Epic Win

Stand-up comedian Joe Lycett can currently be seen in a fetching white suit lending his big booming voice and amusing facial expressions to Alexander Armstrong's BBC One comedy challenge show Epic Win. We caught up with Joe to find out more...

Hi Joe. So you're on Saturday night on BBC One. Does it feel a bit surreal to have jumped straight into a big mainstream telly show?

It's a fabulous opportunity - I'm very fortunate to have been trusted with performing in such a big TV slot. Having said that, I have done bits and bobs on the digital channels before this, but it's definitely a step up.

How did you get the job?

A friend of a friend who works at the BBC introduced me to the guys that developed the show a couple of years ago, and when they started coming up with the format early this year they asked me to come in. I then had to show off a bit for all the big wigs at BBC One and somehow they trusted me.

Has anyone recognised you in the street as being 'off the telly'?

Oddly I have not been recognised at all. I've been in Edinburgh though so it's a bit of a bubble and most people are watching live comedy rather than TV. I think that might change as the series progresses.

On the show you put on a good, strong 'announcer' voice - not a million miles dissimilar to the voice of X-Factor man Peter Dickson - have you bumped into him recently? If so, what does he think?

I bumped into him recently in a pub in London bizarrely! We ended up having a pint and a chat. He's a charming and very funny man. I made sure he knew about the show before we recorded - it's a bit of a homage to him - and he said he loved the sound of it and wished me the best of luck.

The show is all about odd talents. What was your favourite of the 'talents' showcased?

I like the obscure ones like the John Travolta hairlines and the girl that knows everything about Strictly Come Dancing. Of course the man who got slapped with fish was great fun.

If you were to go on the show as a contestant, what would you do?

I have no idea. I would probably try contortion of some sort as I have quite bendy legs.

Nice. Some TV viewers may not realise you 'day job' is primarily as stand-up comedian. Will this kind of TV work start to get in the way of your live circuit work?

It's not dissimilar to the many stand-ups who also do acting - you become known primarily for the TV show you're in for a while. What I liked about the show when we were developing was that it didn't sacrifice my stand-up material, yet I could still be funny. It's a bit of a gift because I can still do the material I have honed from my years on the circuit but also build a TV profile. I'll probably be known as the guy off Epic Win for a bit but people forget quickly. It actually only took about a week out of my diary for filming and run-throughs, so from a time point of view it was minimal, but my gig diary is the fullest it's been. Life is good!

Glad to hear it. Presumably some people will start coming to see you live off the back of having seen you on TV. Live comedy and family-friendly BBC One are quite different things...

I think the cross over will be quite small actually. The demographic watching that time slot is mainly families. You rarely see families at weekend comedy clubs. I may be wrong and there could be swathes of people coming to see me off the back of it, but I suspect very little will change. Regardless, I won't be altering my set any more than I normally do; reading the room like any other comic and tailoring my set accordingly.

Fair play. Finally, what's next for you?

This next year is a writing year for me. I've spent the last twelve months on the circuit honing the performance side of things, now I'm going to try developing an hour. I'm going to be doing work in progress shows around the country, starting on 2nd October in Birmingham, with more to come in London and maybe Manchester. All the details will be on my website, www.joelycettcomedy.co.uk

But first I'm going to go on a nice hot holiday after another busy Edinburgh Festival.

Thanks Joe. Enjoy the sunshine!