Jack Whitehall: British comedian, actor, writer and presenter known for stand-up tours and the Netflix series Travels with My Father
What this episode covers
Jack Whitehall talks with Steven Bartlett about growing up wanting his father's approval, the lack of confidence he carried as an awkward child, and how being catapulted onto television at 18 forced him to find his comedic voice in public. He reflects candidly on professional anxiety, the fear that his success could disappear, imposter syndrome around acting, and his struggle with work-life balance. With his partner Roxy five months pregnant, he discusses his excitement and nerves about becoming a dad and his desire to shift his priorities. He becomes emotional describing how much he wants his father to be around to know his child. The episode closes on his new stand-up tour Settle Down and his upcoming film Robots.
The guest's own work
Robots
Jack Whitehall
“you got a movie coming up robots yeah yeah that's coming out this summer um which uh was a movie yeah we shot that a couple of a couple of years ago”— Steven Bartlett
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling
“around like 11 or something auditioned to be Harry Potter yeah that's crazy yeah I did a bit of child acting”— guest
Big Brother's Big Mouth
Channel 4
“I ended up doing like live TV hosting Big Brother's Big Mouth which was the show that kind of had created Russell Brand”— guest
Goodbye Mr Chips
“it was Goodbye Mr Chips with Martin clunes and all of a sudden I was like at the back of the class and had no lines”— guest
Not the Nine O'Clock News
BBC
“it was all kind of cobbled together sketches that we'd copied from not the nine o'clock news and League of gentlemen”— guest
League of Gentlemen
BBC
“sketches that we'd copied from not the nine o'clock news and League of gentlemen”— guest
Gavin and Stacey
“when James Corden and Matt horn were doing their double act around the time of Gavin and Stacy”— guest
Mr Bean
Tiger Aspect
“he worked for Tiger aspect to a great production company made Mr Bean Catherine Tate Benidorm all of these shows”— guest
Big reveals from this episode
- His dad pulled him out of school and used personal connections to get him an audition for Harry Potter, which Jack tanked because he hadn't read the book; Emma Watson got cast through the open casting.
- His father told him he could leave boarding school after a term if he hated it, but later admitted he never intended to let him leave.
- He reveals his partner Roxy is pregnant and he is about to become a father, hoping it will shift his focus away from overwork.
- Despite his on-stage clown persona, Jack admits he is often quiet, introspective, shy and uses drink as a crutch for social anxiety.
- Jack gets emotional, revealing he wanted to have a baby partly so his father could be around to know his child.
- He was put on live TV (Big Brother's Big Mouth) at 18-19, far too early, before he had found his comic voice.
Worth remembering
- As a child actor he was dubbed over by another child's voice because he couldn't deliver the line 'it's not a monster it's a rabbit' properly.
- His first Edinburgh stand-up was in a tiny room that is now a disabled toilet, with about 10 seats.
- He got his start doing tour support stand-up for James Corden and Matt Horn's double act, which led to his first TV gig.
- Early on he performed in a fake 'mockney' accent like Danny Dyer because he feared audiences would hate his posh public-school voice.
- He studied History of Art at university as a fallback, admitting it is not a very transferable skill.
- His father was nearly 50 when Jack was born, which made Jack assume he too would be an older dad.
- Jack says his strength is delivery and selling a joke rather than writing, quoting a Sky News line that he 'can bloody well sell it'.
- Jack admits he has never really talked about emotions with his father; they discuss work, football and current affairs instead.