Your co-comedians on the show are Helen Bauer, Michael Odewale and Eleanor Tiernan. What do they each bring to the mix?

They’ve good, strong comedy voices. I haven’t worked with Helen before but I think I saw Michael when he first started out and I’ve known Eleanor for a long time. It was just nice to see them bringing their own unique perspectives to comedy and, as I say, they’re really good strong comedy voices. I don’t know if this was anyone’s first-time TV show but there was a real excitement. I think Eleanor has been going longer than me, but Michael and Helen are quite young comedians and it’s always exciting being on TV and working. I don’t want to put words into their mouths but I think they enjoyed themselves and they had fun.

How does what’s been happening around the world, such as the coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter protests, play into your comedy?

It’s a mixture. I talk about what I feel and I’m not a guy who can write in a vacuum. I like to pull from the world and what’s going on, and we’re all experiencing it regardless of what your views on it are. The fact is it’s a reality for everyone so for me not to talk about it wouldn’t really fit. But I don’t hammer it in because at the same time - with all the horrifying stuff that’s happening, all the good stuff that’s happening and all the weird stuff that’s happening - there’s still an element of forgetting that we still exist in our own lives, we all have bills to pay, we all have life partners… We all have the normal day-to-day stuff as well so to sort of negate that would be just as ridiculous as me not talking about what’s happening in the world.

As for Black Lives Matter, I’ve spoken about it, I guess, but especially now I’m careful about talking about something I’m not an expert on. There’s sometimes some fun in the ignorance of not knowing about a particular subject - and I don’t just mean Black Lives Matter, I mean in general. Talking about it without expertise can be funny but I prefer to talk about the emotion behind it because I think that’s where I can be authentic. Obviously I’ve spoken about what’s going on over in the States but it’s more based on my emotions around it as opposed to just my straight opinions on it because I don’t think that’s of interest to anyone.

When it comes to making people laugh, do you have boundaries you won’t cross?

It’s a common question and I get why people ask it, but for me it’s about content and context and it’s ‘What are you saying about it?’ I think you can talk about anything; it’s what you say about it that I find interesting. Shock value has sort of been downplayed as a cheap method of comedy, which it can be, and there other sorts of comic devices that can be used cheaply. There’s a time and a place, and some people do shock value really well so this idea that there are subjects that can never be touched is sort of a non-question really. Beautiful, amazing bits have been done about subjects where on paper you’d be horrified but when you hear it in person, where it’s given some context and content, it can result in great pieces of work.

Why do you feel comedy is such a vital part of British culture?

I think it’s always been a part of our culture, just as humour has always been a part of our culture. Whether it’s p***-taking down the pub to satire, it all holds a place in our society. There’s something unique about the idea of pulling laughter from people and it can be so many things. There are so many facets to it and so many things that exist in one art form. There are so many different voices and so many different opinions. I like the fact that Michael McIntyre and Frankie Boyle exist in the same art form when they’re so different from each other. It’s that thing of self-expression and I just think for British people having a sense of humour is quite a desirable trait. People always say about someone ‘He’s got a nice sense of humour’ or ‘She’s got a nice sense of humour’. If you look on dating apps most people are saying they want someone with a sense of humour.

How optimistic are you about the future of live comedy?

I think it will continue to exist. I don’t know what facet it will exist under but I don’t think it is going to go away. Comedy is fluid and it will always evolve, so I’m very optimistic about it as an art form. 

Interview supplied by publicists