David Baddiel opens up on his unusual family and Fantasy Football League
DAVID rose to fame as part of sketch show The Mary Whitehouse Experience with Rob Newman, before forming a double act with Frank Skinner.
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They co-hosted Fantasy Football League, which began in 1994, and co-wrote the number one hit Three Lions.
This month David, 53, begins another tour of his hit stand-up show, My Family: Not The Sitcom. He lives in north London with his wife, actress and writer Morwenna Banks, and their children, Dolly, 16, and Ezra, 13.
My Family: Not The Musical has been a huge hit. Why has it struck such a chord with the public?
Not everyone has an affair between their mother and a collector of golf memorabilia in their background, as I do, but everyone has weird stuff that most people don’t know about, and they think only their family is odd.
Me telling everyone about my strange family is liberating – I talk about things we’re often ashamed about, like dementia, which my father has, and family secrets.
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Telling everyone about my strange family is liberating – I talk about things we’re often ashamed about
Are you never embarrassed about sharing your mother’s overtly sexual notes to her lover with audiences?
I don’t really have embarrassment. To me, my mother was embarrassing in a brilliant way. I decided early on there was only one way to deal with embarrassment and it’s to be funny.
Are you still mates with Frank Skinner?
He lives in my road! It’s the second time he’s moved near me. After we shared a flat for six years, I left to live with my then-girlfriend at number 1 and Frank bought a house at number 5.
Then I moved to where I am now and he’s bought a house 10 doors down. It’s an expensive form of stalking.
Would you revive Fantasy Football League?
We talked about it before the last World Cup, but decided not to, mostly because you’re pegging a comedy show to how well the England team do and that’s a dangerous thing to do.
What’s your biggest fear?
Still spiders.
Who would you swap places with for 24 hours if you could?
Probably Prince Harry: I really fancy Meghan Markle. I hope this isn’t sexist, but the royal family have been getting a lot more attractive recently.
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What’s been your most embarrassing moment?
I remember doing a terrible gig at The Comedy Store once, and as the heckling grew, a man at the back shouted, “The walls are closing in.”
What’s the public’s biggest misconception about you?
People used to say I was smug, but if I watch myself back, I was ragged and amateurish. I’m full of self-doubt.
