Joe Rowntree

Have you been to Doha before? What are you looking forward to most about it?
Landing – because I hate flying. I‘ve never been to Doha before or to the Middle East for that matter. I can’t wait to experience some nice weather, learn about the culture and eat some nice food. Hopefully I’ll make a few people laugh as well.

You’ve been a TV presenter, working on Brainiac – what’s the best thing you got to blow up?
It’s got to be the caravans, it’s always a pure, invigorating joy to see them burnt to a black smoking cinder. We did a UK tour of Brainiac Live where we got to blow up a caravan and a microwave every night inside a theatre.

Ever thought of blowing something up in your own stage act?
I once spent an entire set inflating a LiLo, but I got booed off stage! It’d be great to have an explosive device linked to every seat in a comedy club to make a heckler disappear in the flick of a switch.

What’s the funniest joke of all time?
According to a recent scientific experiment they found the world’s funniest joke. The project was reported across the globe, resulting in over 40,000 submitted jokes and 1.5 million ratings. This was the joke that received higher ratings than any other gag: Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, ‘My friend is dead! What can I do?’ The operator says, ‘Calm down. First, let’s make sure he’s actually dead.’ There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, ‘OK, now what?’

What funny things have you noticed about Doha?
It sounds like something Homer Simpson would say. Your biog also says you’re famous for your ‘surreal observations’. Tell us one. I once saw an Albino lollypop lady with bright red lipstick and I had a crush on her for ages, she was hot!

Who’s your favourite comedian?
So many to mention, but it’s got to come down to Jack Dee being my stand-up hero and Paul Whitehouse my favorite character comic. Have you always been funny or was this a recent development? Always, I came out my mother’s womb with an afro of red curly hair.