Russell Kane interview

Top stand-up Russell Kane talks to BCG about growing up, being mistaken for other people, and his future comedy ambitions...

As you joke about in your new DVD, you're often mistaken for Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw. We were considering being cruel and just asking you lots of questions about 'X Factor' in this interview...

Ha. It depends on context as to how often I'm mistaken for him. If I go on a night out, I'll get "Grimmy" more than I'll get "Russell".

Some people get really annoyed that I'm not him! What happens is they think I'm him just being arsey. I'm like "I'm not him", but they say: "We've put you where you are man, you should be more friendly!"

He's got an Oldham accent, but I've got an Essex accent... and he's on radio, so his voice is distinctive, but it still happens. We were at a pool party in Ibiza and this girl was like "Please Grimmy, please...", and I'm like "you're from the North, do I sound Northern to you?", but she was "I know your voice, I know your fucking voice." So I googled a picture of Nick Grimshaw and held it next to my head, and she was like "see, it is you... I knew it!"

It is your name printed on the front of your new DVD! You must be proud of this release?

It's been the longest tour I've ever done. As far as the British culture stuff goes [one of the topics of the show], that - in my opinion - is the funniest stuff I've ever written... so I didn't want it to disappear without doing it as a download and a DVD, and luckily at the last minute Universal said "let's do it".

You're married to a Mancunian, and poke fun at Manchester in your show... but did you leave that bit out when you performed the show in her home city?

Oh, no, I did it all the more! Up there I can be really nerdy with the local references - they love it! Once you're married to one of them you've sort of got a licence... it's like having dual nationality.

So you're from Essex, she's from Manchester. Where do you live now?

We live in Woodford Green which is counted as London, just... but I can see the "Welcome to Essex" sign from my window. So I'm close enough to the border without my IQ being affected, ha ha.

You're sharply dressed in this show.

I decided to stop doing this sort of 'studenty' type stuff a little while ago. You get to a certain age and you think "it's time to grow up". I did it a couple of years ago... I just went through my wardrobe and threw everything in the bin, put a shirt on and started taking meetings with BBC One and BBC Two [as opposed to youth-orientated BBC Three].

I got married, and had a baby recently... "I thought it's time to grow up now. Cut your hair, comb it, throw all the Superdry clothes away." Bang... the new me, grown up!

It's also given me something to talk about, so the new show I will tour will feature bits on growing up and stuff like that.

In this DVD you talk about the levels of life. You'll be at a point you think you're mature and wise... only to realise later there's another ledge... and another...

Yeah, you get to a certain age, like 18, and that's it: "I get it, I understand the world!" Then, when you get to 25, you laugh looking back at when you thought that was grownup, and actually "it's 25 that you're mature". Then you get to 30 and it slowly dawns on you it's going to happen every 5 or 10 years... until, eventually, you're in a nursing home going "now I get it!"... and then you die after one second of insight!

80 year-olds, they all say the same thing: They don't feel grown up, they still feel the same... it never ever stops!

The romanticising of the next stage is interesting too. I've just had the marriage one: You're the cool married couple and you think "hey man, we'll just have a baby and it'll be amazing and we'll use blackout curtains and the baby will sleep to 9am"... and then you land on that ledge and go "aww, I was so wrong!"

You've said on stage you struggle to get to sleep. What's it like with a baby?

It's easier for me with a new baby because it suits my non-usual sleeping patterns anyway. If I have to wake up, it's not a problem for me.

But I do wish I could be one of these people that can fall asleep no matter where they are. I could have perfect sleep conditions but still be like a meercat on amphetamines for 12 hours!

Changing the subject, to look at fame. What percentage of the population do you think know's who you are?

People who know my name... mmm... low I think, because when I get recognised I get a fair bit of "oh, who is it...? Alex Zane? Nick Zane...? ... Russell Howard, that's it!!!"

Are we counting babies and the like, all 65 million people?

Er, good question. Maybe just adults.

I guess, of normal functioning adults, I'd say less than 4% definitely know my name. It's got to be.

As for vaguely recognising my face - going on what happens when I'm out - maybe 1 in 8 people, something like that? People will go "aren't you Grimmy?" though.

I haven't done a big TV chat show or hosted a roadshow [to become a household name]. I've done lots of disparate things, I've done The Royal Variety, I've done Live At The Apollo several times... that's what's pushed me up to a 1 in 8 recognising my face; but as far as people going "that's Russell Kane", it's less.

Do you aspire to change that, to become mega famous?

No, definitely 100% not. That's my idea of hell. I mean even if you're at the airport and someone wants to take a picture of your face whilst you're eating you just have to pretend to like it.

I know what you're saying. You can't have all of the privileges without the catches. I like a balance of being moderately well-known but having a little bit of privacy still.

To deal with what Jay Z and Beyonce have to deal with - clearing a restaurant out before going in it... no thanks. They couldn't even get off a plane in the Democratic Republic of Congo without being hassled. That, for me, would just drive me nuts.

I'm a classic 'medium profile' person - big extrovert show-off outside, but a quiet introvert on the inside. I have lots of both traits. Those type of people aren't good at being hounded 24/7!

So what is next for you, TV wise? You're moving away from BBC Three?

Funny you should say that, as I've just got one last commission come in from BBC Three. I can't talk about it yet annoyingly, but it's going to hopefully shown on BBC One as well, which is the way BBC Three is going to go.

The top line is it's a comedy survival idea [since this interview was conducted it was revealed that the show will be "a light-hearted take on the survival genre - part Bear Grylls, part Idiot Abroad"]. I'm not going to be in the country much over the next six weeks and I'm absolutely shitting myself.

As for aspirations now that I'm growing up and moving on; I would love a shiny floor panel show or chat show, where I host it, it's really funny and it's on every week and loads of people watch it and it's warm and engaging and a bit edgy too...

I'd love to do that, and something scripted as well. I'd love to get a sitcom away based on my dad. I've started writing it, but the way this business works is the idea is the easy bit a lot of the time. The hard bit is getting a producer on board; and then you've got to get a channel that likes you to work with that producer, and then you've got to get a script commission, then you've got to get a pilot... there's so many hurdles! You fall over and over again. But, one day, hopefully...

RUSSELL KANE 'LIVE' is available to own on Digital Download on 16th November, and DVD from 30th November 2015. Shop