Stand up comedian and television giant Jimmy Carr is returning to the island next week.
He will be performing at the Villa Marina on Tuesday on his ‘Funny Business’ tour.
The 42-year-old comedian last visited the island in 2013, and his return is expected to be just as popular with a performance consisting of short, fast and shocking jokes.
Carr often lets the audience take the reins, this frequently being a lead part in his stand up, making it a thrilling and very involved experience.
When asked whether the tour has a theme, he said: ‘Yes, the theme is wanting people to like you by telling jokes. Same as every stand-up show I think.’
The four-month-long stand up tour around the British Isles is his 11th.
He claims the secret to his success in comedy is hard work: ‘I will have probably written in the region of a thousand jokes, but only use about 250.
‘I think the trick to this job, if there is one, is to be writing constantly.’
Coming into the industry late, at the age of 26, Jimmy explained he didn’t expect comedy to be a career option.
‘There was less of an industry back then, so it was just about doing stand-up purely for the fun of it, not as any kind of means to an end.’
He had previously attempted to forge a career in tennis: ‘My dream as a child was to play at Wimbledon.
‘The closest I’ve got so far is watching Andy Murray win it.’
After tennis did not work out for him, he turned to another hobby of his, comedy.
This change in career path turned Jimmy’s life around, and he was soon the face of comedy shows such as Channel 4’s 8 Out Of Ten Cats, 10 o’clock Live and the annual television quiz The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, as well as featuring in shows such as QI and Have I Got News For You.
When asked about his success and how it feels being famous, he replied gleefully: ‘It’s great, thank you!
‘It makes the world a really friendly place a lot of the time.’
Carr is known for his outrageous jokes that can come across as offensive to the wrong ears but he sees his jokes in a different light.
‘Comedy is all about building up tension and then the release of that pressure,’ he explained.
‘Talking about taboo topics is a fast way to build tension and the more tension, the more laughs.’
He says he doesn’t really worry about offending people during his comedy.
‘If you believe in free speech, you have to allow people to say things you don’t like.’
He also claims one of the reasons why people don’t get offended is because it is ‘so obviously just jokes’.
And he said that he has never had a bad encounter with a fellow celebrity he has joked about.
‘No, people are generally great about it,’ he said.
‘People I’ve made awful jokes about come up and say hello and are fine with it.’
Tickets for the show cost £25.50, and can be purchased at the Villa Marina. Call 600555 or go www.villagaiety.com
An age restriction of 18+ applies. Doors open at 7pm for an 8pm start.