Edinburgh Fringe comedians answer

Every day until the end of the Fringe, we're asking one of Richard Herring's Emergency Questions from the RHLSTP podcast to comedians. Here's today's batch of insights...

Yes. Not being funny enough. Anyhow, come see our show.  Brian McElhaney whose show BriTANicK is on at Assembly at 7:45pm

I have not. This is one of the perks of self-employment. Although after a show in Weston-super-Mare once I certainly considered voluntary redundancy.  Marcel Lucont whose show Marcel Lucont Etc. - A Chat Show is on at Just The Tonic at 6:30pm

Yes. From a stand-up gig on cruise ship that toured Lake Michigan for making jokes about the captain drinking Albert Samuels whose show Shamilton! The Improvised Hip-Musical is on at Assembly at 5:30pm

Tweeting about China not having a good human rights record. Ashley Haden whose show Ashley Haden: On The Outside Pissing In.  is on at Counting House at 7:45pm

I dropped a prawn cocktail in some woman's lap so I was fired after two days of my waitressing job.   Lucy Frederick whose show Lucy Frederick's Big Fat Wedding is on at Gilded Balloon Patterhoose at 3:40pm

When I was 17 I was fired from selling Sky warranties over the phone because I was recorded saying "I don't really know what our service provides at all" to a potential customer.  Sean McLoughlin whose show So Be It is on at Pleasance Courtyard at 7:55pm

We were fired from being magicians at the Legoland Hotel many years ago because one of us called a child a bellend. In our defence, he was a bellend.   Griffin and Jones whose show Griffin and Jones: Idiot Magicians  is on at The Voodoo Rooms at 6:15pm

I was fired from a job where I had to dress up as a cow to get people to sign up to milk delivery. Apparently I wasn't 'cow like' enough.   Jay Bennett whose show Yasmine Day: Songs in the Key of Me is on at Voodoo Rooms at 7:40pm

Using the word 'cunt' at a family-friendly stand-up show.  Jon Courtenay whose show Against The Odds is on at Gilded Balloon at 6:30pm

Jeremy got caught stealing from work once (he worked at a sperm bank) ((He stole a stapler))  Cory Peter Lane, Jeremy Elder and Hunter Saling whose show Business Casual: Feral is on at Gilded Balloon at 8:20pm

I was a tech at the main comedy club in New Zealand and I thought I had organised cover but I hadn't, so essentially just didn't show up one day. Fortunately, they still booked me for gigs. Eli Matthewson whose show Daddy Short-Legs is on at Underbelly George Square at 8:50pm

Technically, yes… I thought I’d quit, but had done it in such an overly polite way that my boss didn’t realise. She then fired me when I didn’t turn up to the next shift. So, I suppose I was fired either for being too nice, or being too mysterious, depending on how you look at it. Ailis Duff whose show Notflix: Binge is on at Gilded Balloon at 5:00pm

Not really but when I used to referee kids' football before I lost my sight, I did get told on a number of occasions that I'd cost the Newport Pagnell Under-10s their obviously vitally important fixture against Wolverton Tigermoths. Their manager and plenty of parents called for my resignation/sacking. But I stood firm and lived to award more dodgy free kicks.  Tom Skelton whose show 2020 Visions (What if I hadn't gone blind?) is on at Underbelly at 7:15pm

I was 'invited to leave' a job when I accidentally printed out a job offer letter from another job on the work printer. I was escorted off the premises two days before Christmas and cried in the ee shop because my phone wouldn't work so I couldn't tell anyone. But I was dressed fabulously, and quite drunk from a lunch so it wasn't all bad news.  Vix Leyton whose show Pedestrian is on at   Just the tonic at 2:40pm

No, but I was kicked out of the Shakespeare's Birthplace Museum for being historically inaccurate.  Alasdair Beckett-King whose show Nevermore is on at Pleasance Courtyard at 7:00pm

I'ver been fired more than 20 times. the final time was my last job before stand-up, for not paying a parking fine on a company vehicle for months. the bailiffs arrived one day. Justin Moorhouse whose show Stretch & Think is on at Gilded Balloon at 7:30pm

I once had to stop people in the street to do questionnaires. I walked away after two hours. I got fired six months later. Adam Meggido whose show Starship Improvise is on at Pleasance King Dome at 3:00pm

I got hit with a big long stick for putting rice in the wrong carton, i took it as a sign of being fired.   Alison Spittle whose show Wet is on at Pleasance Courtyard at 4:45pm

I got fired from a copywriting job after 3 months because I didn’t write anything. Not. A. Single. Word. In my defence it was a financial institution and really boring – so I couldn’t be bothered.  Ali Brice whose show I Tried To Be Funny, But You Weren't Looking is on at Banshee Labyrinth at 4:50pm

I genuinely got fired from being an extra on Hollyoaks. I used to do it quite regularly then one day they just told my agent I 'looked like I didn't want to be there' and said they never wanted me back. I didn't want to be there, to be fair.  Tom Little whose show Tom Little Has Good Reviews So Prepare to Be Impressed is on at Subway at 3:45pm

Flattering you would assume I've ever had a real job  Milo Edwards whose show Voicemail is on at The Mash House at 4:35pm

Does getting boo'd off the stage count as getting fired? Because, then yes.  Schalk Bezuidenhout whose show I'll Make Laugh To You (Like You Want Me To) is on at Gilded Balloon at 7:40pm

All the time. lateness.  I have time blindness.  It's a real disease. Tony Law  whose show Tony Law A Now Begin in Again is on at Monkey Barrel  at 12:00am

Published: 19 Aug 2022