Josh Widdicombe interview

2016 has been rather busy for Josh Widdicombe, and he tops the year off with the launch of his latest DVD. More on that below, but first we talk to him about The Last Leg and politics...

Hi Josh. The Last Leg has been getting brilliant ratings recently, boosted perhaps by the US Election result...

I don't want to be too happy about Donald Trump becoming president, but he probably has bought us another four years of the show. I'm trying to keep a lid on my pleasure of the programme continuing as the world is collapsing.

Was that Last Leg Election Special a hard show?... over 2 million tuned in to see your reactions.

In a weird way, it was an easier show because there was much more of an 'angle'. If Hillary had come to power, she was a bit of a 'nothing figure'... her main selling point was that she wasn't Donald Trump.

In an awful way, if Hilary had come to power it would be a very difficult four years [for comedy] as, much like Theresa May, career politicians aren't very interesting people to talk about. They are kind of set up to be these grey figures that aren't going to be... you know, your Boris Johnsons? If Hillary had got in it would have been a dry old four years for comedy I imagine... but, then again, there probably wouldn't be a World War III!

So, for the next UK election, who would be best to elect from a comedy angle?

I think Piers Morgan is kind of brilliant; he's an entertaining figure. I wouldn't really want him to run the country because he knows how to press people's buttons, but if he was Prime Minister it would be an absolute Trump-esque hoot, wouldn't it?... purely from the stand-up point of view of making a TV show. Clarkson would be good too!

Piers has been on The Last Leg. Is it awkward to sit next to people you don't necessarily agree with?

I think that's better. I think the worst thing The Last Leg could become is a liberal echo chamber. The important thing about comedy, and TV, is you should have different opinions... and the brilliant thing about Piers Morgan is, you might not agree with him, but he's entertaining and witty and informed on these things. He's a windup merchant... what more could you want from a guest?

Indeed. Well, with some turmoil clearly ahead, at least we've got The Last Leg to help guide us through it...

If that's what you're hoping for, then we're in serious trouble!

Ha ha. Moving on to your sitcom Josh. Series 2 seemed to us like a bit of a 'step up' from Series 1, is that something you'd agree with?

I totally agree. We were really proud of it.

People seem to have reacted so well to Series 2, and it has really come on.

If we can make that improvement again in Series 3 [the BBC have ordered a third run]... That's what we've got to aim for. I sound like a footballer after a hard won victory or something, but you've got to just go 'what an opportunity this now is'. I can't wait to get going on it!

So when do you start work on writing the next series?

January 1st. Actually, maybe January 2nd, due to a hangover! We're filming in June and July.

Will Series 3 be the same set up?

It will be set in space! It's quite a departure!

No, we've thought about what we liked and what we didn't like and what we want to improve and where we take characters. We've never wanted to create a sitcom that tells a long overarching story - there's no Chandler and Monica story, no Rachel and Ross - we just want to tell six really funny stories about someone having a terrible life.

Presumably Elis James, Beattie Edmondson and Jack Dee need to be nice to you over Christmas, so you don't write any dodgy scenes for them.

Well, Elis got his top off in Series 2 - I thought that was a very exciting moment. So I hope you'll be seeing more of that in Series 3.

It's always fun to give Elis and Beattie kissing scenes [not together] - I know how uncomfortable that makes them. We haven't seen Jack kiss anyone yet... but I don't think that'd really work for the character of Geoff.

Moving on to your new DVD... are we right in presuming there's a lot of pressure around the gig at which that is recorded?

One million percent correct. It is absolutely terrifying.

You've done this show for fifty or sixty nights and then, before the recording, you're suddenly overthinking it. You have to go: 'you've just got to treat this like a normal gig.' And also, actually, if something messes up, it messes up... it's meant to be a document of a live event, not an album someone has spent four years in the studio perfecting. I think that also gives it the energy - you know you can't retake it, you know you've got to get it right - I think that's what makes it exciting.

It's easy for me to say that now as it was a good gig. If I had a bad gig, we might be having a very different interview now! Ha ha.

Given the stressful pre-gig build-up, you perhaps shouldn't have invited Alex Brooker along to film some YouTube videos with you?!?

Yeah, it was quite a chastening experience! I said 'just come along and take the piss a bit', and he really took it up a level. I think there was four years of anger for him to get off his chest!

See more of Alex's backstage videos

So will your family be getting your DVD as a present from you this year?

I don't think I can give it as gifts, can I? I thought maybe me and Romesh could swap 10 of each DVD and give them to our families, so we're not giving our own DVDs but we are still getting the sales!

Great idea. Your episode of Live At The Apollo was on TV the other week. Do you look at your social media account when you're on TV to see what the feedback is like?

I'll be honest with you, I don't look at my mentions on Twitter. I just think the whole idea of reading what people have said to you is...

I used to come away from gigs and be looking at tweets from people who have enjoyed the gig. You're going 'this is really nice but it's also a weird kind of loop to get your head in'. I think if you've experienced a gig then you should know whether it went well or badly and how you feel about it and you shouldn't be looking for someone to tweet about it to reassure you... I think that's where madness lies.

I'm not really into social media. My tweets are kind of like running into a room and shouting something and then running out. I never check how the tweet has done or whether anyone has responded to it.

You can get very deep. I waste enough time on my phone. I've got other things which have replaced it. You give up smoking, you start eating. I give up Twitter, and I start WhatsApp grouping.

With all your TV show appearances, your tour, the sitcom and more, you've had a really busy year Josh. Are we right in thinking you've not really had any time off this year?

It's not far off! This is my relaxing time... talking to you.

It's been a pretty intense year, but it's been really fun doing the tour show. When you're doing a tour that's got an end to it, it's like 'well, I'm not going to be doing stand-up next year, so I should enjoy this period where I can focus on stand-up, and then next year is my sitcom year.' It's been really fun in that respect.

I enjoy the different things you get to do in comedy. It'd be a lot more tiring if you did the same thing again and again and again. The beauty of stand-up is that, luckily for me, it has opened up doors to do other things and keep it fresh. And, that way, you're fresh when you come back to stand-up.

So do you have a rest planned?

This series of The Last Leg finishes on the 23rd December, which is late... but then I'm off till January, when we start writing Josh. I do have a week's holiday planned though.

Josh Widdicombe 'What Do I Do Now... Live 2016' is available on DVD from today. Watch a clip and order the DVD