Steve Williams interview

Welsh stand-up Steve Williams chats to British Comedy Guide about baby pigs and monkeys, writing for Russell Howard's Good News, and more...

Hi Steve. Could you introduce yourself in three words...

Tall, pink, Welsh.

OK, maybe a few more words...

Big ears, welsh accent, my friends on twitter call me '_stevewilliams_' which is a decent username but would make a horrendous nickname. "Hey, fancy going out for a pint underscore Steve Williams underscore?"

Ha. You did the first series of Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow - quite a big thing. How did that go?

Yes it was a big gig but also a lot of fun. Michael's a great comedian and a laugh to be around so there's no tension or nerves.

Over 5 million people have seen that episode. Has it had any noticeable impact on the size or type of audience coming to see you?

The Roadshow has had a massive impact... apart from my one Aunty who watched it and thought I was Alun Cochrane. I got her back, I took the seat off her stannah stairlift.

Talking of big ratings, congratulations on the success of Russell Howard's Good News! What's it like writing on the show?

Amazing. Last series, Russell threw a dart that hit the radiator. He pulled the dart out and it leaked like a wicker bucket. It was so funny, we never had any heating for the coldest December on record - good darts Russ, good darts.

How is the writing process organised? Do you get to sit around all day looking for funny clips, or is it more stressful and labour intensive than that?

It depends. Sometimes it can be tricky and other times all the pieces are already there, like the headline "Drunk gets nine months in violin case". Or the top line from the Sun when printer cartridge bombs were found - "Monsters Ink".

We love the OMG Cat. Do you have a favourite clip?

The cat is funny. What a brilliant clip. My favourite is baby monkey riding backwards on a piglet (YouTube). If you like baby pigs and baby monkeys finally there's a clip that doesn't make you choose!

Oh, that is good! Back to stand-up, you did Edinburgh in 2006, 2007, 2008... how comes you stopped going? Do you think you'll do the festival again?

I'll go back soon hopefully, I just haven't had chance with Russell Howards Good News taking off and doing my tour.

Fair play. As you say, you're off on tour. Are you looking forward to it, or is all the travelling a bit of a slog?

I'm really excited and I don't mind long journeys, you get a lot of material travelling. My mate was making his way through India and had the most amazing curry in a tiny village. When he asked the chef what curry it was, he hit a language barrier. Then the chef worked out the question, smiled and miaowed.

Ewww! What is the most interesting place you've done stand-up?

I once performed at the British Embassy in Paris which was unbelievable. I slept in the same suite as Tony Blair, John Major and Margaret Thatcher. Obviously not at the same time, William Hague wasn't booking the accommodation.

Ha ha. Final question.... we love your gags about big TVs and their inverse relationship to household income. How big is the telly you've got at home?

My TV is so old its grade two listed!

Nice one! Cheers Steve. All the best with the tour!

[i]Steve Williams is on tour with his brand-new solo show 'Stand Up Storyteller Man'.
For details see: stevewilliamscomedy.com or talk to Steve on Twitter: @_stevewilliams_