I walked on and was just so relaxed. Something came over me, you don't have to prove anything,
you're a winner for just doing this. And that thought just lit a fire and the laughs I got
that night was so intoxicating. It was such a vindication of my dream that I was so high,
I floated out of that little venue thinking, I know what I want to do with my life. And you know
what, I'm still chasing that high. It is such a joy when you can make a group of people laugh at
the same time. It is magic. Hi, I'm Jess Rowe and this is the Jess Rowe Big Talk Show, a podcast
that skips the small talk and goes big and deep. From love to loss and everything in between,
I want to show you a different side of people who seem to have it all together in these raw
and honest conversations about the things that matter. I don't know about you, but I really
crave connected conversations. So I'm going to dig deep to give you a new window into the souls
of the people we're curious to get to know and understand. There might be tears as well as laughter
as we celebrate the real life flaws and vulnerabilities that make us human.
Comedian Dave Hughes has been cracking us up for close to 30 years. Hughes doesn't stop.
He's on the radio, telly and is doing stand-up shows around the country. But what drives him
to keep going? I wanted to ask Hughes about the decision he made as a 21 year old that changed
the course of his life and what his family do to keep him real while he works in such an unreal
industry. Hughesy. Yes, Jess. I love that I'm talking to you because I think you are one of
the coolest guys in showbiz. That is a very good compliment. We all just want to be cool.
You are, like you're the ultimate cool because you're funny. You've got good hair. Thank you.
And you do so much. Yes, I do a lot. My wife thinks I do too much. Look, I just enjoy being
busy. I enjoy being out and about and I love mixing it up. I don't say no too much, Jess. I'm
always available. I hope that's part of my charm. Oh, but it is. But do you ever think you are too
busy? Do you ever wish that you could say no more often? Look, again, I know my wife wishes I would
say no more often. But honestly, performing is a thrill for me, especially getting on stage and
doing stand-up comedy. That's something that I just love. And I equate it to people who love
surfing. If you love surfing, you want to be out in the waves as much as possible. So having an
audience in front of me is my wave. So I just want to ride them till the sun sets. It's interesting
that you use that wave analogy. I interviewed Keith Urban recently and he doesn't surf,
but he spoke about when he's on stage. There are moments when he's sort of in the zone. And he
likens that too. He thinks what big wave surfers must feel like. Yeah. Look, I agree with Keith.
I love Keith. He's a down-to-earth legend. And yeah, for me, being on stage has always been
when I stay in the moment. I've been doing stand-up comedy and radio and TV, but I started
stand-up comedy in 1993. So that's almost 30 years. And there's never been a time in all those
decades where I've been on stage and I've been thinking about something else. When you're on
stage in front of an audience, they bring you to the moment. So I'm never worried on stage about
anything other than where I'm at. Sometimes I'm worried about where I'm at there, but I'm never
worried about the future or the past. See, that's phenomenal I reckon. So it's almost like a
narrowing. So are you saying there's never been a moment on stage where you've gone blank or you've
had a moment of what's coming next or what am I saying next? No, I have had those moments of what
I'm saying next, but I've never had the moment where I'm thinking about something that's in the
future rather than the next minute or so. I'm never thinking about something coming up the next
day or the next week or I'm never thinking about something that happened the day before
or the week before. So in that way, I am right there. I'm there and I'm present, which is a
wonderful thing. And it's how I want to live my whole life. I don't ever want to be worrying
about anything. So stand-up comedy is something that naturally puts me in that place.
And dare I say, it's almost like a meditation, isn't it? Because that's about being in the
moment. Yes. And being present. Absolutely. A hundred percent. And I try to use it as my mantra
when I go through my day, no matter what I'm doing, whether I'm brushing my teeth or walking
down a corridor or being with my children, I try practicing just now, just be here now.
Even though sometimes I know with my kids or just life generally that I don't want to be right here
right now. Don't you reckon? My wife's very good at being in the moment though. And so
she's someone who's able to sit on a beach on a summer's day and make sandcastles with the kids
for hours. And I was always like, I just can't do that. But then I started to meditate more and I
got to the point where I was able to make a sandcastle and enjoy that and enjoy the
frivolous nature of just making a sandcastle and not worrying about anything else. That's something
that children do naturally. I think over time as we get older, we lose that ability just to play.
Yes. And to find, I think, the fun and the joy in that. Yes, absolutely. Where are you most
joyful then? Well, again, it is on stage. I'm not going to lie. My wife's going, I want you to stay
home tonight. But look, I love being with my family. But yes, the stand-up comedy, I've also
got an addictive personality. So because I've given up all other intoxicants, the stand-up
comedy is my, it's my buzz. It's my hit, my adrenaline rush. So it's something I do love.
And during the pandemic, when it was taken away, we all had to stay home. And I really missed that
the most. I love my family time, but I did miss that stage time. I'm not going to lie. Well,
how did you cope with that? What did you do? Look, luckily for me and some other comedians,
we're able to do shows via Zoom. So you could do gigs to often like to companies who were looking
for some way to entertain their staff. So you would end up on a Zoom call with like, you know,
maybe 150, 500, sometimes a thousand people like watching you on the screen. So, and that was a
way to get a taste of stand-up comedy, a more brutal way than I must say, because some people
wouldn't realize that their cameras and their microphones are on and you would hear the inner
workings of their minds. And it's like, it's like you're being heckled by their inner monologue,
which they didn't realize was actually being broadcast. And I'd just say, guys,
can you shut down your microphone? I don't need to hear that you're bored. Or I don't need to see
you walking out of the room or making a cup of coffee. You might have 50 people on a screen,
but they don't realize that you're seeing them as well. You know, and so you just want to just,
just yell at them, just smile. Do my best over here. Or sometimes when you're on Zoom calls and
someone leaves the Zoom, you know, Jimmy has left the room. Jenny has left the room. You're
just seeing a series of people leave the room as you're trying to entertain. And don't you
reckon as well, even when you have a live audience, when you see people in front of you,
do you actually focus on the ones who are most disinterested? Look, I can do that. But I tell
you, and this is something I do say to other comedians, when I know I'm bulletproof in a gig
is when I can look into the audience. And there's always people who, you know, for whatever reason,
they're not laughing. They don't find you funny. Or maybe they just don't externalize their joy.
You know, maybe they're laughing internally. But when I can look out into a sea of people,
with most of them laughing, but I can see that person not laughing, staring back at me,
like they're having the worst day of their lives. When that person makes me laugh, I can't lose.
When you've got the attitude that you can look into the face of total failure,
which is what someone not laughing is for me on stage. When I'm on stage and they're not laughing,
that's me failing. When I can laugh at my own failure, I'm a winner, basically. And they're
the most fun gigs. When you're not caring about the outcome, you're just enjoying being there.
And it's freeing, isn't it?
It's really freeing. Absolutely. Do you have to laugh at your own failure
is the most freeing thing that you can do. Well, that's what I do all the time with myself.
I find it far more almost empowering. I'd rather own my failure.
Yeah. And also people want to hear about your failures. No one wants to hear about your success.
But it's what makes us human, isn't it?
Our vulnerability is what connects us.
And I think a true friend is someone who after you've had a terrible day,
you can ring up and tell them about your failure and they will laugh along with you.
And I am that friend for a lot of other comedians.
Now I want to pick up on something that you said earlier about
your addictive personality. You decided to give up drinking.
Yes, I did. Yes. Just before I started stand up comedy, actually. So I'm coming up to my
30 year anniversary of being sober actually in I reckon maybe October or November this year.
So yeah, 1992 was a big year for me. And I hadn't turned 22 at the time. I was 21 still.
I decided that was it for me and I haven't had a drink since.
Well, congratulations.
That's extraordinary. And I think about myself at the age of 21.
I was carrying on like a pork chop, dancing on bars or sorts of things.
I wouldn't have had the self-awareness to think, do I need to make some changes here?
You did though. What was it that made you do that?
I'd been like a bad drunk from the age of probably 14 or 15. So not that I wasn't drunk every day,
but whenever I did drink, as a teenager, I'd always get too drunk. I'd always obliterate
myself and I was never a violent drunk. I mean, I used to get punched a lot because I was a smart
ass and I had no way. I wasn't very good at defending myself. So I was always out of control
when I drank and I didn't like myself afterwards. People would say to me, you were funny last night,
really funny. And I wouldn't be able to remember it. So there was no joy in that sort of recollection
because there was no recollection and it ended up really making me stressed. And I was depressed.
There's no doubt about it. And I'd just dropped out of university because I wasn't able to focus.
I was at a low point in my life basically. And I come from a long line of drinkers,
the old Irish heritage. So I'd seen the destructive nature of alcohol through family members. And
I just didn't want to go down that track, to be honest. So I just made the decision that that
was it. And it was very quickly, I actually decided to give up till Christmas and this was
maybe in November. So maybe I had six weeks till Christmas to not drink. And in that six weeks,
you know, I was 21 and I still went out and hung out with the lads basically. But in that six weeks,
I'd had a good six weeks and I felt in control. So I actually got to Christmas Eve, which was a big
drinking night in my community for young people, always get obliterated on Christmas Eve. So you'd
wake up hungover Christmas day and start drinking again. But I thought, nah, if I start again,
I'll just be like I was before. So that was the night. It was Christmas Eve 1992 that the
decision was made for me, by me, that I wasn't going to drink again. So yeah, and here we are
almost 30 years later. So were there any times in your life where you were tempted, where you
thought either I'm feeling down? Because alcohol is such a part of our culture, which isn't
necessarily a great thing. You know, people drink to celebrate, to commiserate, whatever.
Were there moments when you either were tempted or thought, oh?
Look, not really. I mean, I know the joy of drinking, you know. So drink is no why they stop
drinking. So yeah, my wife, she will have a drink very occasionally, but she's got no idea that,
you know, the power it can have over people. She's just not in her genes. And some people just don't
have it in their genes and other people do. So she is someone who doesn't understand my world,
but people, real drinkers know that, and I still have that temptation, but I just really accepted
I wasn't going to do it again. So it really wasn't that hard. I've not had, in those 30 years,
I haven't had any real moments where I go, oh, I'm going to start drinking again, which is
just the way it is. So I just haven't. I mean, it was hard early on as in
I moved to Perth and I didn't know anyone. I started playing footy at a footy club in Perth.
And like, there I am. And they're going, why aren't you drinking? You know, you're 22. Why
aren't you drinking with us? And I'm like, I just don't do it. So that was hard socially,
not hard amongst my own friends who accepted it really quickly. And these are the guys I used
to get drunk with all the time. And you'll be surprised if you're thinking about yourself,
how quickly your real friends accept what you do. So yeah, so it wasn't hard amongst my school group
who are still friends of mine to this day. But yeah, when you're with strangers, it can be tough
because they don't understand that people just think you look at you weirdly because you're not
drinking. People just go to you, my dad said, never trust a man who doesn't drink. I mean,
that's just ridiculous. Of course it is. Who do you want to drive your home mate? You know,
me or the guy who's blind. And who do you want to have long lasting relationships and friendships
with people who are present and they're with you? And if you're pissed, you're not going to be that.
Well, yeah, I'm not here to judge anyone else though and any choices they make. But I mean,
if anyone is thinking about they would like to stop drinking and you only think that for a reason.
People who don't have an issue don't think that. You know, it's the ones who say, oh,
I'm going to stop drinking for three months. They're the ones who go, all right,
you feel like you might have an issue here. These are the ones I'm talking to.
You can continue that streak if you want to. Absolutely.
And I suppose listening to that voice or that inner voice that I am powerless over alcohol.
And it was really, it's taking the power back. And if you go sober, you've got no one else to blame
for your mood. You should always be in control of your mood. And the way to do that is not let
intoxicants have that power. You make the decision yourself. And a lot of people who see me out at
night think that I might be drunk. I'm not. But I must look relaxed.
And I think as well, you strike me as someone who's very single-minded. Once you
put your mind to something, you make it happen.
Yeah. I mean, yes, I have in my career, but I mean, I'm far from perfect, though. I still spend
so much of the day procrastinating and wasting time. Like I'm addicted to my phone as well.
I don't know if we're all addicted to our phones, but-
Oh, we are. Of course we are. I catch myself and I'm like, oh no.
Petey, my husband, will say, what are you doing? And I'm like, oh, nothing. And I've just spent
40 minutes down the rabbit hole of TikTok. Exactly. I haven't got into TikTok. I could
not get any traction on TikTok. It was really disappointing. My 13-year-old son has like
15,000 followers and I've got about 200. He said to me one day, Dad, with the right professional
help, you could be big on TikTok. I'm like, man, I don't know if I could be, to be honest.
I reckon you could. And don't you think, okay, you're a dad, you've got three kids.
I think having children is a great leveler. Yes, 100%. There's no doubt about it. Mine,
in particular, take absolutely no interest in my career to the point that it's offensive,
to be honest. In what way?
Well, the other night, like the Logies was a few weeks ago or whatever, and I presented the gold
Logie and I worked on my little bit and it was four minutes and it went really well. And it was
11.30 at night and I got it on a video. And I said to my son, do you want to watch Dad at the
Logies? He's presenting the gold Logie in front of all his peers and hundreds of thousands of
people on TV. I said, it's going to take four minutes. And he goes, not really. I said,
four minutes. I said, what's your level of interest out of 10? He said, three. He still hasn't watched
it. But that's kids for you. And wait till they become teenagers. My daughters are now
13 and 15. And I get the massive eye rolls all the time.
My son is 13. The other day he had some mates over, including a couple of girls, apparently.
And he made me stay upstairs. I wasn't allowed to come downstairs. I'm not the crazy guy in the
attic. There'll be more of that. You know what happens to me? I have to, not always, but with
my daughters, they're like, mum, you can't walk with us. And I'm like, but people know I'm your
mum. No, no, you've got to walk behind. So they're walking in front of me and I'm behind. But
the problem is I then start to do stupid things. I can't help but then do a silly walk or do
something to embarrass them. You're right. Don't you reckon?
Absolutely. My son went to a new school and he said, no one knows you're my dad. And I like it
that way. And I'm like, come on. Got to give you some credit? No. But anyway, no, that's fair enough.
Got to give you some kudos for that, surely. I would like to think so.
For being yoozy. Exactly. Well, this is true. My daughter's
got reports recently. I've got an 11-year-old and a nine-year-old daughter. And the lovely thing
about their reports is their teachers said they are so kind to their classmates. They are smart
girls, but they always include other people's ideas and make other people feel good about
themselves and their place in the classroom. I'm like, they could bring some of that home.
I think you can't get higher praise for your kids. I love when I hear people say that.
Yeah. All jokes aside, it is very heartwarming to know that they are
kind to their classmates. Because you know, if they're kind to their classmates,
they should be kind to themselves. Yeah. So yeah, we're all for kindness at home and
as little judgment as possible. So yeah, I think we're doing a good job. My wife especially. She's
very attentive to the children and they're smiling their way through life, which is great.
And I try to say, just don't take life seriously. My son the other day, he's basketball. He said,
I'm so worried about it. I said, mate, it's a joke. Don't worry about it. No one cares.
My daughters both won the poetry competitions in their different sort of age groups. They had to
read their poems out in front of an assembly of people on a Thursday night or something.
This is funny. I said to them, they're in the car on the way there. I couldn't go,
but I was going to get the video. But I said to them, look, just you remember,
dad has done thousands of performances in front of people and no one cares. All right. My nine-year-old
popped up. She said, you take every chance to brag, won't you, dad? You make it about you all the time.
Exactly. They get me every time. You talk a lot about your beautiful wife. Yes. And you've been
together, is it 20 years? 20 years. 20 years. It just ticked past 20 years. It was in May.
So yes, we started going out in 2002. So just at a random meeting at a nightclub. She was there
with some of her male friends. She'd recently become single. And yes, I was there with some
of my mates. And I remember, I still remember looking over the shoulder of one of her male
friends thinking, who the hell is that? That's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire
life. So yes, and here we are 20 years together. So yeah, it's lovely. Oh, it's wonderful,
especially given, you know, partnerships take work, relationships take work. And there are times when
it's harder than others. Yes. Okay. There's not a secret to a great relationship, but what have you
found is important for you guys to make it work? Well, constant communication. So yeah, look, I
have, I mean, I travel a lot and have continued to travel a lot over that journey, but I ring her
so many times a day to the point that she gets annoyed. Are you one of those? Because that's
what Petey, my husband does. I'm like, oh no, why is he ringing? Like nothing's happened in the past
two hours. He's like, what are you doing? I'm like, I'm at the supermarket or then I'll ring
a bit later. What are you doing? I'm in the car. Like, why do you ring? Or I'll ignore it. I'll
ignore the phone. Yeah, no, she ignores the phone a lot. She's a full-time school teacher as well.
So it's tough for me at the moment because I can only really ring during the day between 1 and 1.45.
So yeah, so I've like, it's sometimes I've got that window. Sometimes I'll try it and other times
because she might have a free period or something. But yeah, so yeah, there's a lot of text messaging
and yeah, so I've got that 45 minute window, but sometimes she's on yard duty and I'm like,
come on, the kids are fine. Let them do what they like. I need some, I need some me time.
Reassure me. Exactly. So it's communication. Communication and keeping, you know,
staying, not to get all graphic, but staying intimate. You've got to stay intimate. You know
what I mean? So you've, and we are, we, yes, it's, it's, keep the intimacy, keep the physical
intimacy. You know, I know what sort of podcast this is, but.
Well, but that can be tricky. I think when you're together with the same person for the long period
of time, it can be a bit mundane. Like I'd rather, dare I say, have a good night's sleep.
Yeah, no, I understand that. And my wife's, she's probably with you a lot of the time. There's a lot
of, I mean, I do jokes about it. I remember she said, you know, I bust a move, you know, and she
goes, do you know how hard I work? I said, I do. And that's where I want to reward you.
But yeah, so there's, I've included a lot of those lines that she's given to me in the height
of passion ends up in my standup act. The other night, the other night we were like in the,
I thought we were in the middle of what was a torrid, you know, session. And she goes,
what should we get Sydney for his birthday? It was our six year old nephew. I'm like,
it's really not the time for that. I cannot believe you're thinking about
presents for your nephew right now. I mean, this is just inappropriate. So
that's it. And she knows I'll write it down. But I think too that points to,
I'll generalise, but as women, we do have a lot in our heads. It's the mental load. Yes,
we'd have a big mental load. You know where everyone has to be at certain times, you know,
the schedules of all the children. And as a bloke, I just sort of float in and out going,
you know, just ring you, where do they have to be? And then we do have a calendar,
which I should check more regularly. It actually sends alerts. And I've got to
read those alerts as to who's got ballet, who's got basketball, who's got theatre practice. I mean,
it's a heavy schedule our three children are on. Well, I think kids these days have massive
schedules. I was nowhere near as busy when I was their age. Absolutely. They do. And they're so
dedicated, which is what I can't believe. I've got a nine-year-old who's happy to do like a
four-hour theatre session on a Tuesday. Well, she's got to bring her own dinner. And like,
you've got to make two-minute noodles and put it in a flask so she can have it at half time of her
theatre training, like she's doing fame or something. So they are committed to what they're
doing. So I've got to, you know, I've got to applaud that. Well, they've got an amazing
role model in you. I mean, you're very committed to what you do. I'd like to think so. I'd like
them to acknowledge that they're somehow inspired by me, but they never seem to want to. But they
do enjoy being on stage as well. My nine-year-old really loves being on stage. So yes, they're good
kids. They'll never hear this. They're good kids. I'm saying it anyway. Of course, they're good kids.
Talking about being on stage, have there ever been times when you've been scared?
Yes, absolutely. Many times. So probably the most frightened I ever was, was before I did Hey Hey
It's Saturday. So which they played, but they had a 50-year reunion of Hey Hey It's Saturday,
I think last year, and they played one stand-up clip from that 50 years and it was mine. It was
my first time on the show and I was so nervous. As a kid growing up in a country town, Hey Hey
It's Saturday was the TV show. And you know, for me to end up walking out, not in red faces,
I did audition for red faces twice, which if you don't know what that is, it's the amateur section
where they gong you off after you make a fool of yourself. I auditioned to do that twice and they
didn't want me. So apparently I wasn't ridiculous enough, apparently. Well, you were already a
professional. Well, I was, but that's why I said to the guy in charge, you wouldn't stop looking at
his clipboard. I said, mate, I'm up here. I actually got walked out by security at Channel 9. They
walked me out because I didn't know what I thought I was going to do because I was so angry at my
audition that they, they walked me to the gate and sort of saw me through the gate. But anyway,
I ended up back on the show in a professional capacity and Russell Gilbert, the great Russell
Gilbert helped me get on the show. So, but yeah, I was so nervous. My legs were shaking as I'm doing
my stand-up routine, but it went really well. So it was like, and you know, the irony is the routine
was about being on the doll, which I was at the time. So I'd used my humiliation of being unemployed
and the embarrassment of when you're at parties and people say, what do you do? And you've got
nothing because you don't do anything. Or you'll say you're a comedian and they're like, really?
And then you have to try to be funny because you really got nothing to show for your comedian
sort of claims. Like you've got no money or no status. So, but I used that time of being on
the doll and I turned it into a comedy routine. And, you know, I was able to laugh in my own
situation, which was, you know, dire really. And, and it became a very well-liked comedy routine.
I ended up on TV and, you know, it started my career basically. Here he is, David Hughes.
I've got a lot of time on my hands because I'm on the doll. You know, it's sad guys. It's hard
being on the doll. Not as hard as working, but it's still hard. So you were scared doing that
and understandably, because that's early on in your career. What about more recently? Have there
been times when you put yourself out there and thought, oh, really, should I be doing this?
Well, every time I do the loggies, to be honest, which I already talked about, it went well the
other week. When you walk out on the loggies stage and you're doing jokes and you're in
front of your peers and you're like, if this doesn't go well, it's going to be so awkward.
I don't want to be in that room. If, you know, people, I know people have to like look away from
me. That's just embarrassing. And I've done the opening of the loggies a number of times,
which is much better because you're at the start of the night. And you're always so good. Thank
you, Jess. You are. I appreciate that. But you know, you're only as good as your next gig. So,
and the other night though, I did the, I agreed to present the gold loggie, which is at the end of
the night. So I get there at three o'clock in the afternoon for the red carpet, as you'd know,
and it's a really long night. So between 3pm and when I got on stage at 11.30pm, that's eight and
a half hours. And so are you getting more nervous? Because what happens when I get nervous? I have
to go to the bathroom a lot. Does that happen to you? Yeah, I definitely, sometimes you do gigs
where there's no toilet backstage. So, and I'm like, I don't want to walk through the crowd before a
gig. I did a venue rehearsal with no toilet backstage and I, every night I would ask for a
cup from the- Oh no. And they're like, why do you need a cup every night? So there's no need to know.
So before the show, I'm like filling the cup up, not with poo, no. With wee. And then after the
show, I've got to walk out of the venue and there's people milling around wanting photos
and I've got a steaming cup of piss in my hand. I have to go, yes, I'll get a photo,
but let's just leave this arm out here. Oh no. I'm definitely nervous before the load,
because that's an eight and a half hours of pacing though. And you're a pacer, aren't you?
I'm a pacer. You pace before a performance. Absolutely. So because I was doing jokes at
the end of the show, I didn't want it to repeat any jokes from any other presenters. So I had to
watch every second basically. The only thing I didn't watch was the hall of fame, because I knew
that it was Bruce McEvaney and I thought there's probably no jokes he'll do that would, you know.
So I'm backstage just before going on and then the people, the producers are back there and they said,
I said, look, I've watched it all except for the hall of fame. And one guy said,
that's what I wrote. I'm like, for God's sake, mate, I'll watch it on tape. I've got to do my
own thing. I'm sorry about your feelings right now. Anyway, but again, nothing matters. It
doesn't matter at the end of the day. You say it doesn't matter, but it does because you keep
doing it. You love being on stage. I love the thrill of it. I do. I love the thrill. I love
the anticipation. I love the challenge. Even though I really deeply in my heart know it doesn't
matter at the end of the day, but I love the challenge of winning an audience over or making
them laugh. Yeah, I really do. And I love it to my dying day. There's no doubt.
So describe them for me what that is like, what that feeling is for you standing on stage.
Well, I suppose the first big laugh I ever got on stage was three gigs in back in 1993.
And my first gig was horrendous. No one laughed at all. I was so embarrassed because I dropped
out of uni and I wanted to be a comedian. I dreamed of it secretly since I was probably 13.
I remember failing my last uni exam doing a business degree and they had no idea what any
of the questions meant. So I'm sitting there in this failing exam thinking I want to be a comedian
anyway. It doesn't matter. So then I get on stage probably six months later and no one laughs at
all. So I'm on stage thinking I'm a loser. I'm deluded. I've thrown my life away. I'm never
going to have any money. So that's a terrible attitude to have when you're trying to make
people laugh. So no one laughed at all. I remember I had to walk through the crowd to get out of
that venue. And as I'm walking out, I talked about being teased at school. That's what my act was
about. And no one had laughed at it. But as I walked out, someone from the audience said,
they were right to tease you. And so I actually, apparently Rove was there. I was in WA. Rove was
there. He hadn't started stand-up comedy at that point, but apparently that act inspired him.
Because apparently he thought, he told me that he thought if that guy's allowed to be on stage,
well anyone can get on stage. There's hope for me. So I inspired his career with my fantastic
failure. I went back the next week to the same venue because I thought if I don't walk on stage
as quickly as possible, I will never do it again. So I went back the next week and kept my dignity.
I didn't get big laughs, but I kept my temperament. So I walked off feeling okay. But it was a few
months later, I'd had a few months break because it was so stressful to even contemplate doing it.
But a few months later, there was an ad in the paper. It said, comedians required. I answered
the ad, had no idea it was the same venue I'd been to. Guy who answered the phone call said,
I remember you. You weren't that bad. You should give it another go. And because he said that,
maybe that's what said, all right, I'm going to do it. Third time on stage, I walked on and
was just so relaxed. Something came over me. You don't have to prove anything. You're a winner
for just doing this. And that thought just lit a fire. And the laughs I got that night was so
intoxicating. It was such a vindication of my dream that I was so high. I floated out of that
little venue thinking, I know what I want to do with my life. And you know what? I'm still chasing
that high. It is such a joy when you can make a group of people laugh at the same time. It is
magic. And I can see the magic because when you describe that, your face becomes alive. Yes. It's
just, it's like you, something you said has made all these people have a physical noise. And you
know, I know how much fun it is to laugh. So to make other people laugh is so satisfying for me
because I'm, for that brief moment, I'm making people happy. And you can't ask for more than
that, I think, in life. I wouldn't have thought so. And for you, you say you want to be doing comedy
until you're dying days. Absolutely. So will you be 90 and on stage? Yep, I'll be on stage. I might
be in a nursing home. I might be doing, you know, the same act to people who heard it the day before
but can't remember. But I'll be doing all I can to continue doing it. So, because I just bloody love
it. Well, we're so lucky to have you because you do make us laugh and you make us feel better. So
thank you for being you, Hughzy. Thank you, Jess. I appreciate your time. Oh, Hughzy, isn't there
just something about that wonderful laconic voice? And I tell you listeners, if you could see the
grin and the sparkle in his eyes when he spoke about doing stand-up, you can see how that is when
he feels most alive. And if you haven't had a chance to catch Hughzy live on stage, for our
Melbourne listeners, he's performing a special encore performance of his comedy festival hit
Ridiculous on Saturday, August 6. And for everyone else, search for Hughzy, Erin and Ed
on the listener app for his daily brickie show. And for more big conversations like this,
follow the Jessrow Big Talk Show podcast so you'll never miss an episode. And if you enjoyed this
episode with Hughzy, I reckon you'll like my chat with Nazeem Hussain. You know deep down what you
like and what makes you happy. We're instructed to think of others in the same way. Bringing
happiness to other people fulfills me too. So that's a really nice thing that I take from my
religion that serving others serves yourself. The Jessrow Big Talk Show was presented by me,
Jessrow. Executive producer Nick McClure. Audio producer Nicky Sitch. Supervising producer
Sam Cavanagh. Until next time, remember to live big. Life is just too crazy and glorious
to waste time on the stuff that doesn't matter.