Comedian Alan Davies has opened up in a candid new interview about his difficult past, revealing the touching legacy he is leaving for his children. The cherished British star appeared on BBC's The One Show on Friday, March 13, where he chatted with presenters Clara Amfo and JB Gill about his latest stand-up tour and new memoir.
Memoir as a Gift for His Children
The 60-year-old comedian discussed his latest book, White Male Stand-Up, which he penned specifically for his three children: Susie, Robert, and Francis, whom he shares with his wife, writer Katie Maskell. Alan explained that he wanted his kids to gain a deeper understanding of him through his past experiences.
"It's the second volume. I've written two volumes. The first one was really about my childhood, [it's] a little bit bleak. And then this one's about my career in comedy and television, whilst carrying some of this baggage along," he said, as reported by the Express.
He added, "I kind of naively thought that you go towards the future and you leave the past behind, but it doesn't really work like that. So, it's about turning around and confronting that and I wanted a record of where I've been, what I've done and who I am. They can't read it yet, but it's there for them."
Return to Stand-Up and Personal Growth
Alan recently made his return to the stage with his first stand-up tour in a decade, much to the delight of fans. He shared insights into this comeback and how it reflects his personal journey.
"I hadn't toured for ten years. I'd been doing stand-up, I've been keeping my hand in, but it was really nice to get back, to be face to face with people with just a microphone, and you're connecting with them... I've just turned 60 and I'm seeing some grey hairs [in the audience]," he divulged. "There's a little bit about parenting, there's a bit for everyone."
Comparing His Show to Baking
The star drew a creative comparison between his latest show and baking, explaining how it represents a more complete version of himself.
"What I do now, feel like I'm able to do, is talk about everything that's happened in my life, including some things that were more difficult in my childhood. In the past, if I do a show, if you think of it like a cake, it's quite a nice cake," he said.
"But I feel like this show is all the ingredients, it's everything. It's the more complete version of who I am, so I feel more comfortable performing it. I feel like it's the closest my stage persona has been to actually me, and it's taken a long time to get there, but it's very gratifying that it's well received. Some of it feels a bit risky, but people want to hear about you."
Meeting His Wife on QI
During his appearance on The One Show, Alan also shared the amusing story of how he met his wife of 19 years. Presenter Alex Jones remarked, "Everybody loves, of course, QI. And we heard the story that that's where you actually met your wife."
"Yeah, it's true. 20 years ago," Alan confirmed. "I saw her in the audience at QI and just as I saw her, this is what happened right, we had a stunt set up with a sugar glass, which is a glass that can smash, right? And then Arthur Smith, a brilliant comedian, was on the other team and he had a glass, and he thought that was a sugar glass. It wasn't a sugar glass."
He continued, "He threw it in our direction, I forget who was on my team. And as it came towards me, I thought, 'I've just spotted someone in the audience I wanna talk to afterwards and this could end my career. This could finish me.'"
The star concluded with a humorous twist, "I nearly died, but in fact, it hit the desk and broke. It was very funny, and I met her in the green room afterwards. Luckily for me, she wasn't wearing her glasses, so she couldn't see what I looked like."
The One Show airs weeknights on BBC One at 7pm, offering viewers more insights into celebrity lives and entertainment news.
