Life lessons with Tom Allen
Comedian TOM ALLEN, 36, co-host of Bake Off: The Professionals, on staying busy, having self-belief (but not too much) and never saving anything for best…
Self-belief is a balancing act
My parents are retired, but my dad was a coach driver and my mum worked in Army & Navy. Not the military but the store! They’re very supportive. Dad always said: ‘The world takes you at your own valuation.’ If you believe in yourself, people will say, ‘He’s good at what he does.’
If you go into things asking, ‘Am I any good?’ People will say: ‘He doesn’t know what he’s doing.’ It’s about selfbelief. Not too much, because we’ve all seen those people. Mum would say, ‘I’m not sure about that person. They’re full of themselves…’ So, I’ve got conflicting advice… that’s the balancing act.
Being busy is good
If you want something done, ask a busy person – my parents said that, too and I try to live by that. If I have too much time on my hands, one task can take all day. If I’ve got 12 tasks to do, I get on with them.
My 11am worry cure When I supported comedian Sarah Millican on tour, it was a real turning point in my career. She’s so hard working and taught me so much. She said to me: ‘Don’t worry about things after 11 in the morning. If something’s worrying you from the day before, at 11am move on with the day.’
Never save anything for best
If you’ve an outfit you like, don’t think: ‘I’ll keep that for special occasions.’ Wear it now. Wear it around the house. That’s true of everything. If you buy a loaf, eat it when it’s fresh. See, I’m learning from Bake Off. I even put profound life lessons in a baking analogy! Always invest in good shoes and a good bed, too – because if you’re not in one, you’re in the other.
Be open to possibilities I’m somebody who’s always been single, apart from dating a few people here and there. For me, relationships feel frightening. You’re very vulnerable. All you can do is be honest, be open to possibilities and try not to panic. Growing up being gay and not really knowing any other gay people, I found it difficult. As an adult, I’m reprogramming the feelings of shame I had and learning to feel like you’re allowed to fall in love. They teach us funny things at school; I know about photosynthesis. I don’t know much about how to ask someone on a date.
Laughter is good medicine
My mum has always loved all sorts of comedy. She got me into watching people like Peter Sellers and Kenneth Williams. I remember being obsessed with the Carry On films, sitcoms such as One Foot in the Grave, ‘Allo ‘Allo! and Ever Decreasing Circles. Victoria Wood was a big part of my comedy education. She wasn’t afraid to be herself. She’d talk about everyday things, through an unusual lens. Comedy is a way of communicating with each other. Laughter, for a moment, makes everything bearable.
■ Bake Off: The Professionals is due to return to Channel 4 on Tuesday, May 26
■ Tom was talking to Katherine Hassell