Andrew Dipper

Zoe Lyons: “Public aren’t interested in alternative comedy debate.”

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

Comedian Zoe Lyons does not believe comedy fans are interested in the alternative comedy debate.

Comedy Central’s commission of The Alternative Comedy Experience – curated by Stewart Lee – has once again generated an industry-led conversation about mainstream and alternative comedy.

But in an interview with Giggle Beats, Lyons admits she thinks the discussion is best left to comedy green rooms.

Lyons said: “I think that it’s a conversation we should be having before gigs, but is it any interest to the general public? I doubt it.

“Michael McIntyre fills the O2 because he’s doing broad-stroke, mainstream comedy; you can’t do gags that split the room in a 25,000 capacity venue.

“There’s a massive market for that sort of comedy, so there’s no point telling people they’re stupid for liking it.

She added: “At the end of the day you only have to go to a branch of Tesco to realise you have nothing in common with 90% of the population.”

Lyons appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow in 2010, but she believes the current debate is part of a wider obsession amongst comics to get on TV.

“We’re now in an age where comedians are killing themselves to get on the goggle box, but I’ve found it isn’t always a great idea,” Lyons said.

Episode three of the Alternative Comedy Experience airs on Comedy Central tonight.

Read the full interview with Lyons here.