I am what I am... there’s is no point trying to be something I’m not
FINDS OUT WHY COMEDIAN NICK HELM IS FEELING UPBEAT ABOUT HIS NEW TOUR
You’ve been on plenty of TV shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Live at the Apollo. Do you enjoy filming?
No joke, TV can sometimes pay pretty well and is a great way of funnelling people towards your work The older I’ve got the more I’ve enjoyed TV for what it is. I used to get so nervous and hang a lot on it, but the last few things I did I enjoyed as opportunities to just be myself a bit more.
You’ve fronted two sitcoms, Uncle and Loaded and reunited with Elliot Speller-Gillot, who played your nephew Errol in Uncle, for some live music gigs. How have you found performing with a live band?
Some people say they were put on this planet to do one thing well, but I feel like I’ve been put here to do about eight things fairly competently.
I love the musical side to what I do and it’s always better with a band, so they’ll be missed by me on this tour. I think I’ve always preferred to be on stage with other people.
What was it like having a now grown-up Errol on stage with you 10 years after the BBC sitcom came out?
I love that boy. I’m quite protective of him. I’ve known him since he was 11 and I’ve watched him grow up. It’s sort of like the TV show. He’s the most talented person I know.
He’s an excellent musician who can play multiple instruments, he can act, he’s a stand-up, he runs club nights, he can write, he’s funny, he’s kind. He’s my mate. I’ve tried to make sure he knows that I’m always here, with a pair of ears. I’ve been there for him and he’s been there for me. I hope I’ll know him for the rest of his life.
Do you prefer acting or stand-up?
Stand-up. I love acting and would love to do more, but acting is a painful beast filled with heartache and rejection.
However, stand-up has looked after me when I haven’t been able to look after myself. After Uncle I went through a phase of struggling a bit with acting. Most of the parts I was being offered were either ‘Fat’ characters, ‘Drug Addict’ characters or sometimes ‘Fat Drug Addict’ characters and I lost a bit of hope. I loved making my two short films (Elephant in 2016 and The Killing Machine, 2018) and I’m basically on a life mission to make a movie. If I do nothing else I will make a movie. A good one. And if I’m allowed, I’d like to make another one. And maybe that would trump both stand-up and acting, because I love the control of being in the edit.
Does stand-up allow you to be more in control?
With stand-up, the audience shapes the product as you go. Acting is great but there’s a lot of waiting for the part and the role and the scene and the phone call. But stand-up is more proactive and you can gig whenever you like really and make a living.
One day, maybe I’ll settle on something but until then I’m happy switching things up to keep me interested. I’ve done a lot of therapy and I feel like I’m finally getting to grips with who I am, what I want and what I can offer. I’m beginning to feel comfortable in my skin for the first time in my entire life and it’s really cathartic and emotional. I love the opportunities TV has given me but at the moment going out onstage is the best feeling in the world.
What can you tell us about your new show Nick Helm’s Super Fun Good Time Show?
last show, What Have We Become…? was written during the pandemic and came together out of necessity. I wanted to get on the road as soon as we were allowed to and I found the whole thing really cathartic. But as we were touring I was thinking I can’t wait to do something that’s a bit more upbeat and fun. So now that the dust has settled and we’re all pretty much back to normal again I’ve gone back to basics and I’m just trying to have as much fun with my audiences as possible. After three shows dealing with and talking about depression and mental health, and almost 10 years of struggling badly with it, I’m feeling like I’m finally coming out the other side of it and this show will reflect that a little.
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Is it an upbeat show?
I hope so. My initial aim was to draw a line under talking about mental health and focus on doing something slightly sillier. But as the show has come together, I’ve realised that I sort of owe it to the chunk of my audience that come to see me for that stuff to keep them updated.
But I’m also known for a bunch of other stuff like Cats Does Countdown, Uncle, stand-up, music, poetry, costumes... So I’m going to try and make as many people happy as possible... including me.
What would you like audiences to take away from the show?
First and foremost, I want people to have a good time. Secondly, though, I want to let other people who may suffer from depression know there’s hope out there and not to give up. So the overall message of the show is to not give up, but it’s going to be done in a very Nick Helm way.
I am what I am and there’s no point in trying to be something I’m not. And even though I sometimes talk about things that I’ve been dealing with, I try not to do it in a sentimental way, or by standing on a soap box.
The overall message of the show is to not give up, but it’s going to be done in a very Nick Helm way. Nick Helm
What are you most looking forward to about touring?
I get to team back up with my old technician Aaron. I met Aaron in 2019 and he teched both my Edinburgh shows that year. We’ve been friends ever since and he’s helping me make this show something special. I’m obviously also looking forward to getting back out and meeting new people in some new places. I honestly love gigging. It’s crazy. I can’t wait to say hello to everyone that will have me and sign stuff at the end – there’s some really nice merch with this tour – and sitting around at the end and doing selfies with people and meeting everyone is a lovely way to end the night.
Nick Helm’s Super Fun Good Time Show comes to Birmingham’s Glee Club on May 11.