‘Channel 4 let me express myself and really show who I am’
Comedian Mo Gilligan is back with a new series of his talk show, writes Georgia Humphreys
There was a time when Mo Gilligan did not know if he was good enough to have his own show.
But, after years of uploading clips of his comedy online, the 33-year-old Londoner started finding more mainstream success – and has since forged himself a successful TV career.
A judge on The Masked Singer and The Masked Dancer, he can currently be seen on the sofa alongside actor and comedian Babatunde Aleshe on Celebrity Gogglebox and, most importantly, a show with his name on it is about to return for a second series on Channel 4 – The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan.
“My market is observational comedy – but not observational at anyone’s expense,” says the funnyman, also known for his work on The Big Narstie Show.
“Comedy has most probably been the one thing that’s helped a lot of people through this pandemic.
“For myself, I’ve just used my characters and my observations to make people laugh, as opposed to talking on real world subjects.
“The first thing I want to do if I’m going to make comedy is do something which is completely opposite to what we’re all talking about.”
He says we can expect some really good guests on The Lateish Show – including Jack Whitehall, Nathalie Emmanuel, Lily Allen and Anne-marie – “because if there’s one thing to come out of this lockdown situation, it’s that everyone’s available”.
“We’ve kept the same show everyone’s liked, and we’ve just made the items like 10 times bigger,” he says. “It’s a fun, inclusive show – plus we just give out loads of prizes. That’s my favourite part.”
There is a lot of discussion at the moment around the possible privatisation of Channel 4.
Founded in 1982 to deliver to underserved audiences, the Channel Four Television
Corporation was set up by an Act of Parliament and the channel receives its funding from advertising.
The UK Government has announced a 10-week public consultation that will look at the economic, social and cultural costs and benefits of releasing Channel 4 from public ownership.
Gilligan says they were the first people to give him a platform, noting: “They let me express myself and really show who I am and what I’m about, and they really backed me from the very beginning.
“And so, I’ve always got ultimate respect for Channel 4 and what they do.
“I hope they can still stick to making those great programmes and working with new talent and pushing the boundaries.
“Being able to do a documentary like Black, British and Funny, they let me really do that. That really meant a lot to me and it always will.”
He adds: “The Big Narstie Show has won a Bafta, I’ve won a Bafta [Best Entertainment Performance for The Lateish Show], and it’s just testament to what Channel 4 are all about.
“You just hope that it just works out whichever way they go. Still keeping that integrity, that’s the most important thing.”
● The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan returns to Channel 4 on Friday, July 23.