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If having the respect of your peers is a sign of success, then comedian Jason Manford is destined for great things. Johnny Vegas thinks he's "hilarious", and Peter Kay, arguably the king of British stand up just now, insists he's "very funny". Alongside these, and many other, plaudits on Manford's new website is one attributed to Mrs Cooper, English Department, Oakwood High School. "Jason thinks he is some kind of comedian".
It's a common enough sentiment on a report card, but it doesn't often prove to be prophetic. But then Jason Manford's career path has been anything but traditional. He started off by working as a glass-collector in Manchester comedy club The Buzz at the age of 17. One night a couple of acts didn't turn up, and Manford volunteered to go on and perform. Weeks later, he was picking up his first comedy award.
It's a common enough sentiment on a report card, but it doesn't often prove to be prophetic. But then Jason Manford's career path has been anything but traditional. He started off by working as a glass-collector in Manchester comedy club The Buzz at the age of 17. One night a couple of acts didn't turn up, and Manford volunteered to go on and perform. Weeks later, he was picking up his first comedy award.
Even then, with his stand-up career building an unstoppable momentum, Manford decided to get a university degree rather than concentrate on comedy. Not that his decisions have stood him in bad stead: He is an ever more prominent comedian, and his profile is about to be raised a couple of notches further, when he takes over from Dave Spikey as a team captain on the forthcoming series of 8 Out of 10 Cats. Here, Manford discusses his unlikely rise to prominence, why he's not the next Prince Harry, and how Piers Morgan saved his life.
When did you first realise that you were funny?
What a question! I don't know, I'm still waiting. I always had a mess about at school, I never really concentrated, I was always trying to get laughs in class rather than doing work. But I think with comedy, and especially stand-up, every time you start thinking you're funny you'll soon find an audience that tells you you're not. It's a dangerous precedent to one day go: "I am funny!"
Okay then when did you realise you were going to make a career out of comedy?
I started when I was 17. There were a lot of comedians that were brilliant, but a lot that I thought weren't, so I thought 'Hold on a minute, I can do this!' I'd been working in call centres and on building sites, and I thought 'I want to do that instead.'
What a question! I don't know, I'm still waiting. I always had a mess about at school, I never really concentrated, I was always trying to get laughs in class rather than doing work. But I think with comedy, and especially stand-up, every time you start thinking you're funny you'll soon find an audience that tells you you're not. It's a dangerous precedent to one day go: "I am funny!"
Okay then when did you realise you were going to make a career out of comedy?
I started when I was 17. There were a lot of comedians that were brilliant, but a lot that I thought weren't, so I thought 'Hold on a minute, I can do this!' I'd been working in call centres and on building sites, and I thought 'I want to do that instead.'
What kind of reaction did you get from your family and friends?
It was quite supportive really. There's a lot of performers in my family, in bands and stuff like that. It wasn't like I was from a family of academics and doctors who wanted me to do the same. They're always OK as long as we're happy. I feel really lucky 'cos I'm, one of the few people who's got a job that I look forward to doing.
Yet just as you were getting established as a stand up, you went off to University.
Yeah, I went to study Media and Performance at Salford. I won the Northwest Comedian of the Year award in 1999, and made friends with a couple of comedians through that. One of them was Peter Kay, who'd done the course himself, and he just said it was a really useful course if you want to get into TV and performing, script-writing, film, acting, theatre and that sort of stuff. It was performance-based and it was great. I really enjoyed it.
It was quite supportive really. There's a lot of performers in my family, in bands and stuff like that. It wasn't like I was from a family of academics and doctors who wanted me to do the same. They're always OK as long as we're happy. I feel really lucky 'cos I'm, one of the few people who's got a job that I look forward to doing.
Yet just as you were getting established as a stand up, you went off to University.
Yeah, I went to study Media and Performance at Salford. I won the Northwest Comedian of the Year award in 1999, and made friends with a couple of comedians through that. One of them was Peter Kay, who'd done the course himself, and he just said it was a really useful course if you want to get into TV and performing, script-writing, film, acting, theatre and that sort of stuff. It was performance-based and it was great. I really enjoyed it.
You're replacing Dave Spikey in 8 Out of 10 Cats. How did that come about?
Just a mixture of luck and hard work, I suppose. Funnily enough, when 8 Out of 10 Cats started, they were looking for writers, and I sent my stuff in and got a letter back saying they weren't going to use me, and that was it, I never heard anything. But then I started to do well in stand up, and appeared as a guest on the show a couple of times. I really got on with everyone, and really enjoyed the show. I got on really well with Dave, but also with Jimmy Carr and Sean Locke. I think they're all really funny, and I really enjoyed the show. Especially appearing on it with Piers Morgan.
Yes, of course. If memory served, you didn't exactly get on, did you?
Well, we sort of had a running argument all the way through it. We didn't get on, to put it mildly. He turned up with no jokes, and went for the lowest form of humour, which is bullying people, taking the mickey out of someone else rather than dealing with the subjects that we were talking about. But actually I think he's an all right bloke, which is weird after we'd had that spat on screen, but afterwards he was fine. And then he said 'Right, I'm off out with Simon Cowell,' and I thought 'Well that's as much punishment as any man deserves.' But he'd spent the whole time calling me fatty and stuff, and I'm not ridiculously fat - I'm 15 stone and 6'1", a bit overweight, like most blokes. And weirdly enough, about three weeks later I joined the gym, and I was trying to lose weight. You see yourself on telly, and after he'd highlighted it, I decided to do something about it. I think my autobiography should be called 'Piers Morgan Saved My Life'.
Just a mixture of luck and hard work, I suppose. Funnily enough, when 8 Out of 10 Cats started, they were looking for writers, and I sent my stuff in and got a letter back saying they weren't going to use me, and that was it, I never heard anything. But then I started to do well in stand up, and appeared as a guest on the show a couple of times. I really got on with everyone, and really enjoyed the show. I got on really well with Dave, but also with Jimmy Carr and Sean Locke. I think they're all really funny, and I really enjoyed the show. Especially appearing on it with Piers Morgan.
Yes, of course. If memory served, you didn't exactly get on, did you?
Well, we sort of had a running argument all the way through it. We didn't get on, to put it mildly. He turned up with no jokes, and went for the lowest form of humour, which is bullying people, taking the mickey out of someone else rather than dealing with the subjects that we were talking about. But actually I think he's an all right bloke, which is weird after we'd had that spat on screen, but afterwards he was fine. And then he said 'Right, I'm off out with Simon Cowell,' and I thought 'Well that's as much punishment as any man deserves.' But he'd spent the whole time calling me fatty and stuff, and I'm not ridiculously fat - I'm 15 stone and 6'1", a bit overweight, like most blokes. And weirdly enough, about three weeks later I joined the gym, and I was trying to lose weight. You see yourself on telly, and after he'd highlighted it, I decided to do something about it. I think my autobiography should be called 'Piers Morgan Saved My Life'.
But they say the camera adds 10 pounds…
That's right, and they had four cameras!
This is your first regular TV slot. Are you going to start behaving like a real celebrity?
You mean getting kicked out of China Whites at 3am with Prince Harry? Not at all. I live in Manchester, and the whole celebrity thing sort of passes us by, really. I don't drink either, so that helps, I imagine. I'm just a normal bloke. I do a radio breakfast show in Manchester anyway, so I can't be going to any clubs with Dean Gaffney.
Is 8 Out of Ten Cats going to change much, or is it a case of not changing a successful formula?
I think more the latter. I think there's one new round being introduced, and a little bit more interaction with the audience - I like playing with the audience a bit. Jimmy's very good at it, as is Sean, and I think they're just looking to play to our strengths really. I just went down the other week for a photo shoot with Jimmy and Sean and it was just really good fun. They were really welcoming straight away, and really up for it, and we were all just laughing.
That's right, and they had four cameras!
This is your first regular TV slot. Are you going to start behaving like a real celebrity?
You mean getting kicked out of China Whites at 3am with Prince Harry? Not at all. I live in Manchester, and the whole celebrity thing sort of passes us by, really. I don't drink either, so that helps, I imagine. I'm just a normal bloke. I do a radio breakfast show in Manchester anyway, so I can't be going to any clubs with Dean Gaffney.
Is 8 Out of Ten Cats going to change much, or is it a case of not changing a successful formula?
I think more the latter. I think there's one new round being introduced, and a little bit more interaction with the audience - I like playing with the audience a bit. Jimmy's very good at it, as is Sean, and I think they're just looking to play to our strengths really. I just went down the other week for a photo shoot with Jimmy and Sean and it was just really good fun. They were really welcoming straight away, and really up for it, and we were all just laughing.
The show is very funny, but as with all comedy, some of it can be quite cruel about celebrities. Do you ever worry about that?
There's certainly no point ever getting personal. There's a fine line, and I hope I'm just a nice bloke. I always think of it as 'My mum's going to watch this, so I can't get too personal. But all celebrities have their media image, so nobody's going to be too shocked if you're doing a Jade Goody's thick joke, or David Beckham's got a high voice, or Posh is a little bit money-driven. And generally the celebrities you're taking the mickey out of aren't going to be watching the show, so it doesn't matter. As long as it's in jest and it's not too personal, a bit of ribbing is fine.
Will you be nervous before the first show? I'm nervous now! It's going to be hard filling Dave's shoes. He's had such a big career, with Phoenix Nights and all his stand-up, he's got a really big fan base. But we're both northern, so hopefully it won't be too big a transition for those who enjoy the show. The last thing you need is people who love the show suddenly start to hate the new guy. But I think it'll be alright.
There's certainly no point ever getting personal. There's a fine line, and I hope I'm just a nice bloke. I always think of it as 'My mum's going to watch this, so I can't get too personal. But all celebrities have their media image, so nobody's going to be too shocked if you're doing a Jade Goody's thick joke, or David Beckham's got a high voice, or Posh is a little bit money-driven. And generally the celebrities you're taking the mickey out of aren't going to be watching the show, so it doesn't matter. As long as it's in jest and it's not too personal, a bit of ribbing is fine.
Will you be nervous before the first show? I'm nervous now! It's going to be hard filling Dave's shoes. He's had such a big career, with Phoenix Nights and all his stand-up, he's got a really big fan base. But we're both northern, so hopefully it won't be too big a transition for those who enjoy the show. The last thing you need is people who love the show suddenly start to hate the new guy. But I think it'll be alright.
What's the most nervous you've ever been?
I think it was probably when I proposed to my girlfriend a couple of years ago. Actually, what was worse was when we asked her dad to pay for the wedding. That was really nerve-wracking. Performance-wise I suppose it's after I did Edinburgh. I got nominated for the Perrier award, so we went and did a big show in London with all the nominees, in a massive theatre. A thousand people, your friends and family, industry people. I'd been performing in a 50-seater auditorium in Edinburgh! And I remember coming off after I'd done this massive show, thinking what a brilliant gig it was, how much I enjoyed it. And there was a woman in the second row painting her nails, bored out of her head. Everyone else was laughing, but that one person is the one you think about all the way home. Even now, I can still see her face. And that was the best gig I've ever done.
What was the worst?
The worst ones are always when you're starting out. Tuesday evening in the middle of Stoke for £12 in front of three people. It costs you more to get there than you're earning, nobody wants to hear you. There was one gig where, as I drove up, the bouncer was throwing two blokes out, and I just put the car in reverse and went home. I remember one gig, about three weeks before I went to Edinburgh with this show, and you have to pay about £10 grand to put something on up there. And I was trying out the material in - where was it? Somewhere posh down South - Tunbridge Wells, that's it. I was about 20 minutes into an hour's show that I was about to take to Edinburgh, biggest platform in international comedy, I've driven seven hours to get there, seven hours to get home afterwards, and I didn't get a laugh for 20 minutes. And this bloke came over and said 'Listen, go home if you want.' And I went 'Yeah, I think I will'. But it was good, because it changed a lot of things in the show.
I think it was probably when I proposed to my girlfriend a couple of years ago. Actually, what was worse was when we asked her dad to pay for the wedding. That was really nerve-wracking. Performance-wise I suppose it's after I did Edinburgh. I got nominated for the Perrier award, so we went and did a big show in London with all the nominees, in a massive theatre. A thousand people, your friends and family, industry people. I'd been performing in a 50-seater auditorium in Edinburgh! And I remember coming off after I'd done this massive show, thinking what a brilliant gig it was, how much I enjoyed it. And there was a woman in the second row painting her nails, bored out of her head. Everyone else was laughing, but that one person is the one you think about all the way home. Even now, I can still see her face. And that was the best gig I've ever done.
What was the worst?
The worst ones are always when you're starting out. Tuesday evening in the middle of Stoke for £12 in front of three people. It costs you more to get there than you're earning, nobody wants to hear you. There was one gig where, as I drove up, the bouncer was throwing two blokes out, and I just put the car in reverse and went home. I remember one gig, about three weeks before I went to Edinburgh with this show, and you have to pay about £10 grand to put something on up there. And I was trying out the material in - where was it? Somewhere posh down South - Tunbridge Wells, that's it. I was about 20 minutes into an hour's show that I was about to take to Edinburgh, biggest platform in international comedy, I've driven seven hours to get there, seven hours to get home afterwards, and I didn't get a laugh for 20 minutes. And this bloke came over and said 'Listen, go home if you want.' And I went 'Yeah, I think I will'. But it was good, because it changed a lot of things in the show.
What ambitions have you got?
I don't know really. Day-to-day, I'm like any other comic, I just don't like anyone not liking me. I want to hit the biggest demographic that I can. I want to be able to appeal to everyone from children to grandmas. And I enjoy acting and writing, so I'd like to do more of that. But really, I'd just like to carry on doing what I'm doing, and enjoying myself.
If you had a choice between fulfilling your ambitions and Manchester City winning the Premiership, which would you go for?
Ooh, that's a tough one. I would probably go with City winning the Premiership. Because in this magic world where City are capable of winning the Premiership, I can do anything. I can probably fly.
By Benjie Goodhart
I don't know really. Day-to-day, I'm like any other comic, I just don't like anyone not liking me. I want to hit the biggest demographic that I can. I want to be able to appeal to everyone from children to grandmas. And I enjoy acting and writing, so I'd like to do more of that. But really, I'd just like to carry on doing what I'm doing, and enjoying myself.
If you had a choice between fulfilling your ambitions and Manchester City winning the Premiership, which would you go for?
Ooh, that's a tough one. I would probably go with City winning the Premiership. Because in this magic world where City are capable of winning the Premiership, I can do anything. I can probably fly.
By Benjie Goodhart
