Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RUSSELL COMING OF AGE AND HAS A MESSAGE FOR ANY LIKE-MINDED FANS
‘I really wanted to know how far her date went with Leonardo Di Caprio but I wouldn’t be rude enough to ask’ London-born comedian is now happy with the person he has grown into
Multi-award winning comedian Russell Kane knows that no one is ever the right age, it’s the “beauty and curse” of being a real person. If you ever feel you’re the wrong age, Right Man Wrong Age will be right up your alley.
Ahead of his gig in Belfast’s Waterfront Studio on May 10, The Beat caught up with the British comic who said his own inability to grow up inspired the show.
“The idea started off when I’d just bought my first house and felt all grown up and old
“When a window cleaner knocked on the door and said, ‘excuse me is your mom in?’ and that’s how I realised that I was putting myself across everywhere and that I was doing it on purpose.
“I realised I was suffering from a horrific male disease called going through puberty backwards disease.
“Many women would have lost many men through this syndrome where they hit their 30’s and then start going backwards.
“It’s a real problem, I caught a glimpse of myself wearing fake tan and eyeliner, spikey hair and realised I had lost my way.”
Best known as the host of three series of BBC3’S Live at the Electric and ITV2’S Celebrity Juice, Russell also worked with Irish TV star Laura Whitmore on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
He said: “She’s an amazing girl and after I had worked close with her for a month we were all super impressed with her dance moves on Strictly.
“I really wanted to know how far her date went with Leonardo Di Caprio but I wouldn’t be rude enough to ask.”
The Cheshire comedian was nominated four times in a row for the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Awards before winning best show in 2010.
He said: “The goal was to win the Perrier award and I’ve won it now.” Russell can’t wait to return to Ireland but found us difficult to understand the last time he performed here.
He said: “I just wish I could be going back to Cork, not that I could understand the heckles, I’d no idea whether I was being praised or attacked.
“It sounded like someone was putting spanners in a barrell and turning it.”
He considers Irish comedians, Andrew Maxwell, Jason Byrne and Jarleth Regan among his close comedy friends.
He said: “The Irish lads are my mates but I just hang around with anyone really. Comedians are loners in dressing rooms who hang out with anyone until they go home.
“Comics become a nationality of their own, we just all hang out together in solidarity, it’s more bonding than nationalism.”
Russell travelled the world with Youtube stars filming the new survival programme, Stupid Man Smart Phone.
He said: “It’s still winning awards, in Cannes and everything, but it’s just so expensive to make, it was funded by BBC3 and BBC World.
“I would love to do it again so watch this space.”
In the entertainment business it’s all about keeping up with the times if you want to stay alive a fact Russell is well wide to.
He added: “I’ve become a Youtube or Facebook star, if it had no appeal people wouldn’t watch.
“Most of my Dublin ticket sales have been sold by Kanings, where I rant about topics on my website.
“One rant I’ve done is about how it drives me mad when people don’t wear headphones.
“From between 150,000 to 1.5 million people will watch and share the rant.
“So if you think about it if I do standup on TV, 100,000 people will watch that’s the standard.
“When I’m online they’re just watching me they’re probably going to buy a ticket.
“I’m trying to run with, I’m the only standup doing standup online
“I am my material. Structure wise I’m mature, I’m married with a baby, settled down but do I still laugh when a cat comes out of a litter tray with a poo hangin out of its bum, yeah.”