TALKS TO OK!
ROB BECKETT TALKS TO OK! ABOUT FAME, FAMILY AND SOCIAL MEDIA FAILS
After just a decade, Rob Beckett has gone from stand-up newbie to one of the most successful comedians in the country. Now the ‘mouth from the south’ is set to send up celebs in a new ten-part series, Rob Beckett’s Savage Socials, in which he’ll take a weekly look at the best – and worst! – of stars’ social media.
Despite his fame, dad-of-two Rob insists he leads a normal life. ‘It’s not like I’m hanging out at the Chiltern Firehouse every night,’ says the 33 year old, who lives in south London with his teacher wife Louise and their daughters. ‘My wife hasn’t seen me do stand-up for three years and my parents asked more questions when I worked at Sainsbury’s!’
That might change when his new tour, Wallop!, kicks off in October. ‘I slag my family off brutally. But it’s all true so if they’ve got a problem with it, that’s not my fault!’
Here, Rob talks to OK! about his humble beginnings and dealing with trolls…
You’re famous for poking fun at celebrities. Has anyone ever called you out on it?
No, most of them find it funny. I bumped into Lee Ryan after I said he looked like a Colombian drug dealer – which he did to be fair – and we laughed about it.
You talked about ‘coming out’ as a comedian to your parents…
The only reason they found out was because my mum’s mate Debbie saw me in the park talking to myself. She thought I’d lost it, but I was practising my set! I couldn’t do it at home as there were eight of us living in a small house.
How has fatherhood changed your perspective?
It’s made me appreciate that people have made a real effort to come and see me. If you’ve gone to the trouble of buying a ticket and getting a babysitter, I have to give you a good night out. It may be the only one you get this year!
Do you miss your kids when you’re on tour? Once I’ve caught up on sleep, I miss them. Until that point I’m not really that bothered!
What’s been the best thing about making it? Being able to share it with my best friend Romesh [Ranganathan]. We started out with no money, doing terrible little gigs and getting booed off stage. Now I get to travel around the world filming with my best mate [on Sky’s Rob & Romesh Vs]. It doesn’t get any better than that. Do you think a comedy career is easier if you’re from a privileged background? You’re either funny or you’re not, but money helps you hang in there as you’ll earn nothing for the first two or three years. I may not have had financial backing but my parents had confidence in me, which is more important. Tell us about your new show Rob Beckett’s Savage Social… It’s having a go at the world of social media and celebrating the celebs who take part in it. We’ll have celebrity cameos coming on and I’ll go through the abuse I’ve had that week too. Do you get trolled then?
Oh yeah, it’s incessant but you get used to it. I just accept they’re idiots. There’s a difference between having a laugh and sending abuse.
What do you like to post online?
I post me at my worst because most social media is a lie. Sometimes a fan will tweet about meeting me and I’ll look at their picture and go: ‘I’ve never met you! You look like a weird avatar!’ ‘ROB BECKETT’S SAVAGE SOCIALS’ STARTED ON SEPTEMBER 29 AT 10PM ON E4. HIS UK TOUR ‘WALLOP!’ STARTS ON OCTOBER 1.