Only one comedian appeared in the explosive Dispatches documentary last Saturday to speak out against Russell Brand. But many have since shared their views, and one of the most vocal has been London Hughes, who signed with the same agency as the star (who has denied any allegations of predatory, abusive or non-consensual behavior) at the age of 20 . 22. “I was told for no reason that I should not sleep with him under any circumstances because he likes to pursue women and have sex with them,” Hughes said on Twitter. “But as soon as he had sex with them, he felt sick and didn’t want to be around them anymore, so he would fire them or expel them from the agency.”
It’s incendiary stuff, but anyone expecting further references to comedy’s wildest week would have been disappointed last night, as all we got was a throwaway remark about Hughes’ security guard “in case there were any Russell Brand fans there” and introductory remarks. a gambit that eschewed relevance in favor of a stale Trump joke.
Perhaps that was intentional, because this stand-up/talk-with hybrid show ended up being very much about Hughes, her new book, and the new life she’s built in Los Angeles. The Croydon-born comedian is excited and dazzled by the opportunities her new home in the US gives her, as well as her memoir Live My Best Life Khan (which she “destroyed in two months”) – and her desire and love for fame dominated the two-parter show.
That was certainly the case in the stand-up set that made up the first half, a truncated version of her self-indulgent 2019 Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated hour Catch AD*ck, which chronicled her terrible dating history along with the ups and downs of her career. who has gone from Babestation to CBBC presenter to comedian featured in a Netflix special. It’s a lesson in “fake it ’til you make it” and channel your “inner winner,” and it worked – not only is Hughes now hanging out with the likes of Dave Chappelle, but he’s also collaborating with Kevin Hart, which would be impressive. if it weren’t for the fact that this reviewer once attended the filming of a Kevin Hart Netflix special at London’s O2, which was so shoddy and poorly received by the public that the program’s creators were given a standing ovation.
Lesson? Self-belief and bravado will only get you ahead if they’re not backed up by quality, focus and skill, and Hughes needs to keep her cool in La La Land if she wants to achieve world domination.
Still, she deserves it, and the second half of the show, a lively journalistic discussion with Hughes about her book and career, offered deeper, more nuanced reflections on her experiences as a black performer in the UK, as well as some fun US gossip. at the Chris Rock slap at the Oscars (she’s on Team Chris Rock – the joke was written by a friend of hers, and a comedian should never be slapped). She’s obviously got material for plenty of other books and shows, but her stories are far better served on stage: wherever she goes and whatever her bright future holds, this commanding, vibrant and experienced performer oozes charisma from head to toe. . Louboutin heel toe.
No more UK dates