Everything ‘from banter to man-flu' explained

Geoff Norcott has written a new book, The British Bloke Decoded.

The title, out on September 14, is subtitled ‘from banter to man-flu, everything finally explained’.

Publishers Monoray say: ‘The British Bloke appears simple and straightforward. He loves football, cricket, beer, sheds, wearing socks and books about the SAS. But beneath that simple exterior lies a mysterious and complex being.

‘In The British Bloke Decoded, writer, comedian and regular bloke, Geoff Norcott peels back the layers of blokedom, revealing the truth behind the sometimes inexplicable behaviour of Britain's husbands, dads and brothers.

‘Based on 46 years of field research and almost scientific insights, Geoff digs deep into subjects as wide as: the value of banter, the surprising roots of mansplaining, the near impossibility of getting blokes to send birthday cards, and whether there could be a medal system for Hoovering.

‘And ultimately, he concludes that whilst the toxic men have been grabbing all the publicity - perhaps now's the time to celebrate the simple British bloke in all his eccentric splendour.’

The same topic is the basis for his next stand-up show, Basic Bloke, which will tour the UK after launching at the Underbelly during the Edinburgh Fringe. (Geoff ​Norcott tour dates)

Monoray publisher Jake Lingwood, said: ‘Geoff has been solidly researching the topic of what make men tick for 46 years – no one understands the idiosyncrasies of the British bloke better than he does. The book is a real eye-opener and is going to cause a huge amount of debate this Christmas.’

Norcott added: ‘I recently discovered that everything about me is bang in line with the average British bloke. I’m (almost) 5ft 9in, have size nine feet and I’m just over thirteen stone. Even my Tesco meal-deal choices are in line with their most commonly brought combos (though I sometimes swap out the crisps for mini cheddars if I’m feeling reckless).

'Blokes are so commonly thought of as basic or primitive, I want to illustrate just how much of our iceberg lives under the sea, how deep and mobile our tectonic plates are...or any other metaphor which makes smart people pre-order this book.’

The British Bloke Decoded is his second book, following 2021’s Where Did I Go Right?, about how – despite being a working-class son of union activists – he became a Conservative Brexit voter.

Norcott has used his status as a relatively rare right-wing comedian as the basis of his Radio 4 special  Right Meaning But Well Meaning and the  podcast What Most People Think. He was a regular correspondent on  Late Night Mash  and  has also appeared on Question Time, Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You and his own documentary How The Middle Classes Ruined Britain for BBC Two.

» The British Bloke Decoded is available from Amazon, priced £16.99

Published: 30 Mar 2023