Jamali Maddix: I cried before my first stand-up gig
(Well, he was only five)
Jamali Maddix has admitted crying before his first stand-up gig – but he was only five years old.
But he says the performance went well, even though he didn’t deserve such a good reception.
Speaking on the Dish from Waitrose podcast, he recalled. ‘I was doing a talent show… and you know when kids don't want to go on stage when they're young and they start crying? Then the teachers went, "Just go on stage." And I went out on stage and it was a bad set I should have got booed.
‘I flipped up my collars and I was like, "I'm Harry Hill." I wish comedy was that easy now!
‘I just came on and did that and everyone [cheered]. People went mental for that.’
Even though he’s now made a successful career from comedy – including being part of the Comedy Central series Am I the A**hole with Jimmy Carr and GK Barry – Maddix admit not everyone’s a fan.
‘My mum don't like my comedy now,’ he told hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett. ‘Genuinely, she watches it and she goes, "People pay for this?"’
Bu t he added: ‘We don't want comedy that your mum goes, "That's great!", you know what I mean? My mum's always saying, "Why don't you talk about your granddad? He's fun.’" But people- they don’t want to hear about that.’
Widening the conversation away from comedy Maddix also admitted to a penchant for Car Boot sales, saying: ‘I try and go most weekends…I love buying tat."
‘I've got all types of shit… I bought a slot machine, a mini slot machine, I bought that. I bought a plate that had HMP on it from prison. I bought a massive portrait of King Haile Selassie. I love it all, man. It's all in my walls and stuff. And bought this Victorian vintage air rifle.’
And as the podcast is based around food, the comedian confessed to a sweet tooth, saying: ‘I used to eat gâteaux for breakfast.
‘Then the doctor was like, "bruv, you gotta shut that shit down." But real talk, it was bad ‘cause I got bare diabetes in my family. Yeah, I got like proper diabetes, like.’
Maddix also admits to a major etiquette breach: eating hot food on the train,
He said: ‘It’s 2000 and something bruv. We’ve got stuff to do. You trying to hit me with 1960s etiquette? don't care. You know what I pay my taxes, bruv, I'm eating on the train. Yeah, I'll eat on the train, I don't care. Just whacking a full jalfrezi…’
And here is is talking about falling into the cult of air fryers, his mum’s twist on spaghetti bolognaise and eating an alligator cheesecake:
• Dish from Waitrose is available on all podcast providers.
Published: 29 Oct 2025
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Past Shows
Edinburgh Fringe 2018
Edinburgh Fringe 2019
Jamali Maddix: Work in Progress
Jamali Maddix: Work in Progress
Jamali Maddix: Work in Progress
Agent
We do not currently hold contact details for Jamali Maddix's agent. If you are a comic or agent wanting your details to appear here, for a one-off fee of £59, email steve@chortle.co.uk.
