#220 - Heard the One About the British Comedian Making Fun of the French? w/Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor is an English comedian. He moved to Paris in 2009 and started doing stand-up comedy in 2013. Taylor is known in France for his TV series on Canal+, What the F*ck France, What's Up France?, and Stereotrip, but he got his onstage debut with his show #Franglais. Host Mohammed Magdi and Paul met in Shanghai in 2017 when Paul toured his show #franglais across Asia. In 2025, Paul is touring the world with his new show, "100% in English." We catch up with Paul ahead of his Hong Kong show, and we chat about going viral in France, his time working at Apple, and his jump from working in the corporate world to a world-touring comedian.

Catch Paul Taylor on tour: https://paultaylorcomedy.com/tickets

Subscribe to Paul Taylor's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/paultaylor

Get tickets for Backstage Comedy shows: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thebackstagehk.com/⁠

Subscribe to our Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/hohopod⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Paul on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ptcomedy

Follow Mohammed on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theothermohammed⁠⁠⁠

Follow Vivek on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/funnyvivek

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
So I reiterate here, the bill isdead.
The story of this great city is about the years before this
night. Nice hi everybody, it's a new

(00:24):
episode of Hong Kong. I haven't started the timer.
Here you go Simon, are we on Yeah, we're yes okay, we'll keep
saying that yes, we are both well, I am starstruck.
We have the most famous comedianhas entered this room.
Yeah, we're over here. We're sitting with our.
Well, my buddy Paul Taylor. You guys just met?

(00:46):
Yeah, we just. Met and.
Yes, So Vivek Yeah. Co host Paul Taylor Guest.
Hello Vivek, you take over. All right, so basically we have
a guest for a change because we realized the Mohammed story
sucked. Yeah.
And we need a professional to keep this entertaining.
So we decided to go big or go home.
Oh, yeah. We're like, we're not just get
like any comic from the Hong Kong.
See, We're not getting any comicfrom the Asian team.
We're getting a coming from which scene?

(01:08):
The French one. Weirdly French one.
Yeah, yeah. From same food.
All right, that's where we came from.
All right, so we got we got PaulTaylor over here with us on the
podcast. He came in and the hot summer
day in Hong Kong. And I always appreciate when I
hear people say, Oh, man, this is this is hot.
And I'm like, you're enjoying this once in your lifetime, man.
No, I this is not enjoying and this is, I don't know how you

(01:30):
deal with it. Well, you were born here, so you
were. Born.
Yeah. I didn't know there was a better
weather. I actually, I'm looking at the
cameras now and I think this is our 200, whatever 20 episode.
I think he might be the whitest guest we've ever had.
I'm wearing a white T-shirt. I blend into this background
perfectly. I think.
Is he the whitest? Can you think of someone else

(01:50):
whiter? I believe he is in fact the
whitest guest we've got. And the fact that you are so
white that you're not even from Hong Kong white, you're not from
Asia white, you're literally. From the white.
I'm from the I'm from the I'm the OG white, yeah, from the
island that decided to colonize everyone exactly so.
We had a comedian in Shanghai, Byron Murphy is Irish, OK, And
he would go up and say like, hey, I'm Irish.

(02:11):
In case you haven't, you can't tell by me getting sunburned by.
The lights. Exactly right there, right?
Yeah, see that? We're getting sunburned by the
moonlight. You're like, yeah, yeah.
Typical one something sunburningyou and.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your T-shirt sunburning.
You or just being translucent? Yeah, just glow in the.
Yeah, exactly. You're back after.
So a quick back story, Paul stand up comedian base in in

(02:33):
Paris and we met in 2017 when you were doing a an Asia tour.
Yeah, in with a show called Honglay.
Yes. Explain to the audience why
Honglay. Yeah, so I started doing comedy
in 2013 and based in Paris. I've been there for 16 years.
And like in France, the way the stand up thing well, or the,

(02:57):
the, the stand up sort of scene works, it's very difficult to do
like to earn a living by just doing like 1020 minute gigs.
It's better now because there are more comedy clubs that have
opened. But before you have to like
write an hour show and really tour that show.
That's it. You start from zero to one hour.
Well, you can do like 10 minutes, but you're not really
getting paid for it. But then you jump basically from
like 10:15 minutes to one hour. Like there's no, there's no way

(03:19):
you can do. Sometimes you'll do 30 minutes.
Like if me and you were like, yeah, great, can we let's work
on a. Show half together, do you have?
Yeah, yeah, but the show has to be an hour itself.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, OK.
OK. So I started putting together
like this hour show, and I realized that some of the jokes
would work in English or they would need to be said in

(03:39):
English, some of them in French,and some of them you kind of
needed to understand both languages to understand like the
nuance between them. Yeah, like the play on words or
whatever it was. So when I was putting together
my hour, I was like, well, I I can, I can do an hour if it's
bilingual. I don't have enough to just do
one hour in English or one hour in French.
But you decided against getting someone else to fill the extra

(04:00):
time. You're like, how can I double my
money cutting my car? In half, yeah.
I want it to be all about me exactly.
All about me exactly. Fuck everyone else.
And so I had a friend of mine called Sebastian and he is an
American in France and sort of similar vibe but he had a show
fully in French and then a show fully in English.
The show is maybe like 80% the same.

(04:22):
Oh, OK, if he does do that, but.Yeah.
But you guys, yeah, you guys have that in common because I
obviously performs in Cantonese and 100.
Percent and also in English. Yeah, I could do like I've done
my solo show in English and alsosolo in Cantonese.
Right. And what percentage of it is the
same? I find nowadays I've tried to
write all my jokes bilingually so that they can work in other
language. But I what I found is initially

(04:43):
when I first started, there weremaybe 50% at most could be used
in both languages. Half of it.
So like the same bit. I would write some stuff and my
God, this only flies in Cantonese.
For example, like when I would talk about how I go to a
restaurant here and people wouldrespond to me like, oh, he
speaks Cantonese in Cantonese. The the joke is of how So the
joke is this. OK, it's in Cantonese, but I'll
translate to English. So like I'm sitting over there
in a, in a typical Chinese restaurant.

(05:05):
I sit down in very common in Hong Kong because space is
precious. You have to share tables, right?
So I have a couple sitting opposite me and I sit down and I
call the waiter in Canton. Wait, full game go.
Yeah, I speaks in Cantonese and the girlfriend's like, whoa, he
speaks Cantonese, right. And the barb's like if he speaks
it, he understands it. So that I found a way to
translate to English, but initially I couldn't find the
way to say it because like in cavities, I said Gothic Tank is

(05:26):
like such a straight, can speak,can understand.
It's such a direct word that's like, I get the joke in beauty
with the English, like if you can speak it, you can understand
it. You're like, understand.
Oh, I see what you did over. There.
You know what's throwing me off,though, is, like, what I'm
really enjoying, because we onlyspoke, like, for five seconds,
is that you've got, like, the Hong Kong accent.
Oh, speak English. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You don't have the Hong Kong face.
I don't I. Love it.
It's really. That makes me so happy because

(05:47):
he thinks he doesn't have an accent.
No, I have the Hong Kong taught English accent.
That's why, yeah, exactly. I've met people from Hong Kong
but who are Asian descent looking right.
And I'm like, you sound like because I can discern between
Hong Kong and Singapore. Yeah, I think I would go down, I
mean. The normal English person or
anyone you know who hasn't met anyone from those countries

(06:07):
would just be like, oh, it's, it's.
Asian. Yeah.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
So yeah, it's really funny because it reminds me of a story
of a French friend of mine who is her parents are Chinese,
moved over to France and she wasborn in France, grew up in
France, speaks French with a French accent, obviously, but
also speaks English with a French accent.
And when she did her, she went to Manchester in the UK to
study. And she was telling me that the,

(06:30):
that the people over there, theyjust didn't, they didn't believe
her. They couldn't, well, they
couldn't process the fact that she was Asian looking.
Yeah, but was speaking English like this.
So hello, how are you actually? I will tell you about a story
about someone, you know, Bon, I mean.
Oh, yeah. Bon.
I mean, yeah, Yeah, He came to with to do that the French shows
in Shanghai years ago. Yeah.
And he barely speaks English. No, actually, it's actually

(06:52):
worse, because what I mean is that is a Vietnamese French
comedian. Yeah.
And he obviously speaks fluid French also very, very, very
quick. Like, I understand French.
Yeah. I couldn't understand.
Anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But then his English is really bad, and he has an Asian face.
Yeah. Yeah.
So that's even more coming because the bits of English he
knows is really, like, stereotypical, like, yeah, yeah.

(07:14):
Yeah. In Shanghai and he's like, oh
man, yeah, it's not good. People look at him, man, the
French way. He took over Vietnam and was
really, really put a number on you.
Man, Yeah, yeah, between I'm like, I'm like full the the most
hated person. I'm like English living in
France, the two countries that have fucked the entire rest of
the world. Absolutely, man.

(07:35):
Like actually, I want to go backto for people who don't know
you, like, why do you speak affluent French?
So I studied French like mine. I started learning in French
when I was 5, when I lived in France.
When I was a kid, my dad got a job in a bank in Geneva in
Switzerland. So we lived across the border in
France. And so for those sort of four
years I was there as like an International School.

(07:58):
So I French and English speaking, but then also because
my mom's from Northern Ireland and my dad is from the north of
England and I was in like this American International school,
but we were living in a French speaking country.
I had like all of these different accents going around.
So are. You what they call the TC like
the third culture kid. Would you identify as one?
You didn't fit in the culture that you're living in, but then

(08:20):
you also kind of fit in, as in you identify with that culture,
but you're not from that culture.
Like, I live in Hong Kong. I identify myself as a Hong
Konger, but I just am not a HongKonger as per SE.
Yeah, but you ever not a third culture kid?
Third, culture is like your parents have to be from 2
separate places and you're born in 1/3.
Place what's that? My dad was from hell.
So you know, I mean technically,technically, you know right over
there. So I believe it's a very

(08:42):
separate. Yes, he is.
That is the actual Satan, Yeah. Yeah, I don't know.
Yeah, maybe. I don't know.
I don't know like. Where your your dad?
Where is, where is he from? He said.
The north of England, OH. OK, so no, that makes them the
same, like they're English. Yeah, they're, they're Yeah,
Well, yeah. Yeah.
See that's where, that's where the Chinese border helps, you

(09:04):
know, when you're technically from the same kind of landish,
but you can see. No.
And I have two different places.Yeah, like Northern English kind
of we, we don't, we identify with the Southern England.
Yeah, exactly. But they're still, but they're
still, they got the same passport.
So exactly. Yeah, my mum, my mum from
Northern Ireland, a completely different sort of thing.
But yeah, I it's European. Anyway, ultimately, like fucking
Europeans are the same. So yeah, OK, you, so you grew up

(09:25):
basically learning English and French.
Yeah. And then I level pretty.
Yeah. And then I studied it throughout
school, throughout my universitydegrees in French and Spanish.
And then I've been there for thelast 15 years as well.
Wife's French so everything my whole life is in French based.
And you used to work for Apple. I did, yeah.
I worked for like 10 years for Apple is.
That is that something that would that it's not a secret,
you just posted about it. Yeah, yeah.

(09:46):
This is part of your ACT as. Well, yeah, sometimes.
So yeah, like how did you end upin Apple?
It was like a a part time student job.
So when I was at university 10 years, well it started as a part
time student job. Like it'll be funny if you're
just a good yeah, you need. To take 10 years for again.
Yeah. Learning French.
That's how long it takes to learn a language.
It's. 10 years. And so, yeah, I was, I was at

(10:07):
university in London and in order to like pay for beers and
whatever, I started working likepart time at the Apple store,
the Big Apple store there in Regent Street.
And then did that for a few years while I was at university.
I did a year abroad while I was at university.
So I had to go to Canada for eight months because it's a
French speaking like I went to the French speaking part of
Canada to be. Quiet.

(10:28):
To Kibi quiet called call yes totry and improve my French there
and I was still working at Applethen went to Sydney for like 5
months, worked at Apple there, moved back to the UK and then
oh. Yeah, it sold your soul to
Apple, hey. Yeah, basically.
And then then when I finished mydegree in 2009, they announced
that they were opening Apple in France.

(10:49):
So I moved to France. And you were like, it's
inevitable. Yeah, I have to.
Now, yeah, exactly. So I moved to, I moved to Apple
with France and then that was around the time.
Wait wait wait wait. So Apple movies to France?
You didn't move to France and have to work at Apple.
No, I, well, they didn't move methere.
I moved myself there, but I wentthere because.
Of Apple. You were in Sydney working at
Apple? Yeah.
And you found out that France isopening an Apple store.
Yeah. And you requested in the office.

(11:10):
You're like, hey, just want to say Cosay.
Shave you Dre an iPhone? See if we play, yeah.
We play. The MacBook, iTunes.
Yeah, exactly. Lacrosse on lacrosse on Seal VU
play so well, yeah, I was in Sydney, but I moved back to the
UK for it to finish my last yearof my university.
And it was while I was in that last year that they announced

(11:32):
that they were opening stores inFrance.
So. We were working at Apple in the
UK when you. Yeah, OK, yeah.
So you were still with them? Yeah, yeah, I was still with
them this. Is your full time obviously.
No, this was all still part timebecause I was doing my degree
still, so it was like I was working.
Maybe I don't. Know no, no, when we say when we
say full time, we don't mean like the amount of effort you
put in. We're literally asking like the
job right here. Yeah, it was.
It was like part time, but then yeah, when I finished my degree,

(11:54):
I was like, cool, I'm enjoying working for the company.
Yeah. So I'll move to France and and
then move into like a full time.Are you able to say what you
were in charge of? Like what were?
You yeah. So well it, it changed.
So at the beginning, I was just like a, a, a what they call a
specialist like a, a salespersonbasically in the store, yeah.
Then it don't they call them a genius?
Or is that? No, they're the, they're the
technical, they're the ones thatfix your stuff.
Right. So the the specialist is more

(12:15):
like, hey, like I'm looking, I don't know which iPhone to buy.
Can you help me out? Yeah, Yeah.
So I would help them out for that.
Then I moved into like a customer service role, which
doesn't exist anymore. Yeah.
But it was basically like if youhad a problem, you'd come in and
you'd speak to people in orange T-shirts and they were the ones
that sort of said, oh, you need to speak to this person.
It was kind of like a liaison. Yeah, yeah, Yeah.
Like triage in like a hospital. Yeah, exactly.

(12:36):
So it was that for a bit. And then when because I'd
started gaining experience and they were opening in new
countries, I became like a trainer.
So I would I would then train the new employees that were
joining the company. Oh.
OK, OK. So, OK, yeah, you got.
It and then I the. Student becomes the master.
Yeah, and then and then I becamethe trainer of the trainers.
Wow. Yeah.
So you're basically 2 steps behind Steve Jobs like you're.

(12:58):
One, one step you're talking about, Yeah.
You're just waiting for. Him to go?
Yeah, he was. Making the products you were
like this is how you use the product, yeah.
Exactly. You thought about it, but let me
tell you how. That you were.
Actually, my first time over here, it wasn't to Hong Kong,
but it was to Shanghai. It was to train a bunch of
people who were opening. I can't remember the name of the
Apple Store in Shanghai now. It was one of the Apple Stores

(13:19):
in Shanghai. Yeah, So you.
Oh yeah. Wow.
So, OK, so when you say training, would it be like the
technical stuff, as in like here's a mango?
But I know you won't read it, solet me reread the manual to you.
And it was more, no, it was moretraining them about the culture
of the company and also like howto be like the kind of
customers, like how because The thing is like we would hire
people that didn't necessarily know the technical stuff.

(13:42):
Yeah, but because they were justnice humans, because the
technical stuff you can learn, but you can't really learn how
to be a personal a nice person. So so we would, then we would
then so they would go through a bunch of different training.
So if you're a technician like agenius, you would go through
like the global orientation orientation, which was like a
two week thing so that you got everything.
And then like the technicians will go out and do their special

(14:03):
training, The managers will go out and do their special
training. And so I would, I would like do
the initial, I'd be in charge oflike the initial two week
training that would be in like in a hotel.
Yeah, let's let's try not to getsued by Apple, but I'm going to
try to ask. Yeah, go on if we.
When do they tell you that the that the old version slowed down
on purpose and then you have to buy like when do they tell you

(14:25):
to tell the customers? Well, you think they What does
it say? Why does my battery keep dying
exactly 6 months? Well, I I was gone by that
stage, but so you. As insiders know that know that
they're designed to. I'm just going full conspiracy.
Yeah, they're designed to. No, no.
No, we like there's nothing likelike honestly, like the the

(14:46):
thing it was because the question I would usually get is
like when do they when do you find out a new product is coming
out? Yeah, it's like we find out when
we watch Tim Cook or Steve Jobs on stage doing the thinking of
the world. They're not telling any.
There's like a group of like 50 people that know so like.
Like when you see like everybodybringing in their iPhone because
it has a problem suddenly after the last update.

(15:06):
No, I mean, because that's also it's like, I feel like since
social media has taken off, likethat's become a thing when in
reality it's like it's like 10% of cases.
Do you know what I mean? Or it's 10% of people that are
using it in it's usually the fact they're using it wrong.
But they did like with the, withthe with the, I can't remember
which software update it was. It was like the the reason it it

(15:27):
that it would slow down or whatever was to protect the
battery because the the newer operators.
They're still paying you, Paul. No, but it's actually what it
is. Like it's just do you know what
I mean? Like it's like the thing of like
there is no conspiracy. It's just it that's just what
ended up happening. Like they should have told, they
should have told people before been like, if you, if you want
to update to this new software, yeah, it's gonna it's your
battery's gonna drain quicker because you aware of.

(15:50):
Yeah, so so because you could because then when when it when
it kind of came out, I think they gave people the choice to
like, do you want to keep the speed and the battery and the
battery life is going to drain quicker or do you prefer the
battery? I can't remember.
It was like optimized whatever the setting.
Was, but they wouldn't. Like on the on the setting, on
the update like setting. It was.

(16:10):
It's not anymore. Like, I don't think it's a
problem anymore, yeah. Also, I love this like 3, like
we have like one of the biggest touring stand ups in Europe and
we're talking about Apple. For 15 minutes.
Exactly right. That's the whole point.
That's what we're all about being like.
Well, you discuss jokes, not really whether or not an.
Apple update is worth. Doing or not so.
When when did the stand up come into the equation?

(16:33):
You're working for Apple. How old are you at the time?
Like when you're training the training.
The training at that age, so I worked from Apple from 20 to
like 29, so this would have beenaround years.
Yeah. Fuck, so I would have been
about, I think I was like 2324 when I got the training job.
OK, OK. I know what's going up.
When did that? That happened.

(16:54):
Well, the original original of it happened in my last year of
university when because I've been thinking like I I think
something drew me to being in the middle of a crowd.
OK. From when I was a kid, because I
remember when I was 12, I used to watch wrestling.
At the time it was WWF. At the time it was WWF.

(17:15):
Yeah. We're probably our generation.
WWF. Fuck the animals and the pandas.
It was WWF. Yeah.
What? Not World Wildlife Fund.
Yeah. It was the World.
Worldwide Wrestling Federation. Wrestling Federation.
Yeah, exactly. All right, brother.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Rock wasn't doing movies.
He was. He was doing a People's Elbow.
Yeah, it was. Hulk Hogan.

(17:36):
Yeah, Every fucking match. So I loved like I loved
wrestling. And for some, like I remember
the when the school sort of courtyard that we had where you
would walk into the locker roomsto put your bag before we enter
class. Yeah.
It was like it was called the quad.
So it was like this area where there was like 2, like at the
end of it, there was the locker rooms, but then there was 2 like

(17:56):
grass sections with a path that went through the middle.
And I remember when I would walkthrough that, I had this like
image of my mind of like I was walking to the ring basically.
Track like audio track in the background.
Yeah, and just, and like all theaudience going crazy.
So I was like 12 so. So I don't know why I wanted to
do that at the time, but that was like something there.
So then in my last Fast forward like 10 years to when I'm at

(18:19):
university, 21, and I start watching, it was the time when
the BBC, they'd opened up a thing called iPlayer, which is
where you could watch back old stuff, yeah, old episodes of
stuff online, yeah. And so I started watching ATV
show called Live at the Apollo which.
Oh yeah, comedians. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I started watching that and Iwas like, oh, this.

(18:40):
I was watching like DVDs of comedians having recorded at
like the O2 Arena, which is, youknow, 15,000 people.
Yeah. And the thing came back.
I don't know, they're like the visceral thing of like, I was
like, oh, this is cool. Yeah.
So anyway, there was a comedy night at the university, at the
pub that was at the university, and there was like 3 comedians
and the two of them were shit, Yeah and the last one was okay.
I was like that's weird. They're the two first ones.

(19:02):
They getting paid to do this andit's not funny What I now
realize as a comedian is like they just we weren't the right
audience, right, right. So they.
Were actually good like in hindsight.
I think so. I think they were doing clubs
because they got onto that gig because they were in the circuit
and doing well. But that night it was just shit
and, and so I was like, well, how like how complicated can it
be just. Told them exactly, yeah.
Exactly. So then, you know, I type into

(19:23):
Google like how do you become a stand up comedian?
Did you actually? Yeah, so funny.
And so it was like you the, the,the, the, the, the, this is when
I was in London. So it's like the, the, the I'm
shocked. I've lost.
Apple will let you use Google search.
The what's it called The the no,the hold on the the the not the
journey. The le bacur in French.

(19:43):
Oh. Yeah, like the this, the the
course, whatever. The way to.
The way to become a stand up waslike open mic.
So I went to, so I went to go see some open mic nights as an
audience member with some of my friends and they, they were all
horrific. You know, it was the most
awkward cringe. Like you're like, oh God, what?
When can we leave? And then on one comedy night,
open mic night, one guy pulled out.

(20:04):
He was too nervous however, so he and so my best friend was
like, mate, go and ask the MC ifyou can do 5 minutes.
I'm like, no, I don't, I'm not. So he went and asked, yeah, and
he got me to do 5 minutes because I've been thinking about
what I would talk about so. Your buddy knew that you had
like your. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So they say it was like the group of like four of us, You
know, they knew that it was kindof my, my, my, like I wanted to.

(20:27):
Do it. And you were preparing, Yeah.
And that's why we were going to open mic night.
And so he was like fuck it, get up.
So I did 5 minutes. It wasn't good, but it wasn't
bad. Sure, but it it got me.
The bug. Well, it got me the bug of like,
I think I can do better. Sure.
So then I signed up for a couple.
I think I maybe did 10 open mic nights in London.
This is in 2009 before I moved to Paris.

(20:47):
Then I moved to Paris with Apple.
Work takes over. I get promoted a couple of times
in in like the first year and I don't do stand up for like 3
years. So my official start is like
2013, even though I had like those 10 open mics four years
previous. But so 2013 is when I start.
I emailed my friend Sebastian now because he was the only

(21:07):
person doing English comedy similar to you guys in Shanghai
when I came over the first time and I was like, hey, like I'd
love to do 5 minutes. Like this is me back being like
I've performed at the Comedy Store in London.
You know I'll be. I'll give you the honor of
having me. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Like I've done all these gigs inLondon in the Comedy Store was
like the Gong Show or whatever. But I performed at the Comedy

(21:27):
Store in London. So he was like, yeah, you come
and do 5 minutes. So the 6th of January was the
was the on 2013 was my first 5 minutes.
Yeah, in Paris. And then I did some English
stuff and then what? What kind of show was that?
Was it a big show? Small show?
No, it's like. Club show, maybe like 50 people,
yeah, it was like a club show where there was a few of us on
the. Showcase.
Yeah, yeah. And then, you know, on one of

(21:51):
the nights there was a French comedian doing it in English.
She was like, oh, I run this other night.
Yeah, come and do it in French if you want to do it.
So then I started doing it in French and it kind of ballooned
from there, basically. Ah, yeah, yeah.
It's one of those things that you did that you can't connect
with this person that just beganthe whole.
Journey, Yeah, as as it always does.
Like that's how you know that you, you kind of like the comedy
thing is a very yeah. Relationship based, of course,

(22:12):
like, oh, you're on my night. Well, why don't you come on my
night? Yeah, you know, and then on my
night, you meet somebody else who runs the other show across
town and they're like, oh, why don't you come over for that?
And then that, you know, at somepoint you meet somebody who's
like, oh, can you open for me atthis big venue?
And you're like, oh fuck, I get to do 300.
Now wow 300. People, I remember the first
time I was actually opening for Bun.
I mean this. Oh, funny.
Yeah, so he, he, he, so he introduced me on a show.

(22:34):
One of the funniest jokes, obviously, is we're doing it in
French. And he's like, you're right.
The next comedian comes from a country where it rains so much.
When you look at your app and ittells you the temperature, it's
not the temperature of the air. It's the temperature of the
water that's falling from the skies all the way from England.
Just give it out from Paul Taylor.
Nice. So I did, I did my my set and he
was like, cool, do you want to open for me?
And he was at the time doing a show at a 300 seater place

(22:57):
called the Apollo in Paris. So that was like my first sort
of big 10 years ago. No, this was more, this would
have been in 2014. So like, yeah, like 11 years
ago. And yeah, it was, it was amazing
to do like a show in such a big venue.
And then, yeah. And then just you build
relationships, you keep going and then it's like, alright,
cool, I have to build an one hour show.

(23:18):
Let me try and figure out this bilingual thing.
So I did the show in both languages where most of the
people said it's not a good ideabecause French people don't
speak English enough. So.
And you're cutting your audiencein half.
Yeah. I was like, yes, but maybe it's
unique enough. Yeah, people will come.
And thankfully, at the same timeas I launched my one hour show,
I also had a video that went viral on.

(23:39):
That was gonna be my next point on YouTube.
So yeah, you have the that canalplease video is the lobbies.
Right, Yeah, so the before canal, so canal police is like
the HBO of France, right, But before them.
So I did. This was before, obviously,
Instagram Reels and TikTok. It was we were all watching
videos, you know, horizontally. Oh yeah.

(24:02):
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
And so I had made with a friend of mine, It was part of like
what part of my thing that I didon stage.
I was talking about how the French say hello and goodbye
where they kiss on the cheek. And as an English person, it's
very awkward because I didn't know how many kisses you're
supposed to give, you know, which side of the face you start
on. Because depending on the North
or the South, it's all kind of very weird.
Wait, so you you had that like you had AI?

(24:23):
Imagine it's a sketch group of sorts.
It's called French and fried. Well, no, So no, that was just,
that was my like closing bit on stage was like how the French
say hello and goodbye. It was like this whole thing.
And I saw, I saw you do it in Shanghai, and I was explaining
it to somebody the other day, right.
It was so funny because it's so drawn out.
Yeah, it's so long. So like, you're kissing like
everybody in the front. Yeah, I'd be like, if this is a
house party in France, I would go down to the audience, be

(24:45):
like, bonjour, bonjour. And I'm like, oh, but then if
you go to the fridge and get a drink, you then have to cheers
everyone individually. Cheers.
And then if it's someone's birthday, you're like, and then
if you have to leave the house, then you're like, all right,
bye. It was just like a it was so I
would do like that to the front row.
So anyway that my friend who runs a thing called French

(25:08):
fried, it was like the Kung Fu comedy club but the Paris
English speaking night. He was like can we make a video?
Of that. Not of that specifically, but it
would be cool to make a video toget more audience into the room.
So I was like, and this is before people were.
Filming. Oh, so just filming your set
online? Not to do?
Well, no, this is before anyone was filming any sets online.
Oh yeah, before any, before any of the people that you know who?

(25:28):
Yeah, they would. See their clicks?
Yeah. No one did that.
You didn't know about subtitles and everything like just.
Whatever. No.
And, And no one, you know, you couldn't afford to bring in a
camera that cost, you know, no one was doing it.
I feel like I'm in a dinosaur saying this, but this is like 10
years ago. Yeah, just 10 years ago.
Exactly. I know.
And so now, obviously, if I was to do it again, I'd film it on
stage. But we were like, and I'm a huge
fan of films and I'm a huge fan of like 1 take.

(25:51):
Shots. So I was like, I've got an idea
because it's I'm talking about French House party.
Like why don't we film that whole bit?
Like I'm doing it as if I'm talking to the camera stand up
wise. But let's film it in one take.
So we did it. We walked through a bar and I
was explaining a thing and then there's a table there where I
would go. I'd do the exact same thing as I
did in my in. My show the front row, yeah.
But yeah, but it was filmed in like a one take thing, whatever,

(26:12):
and it blew up. It got like 1,000,000 views in a
week, 1,000,000 views on YouTubeat the.
Time. That was crazy, yeah.
Actually now I think. Is yeah, you better tick tock,
but this? Is like you're going viral
moment. This is you becoming famous
moment. Yeah, correct.
Yeah, in France. Yeah, exactly.
Well, even like it made it, because what happened was six
weeks before that the terrorist attacks happened in Paris, where

(26:33):
they went in and shot a bunch ofpeople at the theatre.
The Abdul thing. No, that was the, this is the
Bataclan one where they, like, they tried to blow up the
standard of hearts. They it was horrific.
So France was like in a really down mood.
And then six weeks later, this video comes out where I'm making
fun of the French. Yeah.
Yeah. And like, it got onto BBC News.
It got onto like CNBC, like thisEnglish person making fun of the
French. Wow.
Yeah. So it kind of popped.

(26:54):
And then that's when the French TV company got involved and
like, can you, do you have any more of these videos?
Yeah. Yeah.
I'm like, no, but oh, I can like, let's take it yeah.
And so that turned into a seriescalled what the fuck, France,
which was basically the same concept of me talking to camera
being like, hey, this is one. This is something I don't
understand about France. Here's the three reasons why.

(27:15):
And so we but. You're also doing it in French
and English. It was mostly in English but
French subtitles. But if I was speaking to a
French person in the video, I was speaking to them in French,
which is really. Cool, because that means that
you can appeal to the French. Exactly.
That's amazing. And then you So from there you
now have your own TV show prettymuch even if.
It's like a sketch show. Yeah.
It's like a yeah. So I did that for like a year

(27:37):
and a half, all the while I'm doing my shows at the weekend.
Yeah. So it was it it just a
coincidental timing of it both like it wasn't enough
manufactured Like now, now you would manufacture.
Yeah. Now the strategy is like we.
Put a video up now. So that's the viral you put the.
Clips online and then you do your show and then, you know,
everyone's kind of doing that because that's, you know,

(27:58):
accidentally. That's what I found and it and
it and it worked really well. So yeah, that that year was
pretty crazy. And that was the year that I
came over here in 2017, yeah. So you're now like, what level
are you at in terms of like drawinside France, like when you're
touring? Well, so the interesting thing

(28:18):
and it's like kind of my dilemmain life right now is like, it
feels like it feels like I was riding away for a bit and it
feels like the waves disappearedand it feels like no one gives a
shit, right? Yeah, I'm selling more and more
tickets and bigger and bigger rooms, right?
You know, like in, as I said earlier on, like I finished my

(28:39):
last show at the arena in Paris,which is like 5000 people.
And then when? I go was that like easy to sell?
It wasn't easy, but it it, it wasn't like sold out in 2
minutes or anything, but it was.But it was like it felt like,
you know how it is like sometimes when you really push,
push, push this one, it felt like a like like you were happy
with how how you got to the sellout.

(29:01):
Yeah, for sure. And then like around the
country, the usually the I mean like 1000 or 2000 seat theaters.
So the numbers say that like the, you know, more and more
people are coming to the shows, but the, the overall feeling,
because I'm, because I'm not doing the TV stuff anymore and
because it's like, I feel like in France anyway, I don't know
how it works sort of over here. It feels like someone pops.

(29:23):
Yeah. And they're like the hot shit
for like a year and then somebody else pops and then
somebody else pops and you're just trying.
They've forgotten you. Yeah, exactly.
Like the, I guess the general media or the general industry
are like, Oh yeah, that was a thing.
But then. But then somehow through online
community, like you're still bringing more and more people.
Like, you know, the show that I'm doing here has more people

(29:44):
than the previous time I came. And, you know, the same with the
Australia tour that I just finished with more people coming
to all of those shows. But yeah, it's it's, I'm not in
the what's it called the zeitgeist, the.
Yeah, yeah. You're not like, yeah, the the
hot star that everybody tells comedy.
Let's get this guy. Yeah, exactly.
Like it's and then I feel like, yeah, I feel like people pop,
people pop, people pop and then you pop and then you just

(30:04):
maintain like the the. Goal is to.
Maintain whatever you've got. You know, like, that's the
hardest part, right? Yeah.
To maintain it, yeah. Yeah, well I mean a couple of
things here. 1 is that I was watching re watching Jim
Jeffries special recently alcohol across and he talked
about how he's like depressed orwhatever, but he talked about
how the concept of dreams he goes like I have made it further

(30:25):
than any point that someone frommy looks or intellect should go
yeah and his punchline is like, you know what I'm going to do
tonight cry myself to sleep. And he talks about like his
journeys like oh, when I startedI was like, oh, I deserve this
No, I deserve this. Yeah, no, I'm not on TV and I'm
fucking depressed and I want. To kill myself.
Yeah. And it's kind of like similar,
not necessarily obviously an extreme, but like it's like a,

(30:48):
isn't it like a symptom of like someone getting bigger in the
industry? Probably I think so.
You know the thing that. Like we're never happy with
where we. Are and the question I get like
a lot is like, oh, you know, what's next?
I'm like, yeah, there is no thisis next.
Like this is like, yeah, if I get to do that in theory, like
what I should be doing, what I should be saying is like I'm
doing this tour. This is amazing.
Yeah. The next is keep to be able to

(31:09):
keep doing this. Yeah.
But you're always there's alwayssomebody who's further.
Yeah, whatever that means higher.
Up, whatever that means. Am I going to go for the Yeah,
yeah. You know, so you're like.
So I think that, but what you'resaying is right is like, you
know, that my initial dream or my initial thing was like, can I
earn money doing stand up, you know, in Paris?
In front of 50 people. But then that happened and then
so I'm just making up new shit. But that's but that's what

(31:30):
everything, man. Like, for example, if you look
back at 10 years ago, as you said, 50 people would have blown
your mind already, like they came to watch me want right now,
30 people be like that should beday one sales minimum.
Yeah, right. And then at the same time, the
audience them said, look at you like, is that the goal you're
aiming for? That's way too low for you?
But no, but that was pretty goodalready.
Like, no, but you shouldn't be that.
I shouldn't. OK, well.
Because from an audience perspective, like everyone in

(31:52):
the entertainment industry, it'slike, if you're not famous, like
the first person, people not in the industry will be like, oh,
are you like, well known? Yeah, I'm like, what does that
even mean though? Yeah, I don't like I.
Mean if if 1500 people are coming to my show, I guess that
means well known, but you you'renot going to see a newspaper
article about me. Yeah.
I mean, back in the day, you would.
But now it's just like I'm, you know, we're having lunch because

(32:12):
this is the other thing is like,OK, you go, all right, well,
what's the next step? Bigger theaters.
What's the next step? TV show, What's the next step?
I'm in a film, whatever. But then I'm very conscious of
the fact that if I get, you know, if, if you see like a
Ricky Gervais, for example, you go cool.
But if I if I become that we couldn't have had lunch today in
a place that we had lunch. You just can't do that anymore.
Get mopped and then yeah, yeah. It's just like we couldn't even

(32:35):
do this because the manager was.Like hey why are you doing it
for free you dumbass. Or like the manager and is
talking then to the agent who's talking to the thing.
And then like, even though we know each other exactly, then
it's like, oh, you know, you know, because someone's taken
over my social media so you can't get in touch with me
anymore because it's my fucking community managers.
Like who's this Muhammad guy? Yeah.
Do you know what I mean? Like it's.
It would be yeah, yeah, I lose control and I don't want that

(32:57):
either. Do you know what I mean?
I. Don't want that exactly.
I mean, I put it. Yeah, you don't want to like
your friends. Like, like you might have not
even known that I'm here until like, I reached out.
Exactly. I forgot it, which is fine, but
like we didn't even communicate as you said because you're like
like and you would have missed out on catching up with an old.
Friend. Exactly.
Because of all these players, I was watching the Avicii

(33:18):
documentary on Netflix. I don't know if you watch that
one. Is that more?
Is that recent? It's very recent, like last
year. Or earlier, because it was a
documentary. I feel like 10 years just after
he died, there was a thing that came out this.
Is a new one and it's honestly, it's celebrating his life more
and it's a lot of recordings that he has done with his real
voice. But one of the things, pretty
much the biggest thing that stood out for me was basically
what we're saying, He said he thought he made it once he start

(33:42):
stopped worrying about how much the cap is to the next gig.
Yeah, yeah. And he said right after that
moment, it was all the same. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Which is, I mean, crazy, but that's the thing with everyone,
like even Bill Gates said what? The burger tastes the same, you
know? And then after a while you're
like, it's the same burger, dude.
Yeah, I could have $1,000,000 inmy bank account.
It's still the same damn burger.And I, I agree with you on that.
Because like, that's the problemof someone that's in it versus

(34:04):
people around. Like, why wouldn't you want to
do this big theaters? I'm like, yeah, that'll be
awesome. But there's a price to pay,
which is if I'm doing those theaters, I have to be at the
level of that. And then I've got people mobbing
me. For example, like let's say
Kevin Hart, he's huge, right? He can sell out easily like
that. However, he also, like you said,
conscious, you know, walk down the street.
But all right, you know, I'm just going to go walk like, no,
no, no, they're they're taking photos of you.
What's he wearing? What's he doing?

(34:25):
And then at the same time you make a tweet, you get in trouble
immediately because the world's watching you and every word
matters where it's like, let's say if you said something, the
chances are then getting offended so much that you're on
the news is not as high as no. One cares because the news are
going to be like this half famous comedian.
Trying to hard. Country on the other side of the
world and said something that noone gives a shit like it's and
and that's it's kind of it's kind of a sweet spot to be in.

(34:47):
You know, it's because, because I see obviously my wife who
works with me as well, But then she, you know, she's already,
you know, she already feels awkward when we both go out of
the house together and we go to like to the, to the supermarket,
whatever, because she's like, ifsomebody spots you, like, I
don't want people to think, Oh, Paul Taylor's with this fat,
ugly bitch, you know, because she thinks bad of herself like
that. I'm like, no one's thinking
that. Don't worry about it.
But so it's already affected her.

(35:09):
And then, like my daughter who'sat school, like, I don't want it
to have, you know, she's alreadygonna get made fun of in France
because she's half English. First of all, it's like, oh,
yeah, you're English, blah, blah, blah, France, England,
whatever. But then also it's like, oh,
your dad's not funny. So I don't want her, you know,
it's just like this weird. So you're conscious of all of
this as well as you are like thinking of your career, Like
would you, would you not take anopportunity, like a big

(35:30):
opportunity? Easy for us to say assume here
all hypothetical, but would you actually like, let's say you're
yeah, offered a movie that wouldput you on a like, you know, a
household name in France. Would you be conscious of all of
this when you are making this decision?
Probably not. Yeah, that's the thing.
Like The thing is, is like as much as I'm like, yeah, I don't
want that life. Like if it comes like I feel

(35:50):
like if it if it happened, no one's knocking on my door right
now, but if they were then you just go fuck it.
You like you only live once, Like what?
You know what I mean? Like.
You always wonder, like, what if, you know, if I did, you
never know and your whole life, right?
Yeah. I think that's again one of
those things that you have to think, OK, I believe I read a
book somewhere where this guy that used to be on The Beatles

(36:11):
peed or something, right. He was on the in The Beatles.
You got kicked. That original drummer?
Yeah, the. Original drummer, yeah, right.
And his whole story is that he got depressed and unhappy and.
Oh yeah, it's the subtle I'm notgiving a fuck that book Yeah.
So basically talks about him getting kicked out.
And initially he was really upset, but eventually he
actually, I know that all the problems that The Beatles had,
he's like, you know what, I'm glad I'm not in that man.
I actually enjoy my family and I'm.

(36:31):
Very happy there, you know, and.I think that's one of those
things where honestly it's, it's, I find the more I do, the
more you're like, yeah, you knowwhat?
It's at both ends. When you work with, let's say
rich families, rich people, they've got their own problems
because like now everywhere theygo, they have to make sure
they're wearing Gucci's and stuff.
And here I just put on the whatever I want to wear.
Exactly. And I think that's the issue is
that kind of like, but you're kind of like, but what if I
never do it? I'll always wonder what it's

(36:52):
like. Yeah.
You know, So it's that leap of faith.
The same with the comedy, man. Like if you didn't take that
open mic spot, you could have been very different.
Yeah. You know, and I think as, as
comedians ourselves, a lot of our job requires us to take
those leaps of faith. Even with the joke.
We're like, well, I'm just gonnasay it and see what happens.
Yeah, Yeah, yeah. Send our nature to like, be
like, yeah. If it comes, I'm gonna give it a
shot. Yeah, well, and that's the
thing. Like, you know, we.

(37:13):
I've always, we've always joked to my wife, you know, we're
like, Oh yeah, we'd love, we'd loved a house in Corsica, which
is like an island off of France where she spent her all her
summers as a kid because her grandfather was Corsican.
But, you know, it's like it's one of those things where the
place costs like 3 million or whatever.
She's like, oh, all you need to do is like a film, you know, if
you do a film and you're like a,a main character in a film or
whatever, then, oh, we could do it.

(37:33):
I'm like, yeah, yeah. But you know, but then we, we
half joke about it. Like, I've been in a couple of
films in France, but they're like, you know, stupid small
roles or whatever. But yeah, it's a really
fascinating dilemma, but it's it's so interesting also.
Like before a listener or someone watching this or
listening to this, looking at your life from the outside.

(37:54):
Like I actually just pulled up your post that you posted a few
days ago. About 10 years ago, you quit
your dream job from Apple to become a comedian and you are
now selling out shows in Australia, New Zealand.
In 2015, you would have never thought you would be performing
to thousands of people outside the world.
And this is 3 days ago. Yeah, I'm cut to you now, going
like, I don't know, man, You know what I mean.

(38:16):
Like because I'm. Watching this like reading this
would be like this is amazing. You guys like saving the dream?
He's like the most successful and.
Then. You know, like, I don't know.
Well, yeah. Well, that's yeah, that.
I mean, that's always like the, the, the customer facing stuff,
yes. And like what's going on
internally, 'cause people, I mean, most people don't give a
shit. Like, yeah, you know, you like
what's going on behind the scenes.

(38:37):
And so, yeah, like some of the stuff is interesting.
The behind the scenes we go, youknow, I'm not obviously no one
has, you know, the the perfect day.
But yeah. And that's like when I was in,
in finishing off the Australian tour and even coming here now,
I'm just like, like trying to remember that as much as I hate
like some of the background shitthat goes on that like drives me
crazy that ultimately I'm very lucky to be able to be in this

(39:01):
apartment right now in the middle of Hong Kong on a Tuesday
afternoon before I do a show this evening.
Like I'm getting paid to do this, like to be here.
So like, well, you're not going to pay to do this one, but.
I don't like. I might not.
Yeah, yeah. Oh, you told me.
What now you're finding? Out.
That's why you paid for lunch. OK, now I get it.
Yes. So yeah, like, it's it, you

(39:23):
know, it's I'm in a very privileged position as well.
But then you just have the demons in your head going, well,
could it be better? Am I doing the right thing?
That's what I was asking you because like.
You because you're in a bigger like, I guess like whatever, a
few steps ahead of me. I'll speak for myself.
Don't you think it's just like asymptom of the industry anyway,

(39:44):
because it seems I'm thinking exactly the same looking at you.
I'm like, I wish I could be. And you're like, I'm like look
at you and you're like, well, I can be.
I wish I could, you know, I'm sure.
Even Ricky Gervais. Has the same thoughts about like
where where the fuck where do you?
Go looking at like I want to be in Hong Kong.
What the hell man? He's thinking like oh shit, I
wish. So I can just have lunch and
hunt. Yeah, Yeah.
Well, there you go. So I think.

(40:04):
So I think, well, maybe that's it.
Maybe that's you. You aim, you aim, you aim, you
get bigger and bigger or whatever.
Yeah, whatever that whatever getting bigger means.
Do you know what I mean? Like in theory, it's just like
what the, you know, if you're well known, whatever that means,
Yeah. And then when you're at that
stage you go fuck, I really wishI could just want to have lunch
with my friend. At the place.
That we used to like 15 years ago, but I'm gonna get mobbed if
I do that. So So you have to have the kind

(40:25):
of money where you could book. Up the whole place.
Well, I just listened. To a podcast with Ed Sheeran,
who had to build well, he had tohe chose to build in his back
garden in England like a pub, like a proper like really 60
seat a pub because he was sayingthat like, you know, for a while
when I would come back to this little town where he grew up,

(40:45):
he'd go out with his friends at the local pub.
But then, you know, the media got a.
Hold of it. And so he would get mobbed and
his friends were like, dude, allI want is to have a beer with
you. Like, I don't want to, I don't
want to be here like when peopleare taking photos, like.
And so he built a pub in his back garden to invite like his
friends and close family and whatever.
So they could still have the thing but not have the paparazzi

(41:06):
or people be like, how can I take a yeah, so but I think
that's, you know, he's touring the world doing the stadium
show. That's crazy.
He he's not like he's he is justshow.
I don't even know what they whatI I can't even imagine.
Well, I can't imagine because I like I've watched the pink
documentary where she was travelling with her kids.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, and. You know, like.

(41:27):
They finish the show and then they go back to the hotel and
she's looking after the kids. She's mum again.
Yeah, Yeah. As soon as the show's finished.
It's bizarre. It's yeah, it's it's bizarre,
but it's, it just, it's really normal.
It's like, you know, when I I mean, I've been away from home
for like, 2 1/2 weeks. So I get home on Saturday and
Sunday's Mother's Day in France.So on the Saturday, Dad now.
Yeah. So on Saturday, jet lag, I have
to figure out how to get my wifeout of the house because I've

(41:48):
bought her some presents from here.
Like a card that I'm going to have to get my daughter to make
the card to be like, right, drawthe card for mummy.
It's Mother's Day, blah, blah, blah.
We've also got like a, a friend's.
I would you call it birthday, like a one of my daughter's
friend's birthdays on the Sunday.
It's just like, it's an intense weekend.
Just like. All right, I'm back to being
Dad. Yeah.
I'm back to, to, to, to, to, to the duties.

(42:09):
Yeah, I think that's also like. Because I don't know who who
said it, like something like comedian or whatever.
You were also talking about, like how, oh, it was Jim
Gaffigan because that's five kids.
Yeah. And he talked in many interviews
about how much his kids think his kids think he's lame, which
is really. Yeah, every very grounding.
And to them, he's just like thisolder guy or whatever he makes,

(42:31):
like, whatever Jokes. Yeah.
And it's actually cool looking at you as, like, a young dad or
looking at him talking about it.It's like, it's really like it
counters or like, if it gets in your head a little bit and you
go back and your daughter's like, well, you gotta sit on the
floor and draw with me now. Yeah.
Yeah, exactly. Hey.
But. This like.
Paparazzi. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, and. Yeah, that's exactly.
That's like, I feel like it's more of a more of a thing that

(42:53):
we need as comedians as well is to is to still live life.
And yeah, because that's what wetalk about right Where?
And the thing in France, what's kind of weird is like the famous
comedians over there, they're like proper stars and they
behave like stars as well. They dress too nice to be on
stage. You know, they, they, I don't, I
can't relate to they're getting.Their like they're getting
their. Like Mercedes vans to pick them
up with their fucking. You know, like with a bodyguard.

(43:17):
Yeah, it. Feels like they're a movie star
and they'll cause a lot of them do movies as well.
But you're just like, dude, like, what are you?
Like how how do you relate to the person who's from the random
town in France and, and, and make fun of yourself when you're
dressed like that? Yeah, you'll be too good for
them. Yeah.
Exactly so. It's funny you mentioned Jim
Gaffigan because yeah, like it'slike he even like Louis CK

(43:38):
'cause he had two daughters, youknow?
And it was like, yeah, at some point it's like it's real life
'cause you just have to go to school.
Yes, and drop your kids off and you still have to interact with
the teachers or the other parents.
You still have to go to like thethe end of year dance, the
thing. Yeah.
And then so you're interacting with other parents and it's
awkward. You know, it's just like, yeah,
you, you have to you, you agree over there.

(43:59):
Yeah, exactly. And that.
And I think that also I I understand if you're a musician
or if you're an actor like you, you, you don't want to do that
nor do you need to like, becauseno one knows who you are.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, because no one knows who
you deeply. But as comedians, we share our
lives. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And so if we're talking. About oh the.
Other day I was, you know, doingthis and that and the other if
your other day doing this, that and the other is cool.

(44:20):
Yeah, it yes. School.
It's relatable. But if it's like I was at this
award ceremony, blah, blah, blah, it's like, all right, all
right, mate. Calm it down here.
Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Yeah, You kind of lose that. Yeah.
As you said, you can't relate tothem because the person buying
the ticket is like an average person, right?
So if you lose that touch of howcan I relate to the audience,
then it's kind of over. And we know a lot of examples of

(44:42):
that. Like, you know, famous comedians
who now talk about stuff that, like, you as a regular viewer,
you're like, what the fuck is heon about?
Yeah. Like, he's like, are you talking
about, like, rich people problem, famous people problems?
Like it's not. It's not relatable.
Anymore and that's not how you started.
When you look at Seinfeld, as much as I like him back then
30-40 years ago, and it's like, have you ever noticed this and
that? And in his last couple of

(45:03):
specials, it did feel a little out of touch.
It did feel like he's talking about you've seen whatever the
homeless people or whatever he'sdoing for you and you feel like.
OK, you're not. You're not living the same
thing. So we are living anymore.
Yeah, But you mentioned Ed Sheeran earlier.
I might have mentioned this on the podcast before.
I have a buddy back in Shanghai.Ed Sheeran came a few years ago

(45:23):
to play the Mercedes-Benz Arena,the biggest arena in pretty much
all of China. And my buddy Chris, who actually
does stand up as well, he went to school with with Ed Sheeran.
No way. Pretty well no.
Way, yeah, but Chris is. Also kind of like he is very
like I would say airhead. He's just like not interested in
a lot like as he lives in a verysmall bubble and he knows Ed

(45:44):
Sheeran very well and he doesn'tknow how big his career is at
all, really, right? Because to him it's just Ed, the
guy who is like now does music. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For Chris, Ed just does music right.
It's good though to. Have those people.
Around you like at Ed level to be like my closest friends are
the ones that made me, you know the like that I was at
university with this like they're still my best friends
when I go back to the UK and we like we barely talk about what I

(46:07):
do like we just we shoot the shit as if we're just you know,
as if nothing sort of changed because because we still can
like we can still go to the and we can still do that kind of
stuff and hopefully that'll never change.
Sharon got in touch with. Chris when he came to Shanghai,
right? And Chris having no fucking idea
how big he is, he goes, hey, man, I'm doing a gig.
And he goes like, is it in the pub?
Like, do you want me to bring myfriends?

(46:27):
Like you want me to like spread the word around?
And Ed is like, I'll be fine. And he goes, OK, should I buy a
ticket to support you? He's like, I'll put you in the
guest list. And he said.
It's a Mercedes-Benz arena. But Mercedes-Benz actually has
smaller venues, OK? And Chris went fully convinced
it is one of those, like you say, Mercy is Benz Caracone.
You like grow up in London? Yeah, outside of London.
He say grow up in London. Yeah.

(46:49):
So he was like, it's Mercy Benz.It's probably like one of the
shitty bars outside, right? Goes there, realized he had sold
out the arena. Yeah.
And he still had no idea. He's a friend.
That's crazy. He also asked him if he wants.
A couch to sleep on. Amazing.
But then yeah. Just like to him, it's just his
friend. Yeah.
He's just like, oh, Edison Tower, like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

(47:09):
It's super. Cool.
Man. Well.
I mean I put. It this way, the one last thing
I shared with you, I remember that idea.
You said you need $3,000,000 together.
What's the place in Coco, Cuso, whatever.
Corsica. Corsica.
Yeah, that's what it's attitude.All right, so.
Here's the idea. Yeah, okay, so you need
$3,000,000, but you don't want the fame that comes with it.

(47:29):
Yeah, my recommendation is this.You have a lot of inside
information for Apple that you worked over there.
Yes, that's the thing I don't but.
You write a. Show with a lot of those
sprinkled into it. Yeah.
Have only one short clip that you put online, Apple.
Like threaten Apple. But oh, by the way, I'm gonna do
this tour. We're in books on all these
places now and they pay me off you.

(47:50):
Yeah. Exactly, yes.
And NDA, no one ever needs to know about this.
Take that video off that you have the $1,000,000.
You're famous. Nobody knows that you are
famous. And then I got the money.
You're in. You're doing that.
Your wife's happy, you're walking in the supermarket.
They're like, aren't you the guythat does the bit about the

(48:11):
kissing on the face? You're like, yes, they don't
know about the alphabet. Yeah, yeah.
It's a win, win thing. You're still doing shows where
let's say 5000 maximum of 50 people.
You continue that life. Your daughter thinks you're
still lame. Life is good.
And you go back home and I'm like, hey, how's the couscous?
They live in couscous. Couscous right over there.
Man, that sounds like a good plan.

(48:33):
I wanna ask you that the most like.
Probably like annoying and frustrating question to end
with. What's next for you, Paul?
The show tonight is. Next.
OK. Yeah, by the time this comes
out, this is. In like 2 weeks, Yeah.
So we have killed it. You got multiple standing
ovations. Amazing.
You did a. Crowd surf thing.
Which is crowd surf. Yeah, yeah.

(48:53):
Had some hookers backstage. Champagne was flowing.
Yeah, it was. It was not alcoholic.
For both of us, yeah, yes. Well, yeah, this tour like goes
until like the end of next year or not the end of next year,
sorry, the middle of next year. So like in OK, so we're
recording in May. So you're on the road,
basically, Yeah, kind of like I've, I'm, I'm.

(49:14):
Once I'm finished this, I'm backhome for three weeks and then
it's the US and Canada for like 5 weeks.
I come back from that for like the month of August and then
September is like all of Europe,not France.
And then January, February, March is the like France, the
French like. And this is all It's 100% in
English, yeah. Still 100% in English.

(49:35):
And then I don't know. I'll either I, I don't know.
It's either I carry on or I do like a second tour with the same
show maybe potentially, or if they're like, oh, it's probably
better if you have a new show, then maybe I'll start doing a
French show. I don't know.
The the the the next, the immediate next is stage.
Like this is it's what I do and it's it's I enjoy stand up.

(49:55):
Like, yeah, yeah. Yeah, right.
Shows to work, yeah. And then if something.
Comes of that, you know, like ATV project there's The thing is
like what also what's next is really difficult to establish.
Like a couple of months ago I got involved.
I was in an episode of Top Gear,but the French Top Gear.
Oh fine. So that was cool like I know you
know I couldn't I could never planned for that yes yes.
Do you know what I mean? So then that what did you do on

(50:16):
top key like I? Was I was like.
So the French, they they've justhired 3 new presenters.
It's kind of like what the UK went through where the pre
presenters there was a bit of controversy.
Yes, they hired 3 new guys and one of the episodes is basically
the UK like the the King Charleshas like sent over a person to

(50:38):
quality control these three to make sure that they're so I put
them through a bunch of challenges to make sure they're
apartment to host the the the French, the French Top Gear.
That's cool. Obviously you're in such a
unique position. As an English guy, like living
in French speaking and and beingan entertainer, that's super
cool. So and that's.
Kind of the thing where, you know, like 6 months ago you

(51:00):
could have never, no one could. I could have never gone.
Oh, my next thing I want to do aTop Gear is like somebody called
me, you know, a contact from a contact.
He was like, we're filming Top Gear next week and we really
want you to be in this episode because we've got an English
thing. I'm like, are you kidding me?
Like it's the show that I grew up with.
Absolutely. So it's, I think like to answer
the question, like the what's next is whatever happens.
Yes, yes, you know, like I'll, I'll keep doing my thing, which

(51:21):
is stand up and doing the onlinestuff and whatever comes to that
comes to that. If if I, if I'm doing this in 20
years, like ultimately I'm happy.
And then if other stuff comes ofit, whether it's film, TV
hosting, whatever it is like it's just added bonus basically
amazing. Thank you so much for.
Doing this thank you guys for having me this is amazing.

(51:44):
A couple of things. One is how do people find you
online? And two, we're about to record
the Patreon, but we'll do that How do people find you online?
First, online you have to. Type in Paul Taylor and then
comedy because there's so many Paul Taylors that there's like a
jazz musician. There's a dance company called
Paul Taylor. So it's Paul Taylor comedy.
Are you the most famous one? I think it depends on the

(52:05):
region. Like if you type in Paul Taylor
in in Europe, Yeah, I think I'm probably the first one that
comes up right over here. It's probably the dance company
cuz I think yeah, just like Sir.Google Paul Taylor.
Google, but just Paul Taylor. You might have already googled.
Me. Oh yeah.
True. Yeah, yeah, yes.
In history, yes. Wait, can you?
Do can. You do?
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Yeah. OK, let's do it.

(52:25):
Let's tell people, so where else?
All of the social media. Stuff TikTok, Instagram comedy,
Paul Taylor comedy, Paul Taylor comedy on all of the things.
OK, so we're Googling. Paul Taylor on and you are in
Chinese as well. Rebecca, can you read this?
Bolo Thai huh? You are that.
What is it? Bolo Thai.

(52:46):
Oh, Bolo Thai Khan, I think. Yeah, Bolo Thai Khan.
That's amazing. Oh wow, There you.
Go I like this. Paul Taylor, Italia.
That's the clothing brand, Taylor.
OK, so yeah, I'm. Still number.
One that's good. OK, good.
Nice. Sorry, not bad.
That's amazing, yeah. OK, so on the Patreon.
Did I tell you do Patreon? It's like 15 minutes.
Great. I love it.
I'm on Patreon. As well.

(53:07):
Oh, you can find me on Patreon. Oh, there you go.
What is? What do you do on Patreon?
Well, so I was I. Used to do like a live every
Monday so I'd sit in front of I would have a beer.
I remember that. Yes, yes.
And then I. Would do like an extra hour for
the Patreon crew. Now I've stopped doing the live
stuff. I do just like like a little
exclusive behind seen videos where I'm like, hey, I'm like
I'm on tour, whatever, like and and I chat to them and how do

(53:28):
people find we'll put all of. This in the show at patreon.com.
Slash Paul Taylor. Great.
OK, so on the Patreon. I want to, like, pick on
something that we talked about over lunch.
That Dave Chappelle thing made me crack up.
So. So you have had you have had to
open for him a few times in Paris.
Yeah. And you can't.
Sounds like I was forced like you've.
Had you've had to open for it yesterday?

(53:50):
I mean you. So Chapelle would like you to
open a map. Done on Tuesday.
No, there's a club with 50. People that need me
Mercedes-Benz are reading my ass.
But they're funny. They like.
You're telling me over lunch a few times you try to do this

(54:11):
thing when you, like, want to hang out with him, and somehow
every time it just went wrong. Yeah, and it was.
But there's also some information that we should
probably not do it anyway. So I think it's safer on the
Patreon. Yes, that's what I'm are we is
that oh. We so we're we're is that is
that is that, is that how you'repromoting A patron?
Correct. Here's my Dave Chappelle story.
Yes, yes, yes, exactly you. Guys know what's up man, I like

(54:32):
it. Of course.
So we're gonna, Yeah, we're. Gonna go on the patron for your
Dave Chappelle story, which is very, very entertaining.
So join us in the patronpatron.com/opod.
Paul, thank you so much for joining us.
I appreciate it. We'd love to have you here.
Next time. Because my friend.
Yesterday told me there's two ways in Cantonese to say thank
you. One is it being given to you.
One is like, yeah, I'm goy and daughter.
What's the What's the first one?I'm goy.

(54:54):
I'm going. Is that good?
Is that what I would say now to say thank you?
No, if you were. Speaking, you wouldn't say thank
you at all. Oh, fuck you.
Yeah, exactly. There you go, it's.
Much better, yeah. They did nothing for you that
you have to thank. Them, man Okay, alright.
Well, you did. You invited me onto the podcast.
No, you could tell me. You wouldn't tell the camera.
Then oh them because them OK. Yeah, you see, like the
transaction I'm going. Yeah, you can.

(55:15):
See that? Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, but. Then again, with the with the
poor action, I don't feel, I don't feel the sincerity over
there. Thank you for watching.
No, that's all good. I think you would.
Go in like torte as in like, youknow, thank.
Thank you so much Like I didn't I didn't really owe you
anything. I didn't give you something
where I shouldn't have accent. Yeah, whatever.
OK, so look at your your. Middle camera here and go.
Yeah, what am I saying, Torte? Torte all.

(55:35):
Right.