10:54am Friday 10th November 2006
By Tony Flood
If I revealed that his hobby was astronomy, he found Freud inspirational and his favourite word was flatulence, most people wouldn't have a clue who I was talking about.
But if I added that he sang I Know A Song That'll Get On Your Nerves and that his catchprase was You Foxy Lady', they would immediately come up with the name Joe Pasquale.
We get to learn a bit more about the 45-year-old comedian in his new show The Return Of The Love Monkey which comes to the Epsom Playhouse on Wednesday, November 15.
Joe, one of Britain's top live comedians, revealed: "I will be telling the audience about the time I went camping with the cubs in Clacton when I was seven. I took a toy monkey with me and that is why the show is called The Return Of The Love Monkey.
"The reason why people don't know a lot about my private life is that there is not a lot to tell. I lead a normal existence - I don't go to showbiz parties, I don't smoke, drink or take drugs."
He promised: "All the material I'm doing on this tour is new. And I'm bound to improvise on the night because something is likely to trigger one of the jokes I've got stored away in my head. The most important thing isn't the material but the way I put it over."
Joe's squeeky voice, which has been described as a demented helium balloon', guarantees him plenty of laughs. He revealed: "It's my normal voice, but is accentuated because I get a rush of adrenaline when I'm performing before up to 1,000 people." Asked if he got teased about the squeek' when he was at school, he said: "Not really - everyone speaks like that when they are young kids."
So how does it feel to be compared to a comic legend like the late Tommy Cooper? He said: "It's a fantastic tribute, but I don't expect to be remembered after the current generation goes. If I was one tenth as funny as Tommy I'd be happy because he was a genius. Like Tommy, I love zany humour and I do include a bit of magic in my act.
"Making an audience laugh gives me a buzz like nothing else. It beats my previous jobs of working in Smithfields meat market and on building sites."
The Essex boy's comedy career got the boost it needed two years ago when he was crowned King of the Jungle in I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Joe reflected: "Things really took off after that. Since then I've done a couple of films and a play, 170 episodes of The Price Is Right and An Audience With Joe Pasquale for ITV. I even got on Michael Parkinson after 20 years of trying.
"Before the Jungle I was scared of flying. Then I had to go on a 30-hour flight to Australia, was thrown out of a plane and hung out of a helicopter.
"So I decided to train for a pilot's licence which I gained last year."
The former holiday camp entertainer has no thoughts of retiring. He said: "I do 50,000 miles a year touring and I really enjoy it. I may deviate a bit more and perhaps appear in the USA again, but I'll carry on doing stand-up comedy until I snuff it."
Joe Pasquale - The Return of the Love Monkey, Wednesday, November 15, 8pm. Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, Epsom. £18.50/£15. Call (01372) 742555 or visit epsomplayhouse.co.uk.
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