Ismo Leikola

In 2014 Finnish comedian Ismo Leikola won the ‘‘Funniest Person in the World’’ competition organised by the Laugh Factory in the United States. He is a sixtimes winner of the Audience Favourite Comedian Award at the largest annual stand-up festival in Finland and was voted Best New Comer 2003. Leikola also performs with a band consisting of Finnish leading musicians, performing comedy songs. Interviewed by

Mike Alexander.

Being completely relaxed, no problems, no worries, everything just flowing, not having to make decisions ... wait a minute, that sounds a lot like being dead. Darn. So, I guess happiness is having some problems, but nice ones.

Which living person do you most despise and why?

I normally despise people only when driving. I can’t be driving now because I’m writing the answer to these questions, you can’t do both at the same time. Or can you? Some people seem to think they can. I despise those people. Some people I’ve admired in the past have later on turned out to be terrible awful monsters. I hope my admiration didn’t cause that but I’m not going to risk doing it anymore.

Ever stolen anything?

When I was a kid I took a booklet from a video store. I had thought the booklet was free, but when I got home I saw it had a price tag of ten Marks (a currency Finland used to have before Euro). I felt horrible and was afraid of jail for a few days. I don’t get how real criminals ever sleep. A philosophy professor who has almost completely lost touch with the world as we know it.

Ismo Leikola is coming to the NZ International Comedy Festival and joins the International Comedy All Stars as it tours Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Wellington and Napier in May. Tickets from ticketek.