why has it struck such a chord? It’s a total fluke rather than a grand plan! We didn’t plot a good way of making the show – we just stumbled across it!
“The chemistry between the three of us is obviously key. You can theorise as long as you want about why we click, but the truth is that some groups just work really well together & some don’t.
“The fact that The Last Leg goes out live helps – that gives it a real energy. Also, for the last ten years, a lot of TV panel shows have looked the same, but The Last Leg feels very different.”
Finally, Josh would like to convey a reassuring message to the people. “I don’t draw any conclusions in this show. You won’t learn anything about me or yourself. But hopefully it’ll be really funny. That’s the primary aim.”
And it’s one that Josh achieves quite brilliantly.
Josh Widdicombe: What Do I Do Now…, Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, Saturday 12 November 2016, 8pm, £19
