Rhod Gilbert - the accidental comedian
Rhod only entered New Talent's Comedy Awards in 2003 after his girlfriend nagged him about it.
Peppered with his dry sardonic wit, his solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival were sell outs. Rhod tours this year with 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' to such far flug places as Australia, Europe and the Middle East.
In 2006 his trademark whimsical Welsh stories featured on Â鶹Éç Three's Comedy Shuffle.
Q1. How did you get into stand up?
I had no intention of becoming a comedian. I was nagged into it by my girlfriend. I had a proper career involving focus groups informing government. So I dropped out. It wasn't a big decision.
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Q2. You've performed the world over. Where was the strangest place, and do you have to change your act depending on where you're performing?
The oddest place was in a former palace of Saddam Hussein's. Performing to squaddies at two in the afternoon when they are all sober and carrying guns brings its own challenges...
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Q3. Your material is so quirky. Where do your ideas come from?
Everything I do is made up nonsense, every word is lies. But underneath it all is a sense of truth.
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Q4. You have a regular radio show. Is radio very different to stand up?
A minute of stand up is harder than performing on the radio for three days without toilet breaks.
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Q5. Which comedians have influenced you?
I'm unusual in that I didn't have influences as such. Daniel Kitson is my favourite, so creative, so prolific.
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Rhod - the CV
2003 - wins Â鶹Éç New Comedy Awards.
2005 - Perrier Nominated debut solo show 'Rhod Gilbert's ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý1984' is a sell out at the Edinburgh Festival.
2005 - Becomes 'Voice of Wales' for Welsh Tourist Board.
2006 - 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' debuts in Edinburgh
2006 - The Rhod Gilbert Show premieres on Â鶹Éç Radio
2006 - Rhod is named in The Times's Top 50 Comedians
2007 - Rhod appears in Â鶹Éç Three's Comedy Shuffle
2007 - 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' continues
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Rhod offers his top tips to would be comedians.
