The Comedian's Comedian Podcast - Were Comedians Happy In 2025: Vol 1

Episode Date: December 22, 2025

We find out if comedians were happy in 2025 with Iain Stirling, Chloe Radcliffe, Scott Auckerman, Alan Davies, Chloe Petts, Alex Kealy, Marc Jennings & Emma Doran all in this first volume! Think of this as a quick glimpse into each episode, whether you’re brand new and catching up, or you’re a long-time listener revisiting.Join the Insiders Club at patreon.com/comcompod where you can get access to exclusive extras including Iain Stirling’s secret to activate your authentic self, Scott Auckerman on Comedy Bang Bang’s guest booking strategy, Chloe Petts on elevating material with comedy directors and Alan Davies on navigating the pull between creative integrity and financial opportunity.👉 Complete the ComComPod Survey and sign up to the NEW ComComPod Mailing List!Support our independently produced Podcast from only £3/month at Patreon.com/ComComPod✅ Instant access to ad-free full video and audio episodes✅ The full catalogue of exclusive extras you can't find anywhere else✅ Early access to new episodes✅ Exclusive membership offerings including a monthly “Stu&A”Everything I'm up to:Come and see me LIVE! Find out all the info and more at stuartgoldsmith.com/comedy.Discover my comedy about the climate crisis, for everyone from activists to CEOs, at stuartgoldsmith.com/climate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ho, ho, ho. This, I mean, that's how I begin everything now. It's me and see ya. That's just what we do. Welcome to a new little thing we're putting together for Christmas for the festive season. we're going to find out which comedians were actually happy in 2025. Now I say that out loud, it sort of seems a bit like a sort of cruel challenge of this year's 25 guests. I feel like now we're going to pit them against each other for which is happiest. We'll crown the Comedians, comedian podcast, King or Queen or Monarch of Happiness. That isn't what we're doing. We're just going to look back at some of the brilliant answers.

that we've had, this question always gets just fascinating answers. At the time of recording this, the Sophie Duker episode hasn't gone out yet, and that is an all-timer. But let's think about this. So this year, let's look back on who we had. I'm not going to pretend, I'm not reading some of this, or at least looking at notes. We had this year returning favourites like Russell Howard and Nick Mohamed and Josie Long. We had first timers like Lucy Pearman and Mary Elaine Robertson, some of them very long overdue, like Adam Riches, not overdue in the sense that he should have bloody got round to it, but more in the sense that he's just someone I thought's brilliant for years. So, think of this as a quick glimpse into each episode, whether you're

brand new and catching up, and to be honest, if you're brand new and catching up and you've made it through this, what is it now? A minute and 28, who's got time for that? Or if you're a long-term listener, far more likely, but new people welcome to, wanting to revisit the catalogue. So first, hear from Ian Sterling as he explains why he isn't more successful and why he's okay with that. Here's Ian. You're very successful. Why aren't you even more successful? Oh, wow. Why am I even, I think probably my, I'm happy to put my personal life before my work life is one of the big reasons. I'll not, you know, if I've got something in with my family

and something else comes up, I'm doing the family thing to, again, I'm trying to be, I'm being overjudgmental of myself here if it's a fair caveat to put because again, I don't want to make myself out to be like, I'm just a fantastic family man. Don't worry.

No, but do you know what I mean? I'm trying to get that balance of, am I being hypercritical, or is this a relevant caveat to put in? So I think I've not got that, I definitely got to a, I got to a state, and my success and fame where I was like I am doing the job I love I have a family I love

and I have enough spare time to spend that time with my family and it doesn't always get right and I don't need to do anything to push to the next level and if I'm being we've been very honest about everything else I think I did get luckier than your average bear and I probably am functioning at maybe a slightly higher a what do you call it atmosphere than I maybe would have been had I not so like it's taken a lot of time and effort to stay it's it's hard to fill a thousand seaters every year and you've got to come up with stuff and like I've had a couple of things like Love Island or like children that watch kids TV being older that I'm like that's a that's a thing that not many people get so yeah maybe I am just a maybe I'm just batting above my

average and I don't I think that's fine this is an absolute ray of sunshine, Ian. This is so nice. I think actually it's a joy to hear someone. I tell you, one of the things that I really love is most people don't achieve this level, your level of success without having a kind of relentless kick down the doors kind of a drive that I think in some cases, I'm not tiring everyone with this by any means, in some cases that drive then stays and is restless and needs the next challenge and the 10,000. 1,000 seater and 100,000 seaters, you know what's lovely is to go, yeah, go on. Just to use your podcast as an example, I said I got back into it recently.

I listened to Russell Howard's episode, and he talked about flying to America, and he was just going through his old notebooks. And I was like, you definitely flow a business class to America. And if that was me, I would be absolutely shit-faced within 90 minutes. And I'd be watching so many films, and I'd be going to America to do my cool show. that would be written and ready and great but I wouldn't be going through notebooks going what extra little bit would the American

crowd go for and that's why he does the rooms he does and that's why the rooms that I do and I am so okay with that it's unbelievable are you happy yes I am I am happy I was one of the things I did talk about

to a therapist about is when if you you can't you worry about things that you are have a lack of or you worry about things that you you that are missing in your life or like or overpowering in your life so like when i say i never think about my happiness and i don't mean that as in because it's there and i have it in the same way that it's very easy for a rich person to be

like money isn't everything um but i have happiness do i also have anxiety and absolutely 99.9% ADHD undiagnosed and personal life struggles and not enough time in the day and worries about being able to like supply for my child down the line because I've got a job that could all end tomorrow. Do I have all those worries and anxieties and stresses? Yes. But am I doing something that I love? Do I have people in my life that I love? Do I have really good friends? And am I always at a general level of contentment, like absolutely. And that's why I've never asked myself, am I happy?

Because I pretty much, it's never come up because I think I am all of the time. So that was Ian Sterling. Now, in May, Chloe Radcliffe came on the show and we explored how childhood shapes identity and performance. And we also talked about the cost of authenticity as well. Here she is. Last question. Are you happy?

Yes. Yeah, I, the last few years has been such a growing process. And I have been so scared for so much of it. Unhappy is not the right word. Terrified and clinging and clutching. And I make little progress every month, every six months. I learn something new. I figure out something new.

I find some new way to talk myself, to try and guide myself away from being mean to myself. And to try and give myself more credit and more grace. And really, to me, it comes down to feeling confident in my own abilities and my own successes and my own history and my own decisions without relying on external validation for that confidence. And you are catching me at a time where, like, I'm way, way, way, way, way closer to it than I was even. literally three weeks ago, and certainly than I was a year ago. So, I'm close. And yes, I would say I'm happy. That was Chloe.

And then live from South by Southwest, I was joined by Scott Ockerman, to whom I think the years have been kind. He seemed so sprightly and youthful. He's the host of Comedy Bang Bang, of course, and the co-creator of between two firms. And in this clip, we delve into what makes somebody successful, and we find out whether or not Scott is happy. Great question. I couldn't really say if someone will be successful or not because I've worked with so many comedians over the years that have not, have kind of packed it up and said like, I quit.

And then moved home. So I, but you can tell why someone's good. Yes. No, I can tell why someone appeals to me. Okay. That's really all I can do is. I feel like I have good taste. Like, I used to watch Project Runway,

and they would always be talking about, like, you need to up your taste level. I'd be like, what are you talking about? These are pants. Like, I know nothing about fashion. I don't have the taste, you know. But the judges know what they're talking about. I feel like I have that for comedy.

I can watch something and say, like, yes, this is a unique point of view. Unique doesn't have to mean groundbreaking. It doesn't have to mean, like, oh, my God, you're like Stephen Wright or Mitch Edberg. No one has ever told jokes like you. It just, you have to have like a unique spark to what you're doing that makes me say like, oh, that's interesting. And some, and you know what, it often doesn't even translate to doing my show, you know, but I still remain fans of people even if they

don't have the skill set to do well on my show, you know, I just, and that's what I loved about producing live comedy for a long time is just seeing someone who, had just moved to town. The comedy death rate show that I did really was because not only could I not get booked on the L.A. shows, but I met all these really great comedians who had just moved to L.A., like B.J. Novak, who ended up being on The Office, and Morgan Murphy, and Dan Mintz, who's on Bob's Burgers, and they were all, they were all so funny, and they couldn't get booked to anywhere. I was like, we got a book, we got to create a show for these people. Like,

people need to see these people. So I don't, I don't know what it takes to be successful other than, again, being reliable and not being a flake. And there are people who are successful, even if they are flakes and unreliable. And that's great, because they're super talented. But I just know what I like. Thank you. Thanks for that question. Before we finish, I've got one last question, which I have to ask, I'm sorry, maybe you can knobble us afterwards. That's a British expression. So, uh, you're going to suck our dicks after this? No, noble. Do noble someone? Oh, oh, sure. Yeah, you're right. That doesn't sound great when I say it out loud. Um, last question. I ask this of all my guests. Are you happy? Uh, I, I, I, I, yeah.

I mean, it is such, it's not the career that I thought I would have. but it's been so much better in a lot of ways. So, yeah, I am. That was Scott Ockerman. And later, much later this year, in October, after something like 478 episodes, well, exactly 478 episodes, if evil producer Callum is to be believed.

Alan Davis returned to the show after years and years and years for an incredibly moving episode where we talked about him opening up on stage for the first time about his childhood trauma and why when dishonesty is everywhere, being honest really, really matters. Here's Alan. I finish all my interviews like this.

I probably didn't when you were first on the show over 400 episodes ago. So this isn't aimed specifically at you. I ask everyone this at the end and you can answer it. There are no wrong answers. Are you happy? Yeah. I think I actually am. And I don't think I would have said that many times.

in my life or not with all that honesty but you know I look around my house now with my kids and Kate is still here I mean it's really she's the funniest person and one of our friends said we went out, we'd go out for dinner with them sometimes

they said Kate is the funniest person I know and I said yeah I sort of feel like that but it's so under a bushel it's all in text messages to me and you know so I'm with these people with these three children and this wife who's still somehow still here

and got friends in different places I do different things with I'm proud of my books and I would like to park up sometime in the next few years and you know breeze through to the end of my life

without having to work that might require downsizing a property this is classic first world retirement thoughts good good I'm pleased thank you Alan I've really enjoyed talking to you it's really good to see you good thanks it's really good to hear you happy I feel like I know you so well through the book and it's funny like the one thing actually that that I wanted to thank you for was you mentioned show me the funny and our first kind of relationship was you are our first you know under

a meeting really was when you were judging Show Me the Funny and that show that did not proceed to a second series it asked comedians to work in these incredibly intense conditions to write material in a completely made up kind of format way and then we would be judged by people who wouldn't dream of doing five new minutes

in front of millions of people and you sort of said as much during the book and that helped close a chapter for me I thought the courage of all of you was amazing but I enjoyed the thing I enjoyed about that actually rather than being a judge as it were

was having the chance to say to you know relatively new comedians do a bit like this or do a bit like that or you could do this or this is working but it did help me when I went back to stand up the following year having spent that time with all of you that I'd really had a good think about stand-up comedy

and what I really took away from it was being on the front foot, getting to the audience and revving your engine up and keeping, you know, driving the car fast being on the front foot is what's stand-up. Even the most mild-mannered and gentle and slow standard, they're still doing that. And I think that's what, that night,

when I walked off stage at the comedy store, my engine had died, you know. Yeah. And I remembered that. That will never happen again. Yes, great. Thank you so much. And I've told these people how to do it,

and I need to listen to myself. Then, later in the year, I was joined by my fellow alumna from season 19 of television's live at the Apollo. It's Chloe Pet, who was fresh off supporting Ed Gamble on his tour when she shared this nugget with us. What's the worst thing about touring with Ed Gamble?

There aren't any bad things. I just really like spending time with those boys. Like, it's my favourite time ever. But when I say the boys, I can't talk about Ed without talking about Paul Brown. Like, he's as integral to that experience as Ed is. I really liked when I came back, it was the hippodrome, not the old Vic.

I think we're coming backstage and seeing that lovely relationship between the three of you was really excellent and it is interesting how much Paul is a part of that. I just think it's like the reason I'm struggling to answer that question is because like I think the flaws in us are what we love about each other because we've spent so much time together in a car that like it's almost a familial relationship because by the ratio of which you have to spend time together you have to show your worst bits and what's beautiful about that. is they find my worst bits the funniest and I think when you feel so accepted and so loved all of you you know in all of your good bits and your flawed bits it's very difficult to look at each other's flaws as bad and and worse bit I just find it funny that's such a beautiful answer he eats too much nandoes I don't know is there too much nandoes I don't know well with ed there is it's bloody relentless I've done every I've done every I've done iteration and combination of nandoes you can possibly imagine um you've made me really one of nandoes

now i don't have nandoes as much as i feel i should i like the uh i really go nuts for the uh the little the tiny little bottle of spicy sauce that goes in the hummus oh interesting hummus with that stuff oh my god amazing what order you serve some darling i've i've been i've been a real i've been a real challenge this podcast so you deserve a treat cleverly pets are you happy again i could give a long answer to a short answer i am very happy and very content but i don't see um i don't see a hierarchy of emotions so like sometimes i'm happy sometimes i'm angry sometimes i'm sad sometimes i'm anxious and all of those things are fine by me but I would say underline all of that broad range of human existence,

which I try not to see one thing better than the other. I do feel this feeling of contentment and self-knowledge that means that whatever feeling I feel, whether it be happiness or not, I am able to handle it and be strong. That was Chloe. And going all the way back to June now, I really do feel like,

I feel like smashy and nicy. And then, who could forget, June? Alex Keeley came on for what might be one of the gloomiest answers to are you happy. I should, I'm realising now that I should have approached this whole link in a more somber way, going all the way back to June. Alex Keeley came, he's very funny. Oh my God. He came on for what might be one of the gloomiest answers to Are You Happy?

And I must stress at this point that we're not all doomed. I'm not I don't have a position on whether or not we're all doomed Can we leave it at that? Here's Alex Are you happy? Emotionally yes, intellectually no Does that like like it's like we're you know We're doomed as a civilisation

On a climate level and a political level So you know But I'm still going to probably try and have kids in the next year to three. So, you know, I clearly, emotionally, I'm not standing by what I think intellectually, which is bringing more life onto a doomed planet and society.

Thank you for your answer. We're not doomed. I'll talk to you at length about why we're not doomed. We're not doomed. Climate-wise, we're not doomed. You should definitely have kids and you shouldn't feel bad about having kids. Okay, okay.

But I just think we're going to do fascism. It's going to be fine. Politically, we may be doomed. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And it would be easier not to need to hide anyone, for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. But that is true whether or not you have kids. And not this is territory darker than the question,

are you happy, has ever reached before? Really? Wow. Yeah, I think so. I think so. You know, otherwise, just a very, I'm like, you know, I think on an emotional level, I am quite a chipper, positive person. Great times. You'll need that in the collapse.

After Alex Keeley, Mark Jennings came on the show and Mark and I discussed building a sustainable career in comedy, something he is doing in a very robust and sort of front-footed fashion. And we talk about the eternal battle between risk and reliability. So in this clip, we'll find out what Mark thinks makes him funny and whether or not he's happy. What is funny about you? That's funny that you say that.

it's kind of hard to know right I would say like you know because obviously like people always ask oh you're the class clown and I think a lot of comics maybe even on this have said like I wasn't that but I was like that guy's mate or something

that comes up a lot yeah and I think I'm kind of like that but what's weird right is so see I just remember this today but basically I'm from the same place as Kevin bridges right and a few of my mates like big brothers were in his year at school and stuff

and see just after he'd done like SECC the first time we ended up on a night out and I had already by that point signed up to do a red draw and I hadn't told anyone but one point at night I took him a signer's lot by the way I'm signed up to do a gig and all that and he asked me he went oh are you funny or can you write and my instinctive response was well I think I can right. So when you ask me what's funny about me I don't know I just like to have a laugh. I don't think is anything

necessarily that funny about me. I just think I find stuff funny and interesting and I can make that work I guess. This is all such mentally healthy, robust thinking mark. I love it. I love it. Last question then. Are you happy? I think

I am I. I think it's as I mentioned like there's stuff that you know things are going to hit the fan of a wee bit in terms of my life I'm going to need to make some decisions at some point in the near future

about how I want to live where I want to live what my life is going to look like and how much your normal life you can have in this life of gigging and all the rest of it and I feel

that sometimes stresses me out of it but I generally day to day I am a happy person I think and I really enjoy what I do. I just want to be able to keep doing it. But if I can keep living the way that I'm living and doing what I get to do, I will be very happy indeed.

So that was Mark. And last up, in this little mini thingy, last up, Emma Doran came on to discuss what did we talk about, the connection between self-worth and performance and why it's easier to express anger and vulnerability on stage than it is to do something. in real life. Here's Emma.

That's fine for us now, two comedians chatting. But like we can never, we can never speak like this with normal people. Like I say to my partner, if I'm going to Edinburgh next year, I was like, I want to go, I want to do the full run, right? So obviously that's a family decision. Do you know what I can just decide I'm doing the whole run and that's what's happening? And so I'm talking about what I think the pros and cons would be. whatever and you know he's been with me since I started stand-up so he knows so he said to me he

said yeah he said look the one thing I will say or like the one condition is between now and then so basically like a whole year he's like between now and then we can't talk about Edinburgh between now and then because he knew what he was opening set himself up to it wasn't so much that like I'd be away for four weeks and they'd come a visit whatever it was that I would be fucking talking about it for that whole entire year. Yeah, 100%. Do you know what I mean?

So now I have to refer to it as the place we can't mention and then I go and talk about it. But like so I think it's good to remember. We're obsessed with it. Yes. But it is just stand up.

Because I've made the mistake now I've met people who've come to works in progress. You know, I've met them after the show. So when it's my tour show, I'll actually, I do meet people after the gigs. But when it's work in progress, I don't. And I'll just go off and scribbling my notebook. But I called a few people that were at a working in progress the other day.

And I basically found myself pinning them up against the wall. I'm just getting in their face and just asking them about what did you think of that line. I was like, I need to stop. These people are palms, you know? So, yeah, look, we've got to keep it in perspective. It is just fucking jokes, you know? Thank you so much. I've got two very quick final questions. The first is, what quality that you have besides being funny got you where you are?

I would say determination. Yeah, I think that. There's an absolute treat for people who are watching this podcast rather than listening to it. your face determination and then like an expression that sort of probably would have sounded like a, which is a lovely counterpoint to the determination. Yeah, something, yeah, work ethic, I think, definitely. I'm definitely a worker B, and I think that

I think that helps with stand-up. There's no way of doing it without doing it. Sure, there's not. You have to do it. Okay, ready. Final question. Are you happy? Yes.

I am happy. I'm not going to break a face. No, I am happy, but lots of things have to be right to be happy, make you happy, don't they? But yes, I am happy. Should I not be, or? I'm just doing that awful interview thing of being quiet to let you keep speaking. It was so lovely, it's so refreshing and unusual to have someone go, yes, that's great. There's a lot of kind of, well, I'm content and, you know, I'm not sure, yes, but no, you know.

I think I'm pretty happy. I think I'm pretty good. Yeah. And you were responsible for your own happiness. Isn't that right? No one else is responsible for your happiness. So your happiness, you're responsible for it. So, yes, I'm happy. So that was Emma. And that's it for now. Don't forget, join the Insiders Club at patreon.com slash comcom pod for three pounds a month, where you can get instant access backstage here at the Comedians, Comedian podcast. And you get all the full ad-free and video versions, plus you get the exclusive extras that you just can't find anywhere else, including. from guests we've just had just been listening to here. Ian Sterling's brilliant secret on activating your authentic self. Scott Ockerman talking about the booking strategy of Comedy Bang Bang, Chloe Pets on elevating material with comedy directors, and Alan Davis on navigating the tensions between creative integrity and financial opportunity. So that is, that's that for now. I'm going to

pause while I read the rest of Callum's email. Don't know if you want to do a mini postamble for each one. Maybe one thing on each about what you're happy with or not. Up to you, though. We don't need to keep that in, Callum, if you feel I'm instead of reading it slightly sarcastically. But we can because perhaps the listener wants, nay, deserves the warts and all approach. It's funny.

The warts, oh, I'm doing it. I'm accidentally doing a mini post-amble. The warts and all approach that I think is so important to podcasting, if I'm completely honest, was at least, and still is, largely driven by my desire to do as little as possible. It's just laziness. That accusation could be, I must say, could be more accurately leveled at me in the first hundred or so episodes of the show when I was editing them myself. Before, I worked with the many illustrious

producers that I've worked with over the years. Nathan Wood was a key figure for a long time. Darrell Smith covered us briefly, as did Johnny Mouser. And then Evil Producer Callum has taken over and we've gone from strength to strength. So in lieu of a postamble for this little one and let's just celebrate the fact that this was a nice little idea and it was his. So Merry Christmas to you, producer Callum, and to you, the listener. Whichever spectral form you may be haunted by this evening. Bye for that.