Shappi Khorsandi, the Iranian-born British comedienne, will be leading the laughs next month at Wimbledon Bookfest.
She is known for her regular appearances on Live At The Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, and Have I Got News For You.
Lauren May caught up with her before her debut at Wimbledon Bookfest.
Lauren May: Are you looking forward to performing at the Wimbledon Bookfest? What can crowds expect from your performance?
Shappi Khorsandi: Yes indeed. I love a good BookFest.
The audiences seemed to always be a cut above.
Am I creeping enough?
I will be doing some much newer material that I've written this year.
All personal and observational.
LM: How did you first get into stand up?
SK: I was inspired by Fozzie Bear as a child and it went from there.
LM: Who are your stage idols and who has been your biggest influence?
SK: Fozzie and Richard Pryor.
Both idols but sadly not influenced me enough to be as funny as either of them
LM: What’s been your biggest on stage gaffe and what has been your crowning moment?
SK: Biggest stage gaffe was when I was booked at a private party and welcomed for being there when they had actually passed away.
Crowning moment was when I won £20 in a new act award.
LM: How did you find your time on Celebrity Masterchef? Have you continued to cook?
SK: I was pregnant so was more interested in eating than cooking.
Now that the baby has come out, this is still, sadly, the case.
LM: What has been your biggest career challenge to date?
SK: Performing in a swimming pool...IN the actual pool, to an audience whose second language was English (it was in The Hague).
LM: What advice do you have for aspiring comedians/comediennes?
SK: Always ALWAYS face the audience.
I cannot stress this enough.
LM: What are the top three things on your ‘bucket list’.
SK: Tidy my room, mend the shed door and replace the light bulb in my bathroom.
LM: What do you have planned next? What are your career ambitions?
SK: I'm writing a play.
It's sort of autobiographical.
Hoping Brad Pitt will play me.
Shappi Khorsandi will be headlining Comedy on the Common at Wimbledon BookFest on Saturday 12 October at 8.30pm.
Tickets are £15.
For more information visit wimbledonbookfest.org
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