Matt Winning

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Tuesday 21st December 2021

One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate. This week we welcome Matt Winning, the UK's secret weapon when it comes to fighting climate change, as he's (a) an expert and (b) extremely funny, so lightens up the whole end-of-the-world business, no end. And he's just released the ideal stocking-filler for those tricky-to-please types.

"Hot Mess is my new comedy book about climate change," he says, "an attempt to reach a wider audience on the subject, to speak to people that care about the issue but that wouldn't necessarily identify as a climate activist or normally seek out a serious book on the topic.

"Essentially it is the old Mary Poppins trick of a spoonful of sugar. So, it's got lots of jokes and facts in it and some personal stuff about the contradictions and similarities of being a climate researcher and becoming a new father."

Lovely. But would he suggest reading it before Christmas, or saving it for resolution-fuelled early January?

"I would recommend reading it before Xmas because then you can re-gift it to someone and also drop some truth-bombs at the dinner table in order to appear cool and knowledgeable."

And those are the second-best bombs (hot chocolate bombs obviously being massive winners). Now, Matt Winning, your Random 8 await.

Who is - or was - your most interesting relative?

Never done Who Do You Think You Are? or any of those online family tree websites so my answer is limited. My mum's cousin is one of the main people in Downton Abbey but I don't really know her at all. That's really just my only famous relative.

In terms of interesting, I am absolutely going to say my son. Given that he is literally discovering new things in the world every single day then that makes my life pretty interesting. He once pulled my finger and farted himself. Already playing with the form.

I've become one of those people that only talk about their kids.

Which live event would you most like to have attended?

My own birth. Does that count? If I'm not allowed to choose that then I'll go with that Beatles gig on the roof as I'm currently watching the Get Back documentary. And by currently, I mean literally as I am writing this sentence. My God they've got a couple of decent tunes these boys haven't they.

What's the greatest invention, ever?

The Snowglobe. An entire world in your hands.

Which low-key law would you introduce?

Introduce a frequent flyer levy and use it to pay for better domestic electric train infrastructure. That is where you are taxed more for each flight you take in a year, and allowed one flight exempt from the tax. 70% of flights in the UK are taken by only 15% of people so they should be taxed more every time they fly. That way it protects the average yearly family holiday while making those most responsible pay. Here's a BBC News link.

What's the most regrettable thing you ever bought?

A toss-up between a set of golf clubs and the rights to all the music of Savage Garden.

Your weirdest Christmas memory?

It's not weird as such but I remember asking for a Mega Drive for Xmas in 1995. I'd never owned a console and everyone I knew already had one. As a family we had been always been, and still are, super behind with computers and generally technophobic. Anyway, I was pretty excited about finally owning a thing I could play games on.

I decided to open a small wrapped present first, to build the suspense. I tore it open. It was a controller for a Playstation. And for the next minute I thought my parents were idiots who didn't know what they were doing. How could they be so stupid? I asked for a Mega Drive. That minute seemed to last forever.

Obviously, it turned out they'd bought a Playstation, which had just come out, and was way better, but this never crossed my mind. All I could think was how incompetent my parents must be to mess up so much on Xmas day and that I should have helped them. Doesn't paint me in a good light this story but in fairness I was 10.

What's the best (non-comedy) room you've ever been in?

King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow.

How do you feel about New Year's Eve?

I used to absolutely detest it. I mean it really depressed me year after year as I wallowed in nostalgia and my own mortality. But in recent years I stopped caring or thinking about it entirely and now I either just quite enjoy spending it with close friends and/or family or try to find a good Ceilidh. Nothing beats that. So things change.

Hot Mess by Matt Winning is in all good bookshops, now.