For Joel Dommett, the road to becoming a household name as the host of ITV's The Masked Singer and I'm a Celebrity... Unpacked began with a modest $10 payment on the other side of the Atlantic. The comedian and presenter has traced his remarkable career back to a formative three-minute slot in a Los Angeles bar, a moment that cemented his future.
A Quiet Country Childhood and Alternative Beginnings
Born in Rockhampton, Gloucestershire, in 1985, Dommett describes himself as a quiet child who was perfectly content in his own company. Growing up in the countryside, his weekends were spent in the woods, where a good stick could provide a day's entertainment. While he wasn't the class clown, he was drawn to those who were, like his school friend Steve, who is now his head writer on his major TV shows.
His teenage years saw him gravitate towards alternative music and a group listening to bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Nirvana. His rebellion, however, was carefully managed: spiked hair was only for non-uniform days, and eyeliner and nail polish were applied on the school bus and removed before returning home to a mother who disapproved.
The Comedy Seed is Planted
After an impulsive move to London at 18, renting a room for £60 a month, Dommett initially pursued acting. A role alongside his comedy hero Ade Edmondson on the sitcom Teenage Kicks led to crucial advice. "He suggested I give standup a go. That planted the first seed," Dommett recalls.
Another unexpected gateway was the peer-to-peer site LimeWire. After downloading every song he could find, he searched for "comedy" and discovered a treasure trove of stand-up routines. He spent months absorbing them, learning the craft of joke-writing subconsciously.
The $10 Gig That Changed Everything
The theory turned to practice two years later during a trip to Los Angeles. While there, he paid a promoter $10 for a three-minute slot at the Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Boulevard. "The set went fine, but I loved the experience and was hooked," he says. Walking down the Boulevard afterwards, he knew comedy was his lifelong calling.
Inspired by Jimmy Carr's memoir, Dommett embarked on a gruelling mission to perform 300 gigs in a single year. He bought a charity shop bike and cycled between venues, sometimes doing three shows a night. This period bonded him with a cohort of now-famous comics including Josh Widdicombe, James Acaster, and Romesh Ranganathan.
From Circuit to Primetime: Holding Onto Authenticity
Dommett spent eight years honing his act on the stand-up circuit before breaking into television. This lengthy apprenticeship meant the persona he presents on screen—a soft, earnest, hard-working individual—is authentically him, not a manufactured TV creation.
His big break almost clashed with the biggest day of his personal life. When offered The Masked Singer, the first filming day was scheduled for his wedding day. Through a fortunate scheduling conflict attributed to his agent-mate Jonathan Ross, Dommett married in Mykonos and flew back to the UK, revealing Patsy Palmer as Butterfly on ITV just 24 hours later.
Now a father, Dommett feels reconnected to his childhood self. He hopes to pass on the same joys he experienced, with a modern parental twist: "It won't all be plain sailing, but he can wear as much black eyeliner as he likes." His journey from a Gloucestershire bungalow to primetime fame remains a testament to dedication, a lucky $10 investment, and 300 nights on a bike.
