Ed Gamble is at the top of his game. Having conquered the UK comedy scene, co-hosted a podcasting phenomenon and fronted the official companion show for the BBC juggernaut The Traitors, the London-born comedian is undeniably on a roll.
But despite his success, Ed says he feels as though he has “boxed himself in”.
Ed Gamble hosts the new comedy panel show, Unacceptable, on TLC
“I wish I’d invested more time in acting,” he says. “I gave up being an actor really early on and the UK comedy industry likes to box people in. So now that I’m doing presenting and stand-up, that’s what I am in people’s minds.”
Now, he is in the host’s seat for the new comedy panel show Unacceptable, in which comedians compete to convince studio audiences of their most outrageous opinions. “It was a total buzz,” says Ed, who is best known for co-hosting the chart-topping food podcast Off Menu alongside James Acaster.
“It was nerve-wracking because I’ve never hosted a panel show like that before, but I quite like being in charge.”
Ed is also known for hosting the official companion show for The Traitors
Since launching his professional stand-up career in 2007, Ed, 40 – who is married to the TV development producer Charlie Jamison – has achieved global recognition. He has sold out tours across Europe and released a hit Amazon Prime special, as well as becoming a TV regular as a former judge on Great British Menu and the champion of season nine of Taskmaster.
In this exclusive interview with HELLO!, Ed reveals the “unacceptable” habit that gives his wife “the ick” and the one piece of advice he’d give his younger self.
Ed, tell us about Unacceptable
“The heart of the panel show is comedians bringing on their unacceptable opinions, just simply reading out the top line before the audience get a chance to vote on whether they think it’s unacceptable or not. Then we have a number of how upset the audience are by this opinion, how much they disagree with it, and then the comedian gets a chance to explain why they have this opinion in a comedic way and try and get everyone on board. Sometimes it’s a real uphill struggle and it’s really fun to watch the comedians flounder.
“Then the audience vote again when that is done, and we see how many people they’ve managed to convince and the swing on that is the points that they get.”
What is your “unacceptable” opinion?
“The one that always seems to upset people is that Yorkshire puddings are disgusting and do not deserve the praise they get. I think the love of Yorkshire puddings represents the lack of ambition in Britain.”
Ed is married to TV development producer Charlie Jamison
We’ve seen a lot more of you on our TV screens in recent years. Do you think your career has changed?
“It feels as though it’s shifting and changing all the time, because all the things I do are so different. I still love doing stand-up and consider ‘stand-up comedian’ to be my main job title, but being able to podcast and do all these different TV shows – I just take all the opportunities that seem as though they’re going to be fun.
“My only aim is to enjoy myself, and that’s a real benefit in a career. It’s a privilege to be able to be like: ‘I’m going to take the stuff that looks fun.'”
Do you have any habits at home that might be deemed “unacceptable”?
“See, that’s the thing. When you’re at home and you aren’t viewed by people, you really aren’t doing anything thinking: ‘This is unacceptable’ – until, for example, your wife walks in and goes: ‘What are you doing?’
“Here’s what my wife thinks is weird – and this is going to sound really bad – she calls it tummy time. I like to lie on my front with my laptop in front of me and watch YouTube videos, kicking my legs in the air. I think it gives her the ick, to be honest.
“I don’t think that’s unacceptable, but apparently, as a 40-year-old man, I’m not supposed to lie on my front like a big baby.”
Ed performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017
Is there any advice that you’d give to your younger self?
“Cling on to that time when no one knows who you are, because you can just mess around, try things out and it doesn’t matter… no one cares. I think I was worried far too early on, thinking: ‘I can’t do that – that’s not the sort of thing that I should be doing.’
“I wish I’d written more different types of comedy and tried out different things, but I think I got set on a path very early and stuck to it. Yes, it’s worked out for me, but I think now I’ve boxed myself into a thing.”
Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?
“I was doing a character for a long time, then I did stand-up as myself. I wish I’d kept writing sketches; I wish I’d kept doing character stuff. I wish I’d invested more time in acting.
“The UK comedy industry likes to box people in, whereas if you go to America, you can be a multi-hyphenate. I’m not sure I’ve got the energy to be a multi-hyphenate any more, but it would have been lovely to have given it a go.”
What’s next for you?
“I’d like to write another book. What that is or when I’ll do it is a whole different thing, but I’d love to do that. At the moment, I’m focused on trying to get another series of Unacceptable, podcasting 24/7 and then doing my [2027] tour, Fresh Hell. It’s fun, it’s always busy and I love it.”
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