The comedian on supermarket petrol stations, working with his wife Lucy Beaumont and the comedy heroes he fell in love with in the 90s
How did you get into standup?
Sadly, by leaving the town I grew up in [Lancaster] and my family. I hope things are different now, though I suspect they are not. But the opportunity to perform regularly, to learn from the best and to meet people who could help me forge a career came only when I moved down south. Level up shmevel up.
Who did you admire when you were starting out?
The 90s was an insanely good time to be a teenager falling in love with comedy. Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, French and Saunders, The Fast Show, Harry Enfield, Men Behaving Badly, Desmond’s, Lee Evans, Jack Dee. I loved all of it and would go to school and recreate sketches and scenes with my friends. Comedy was huge and the quality was so high. Then there were people like Linda Smith and Felix Dexter, who would crop up much less often but were always amazingly funny. I consider myself very lucky to have had that education.
Jon Richardson: The Knitwit is currently on tour. Jon & Lucy’s Odd Couples is on Channel 4. Comedians Playing Fantasy Premier League Football with Jon Richardson and Matt Forde is available from Apple Podcasts.
