Hannah Byczkowski: ‘Criminals helped me become a better comedian’ | Section

How did you go from nursing to standup comedy?
I had a mild miscarriage. I was with people when they were dying, and I lost all interest in it. That’s when I realized that I would reach the end of the mission. I always wanted to make something, but I didn’t know how to do it. I tried to write a book, then I stopped – and I realized that this is what I wanted to do.

The exhibition discusses the works of art and the ashes of loved ones…
People are doing amazing things with it. People are burning the ashes and people are eating them, putting them in chilli.

What is one of your favorite sports?
I have supported some of the most famous players on the tour, viz Deirdre O’Kane. But I think my favorite gig was a career show I did in Leek a few years ago. You start at the bottom and when you get to the point where you’re in a full room, it’s a great thing. Leek is close to my home town in Stoke so it felt like I was going home and it was a lovely gig.

You were a winner of Rebels in 2022. What is the most frequently asked question about this?
Fans often ask if Wilf and I are still friends, which we absolutely are. Filming The Traitors was one of the saddest experiences I’ve ever had – in a fun way. You never saw it on the show but in between filming we had a lot of laughs. We all loved each other so much that we cried and laughed. Next thing you know we were sitting around the table talking about murder. If you know the gaming community, it’s very similar to The Traitors.

Did being known by The Traitors ever work against you on stage?
I really didn’t get heckled about it. So if anyone wants it, please do it. I don’t think people know who I am, or they don’t put it together. I don’t think it helped me at all in comedy because writers and other comedians were like, “Oh, you went on TV and you think you can act, huh?” But I started joking and going all the time in front of The Traitors. Everyone was like: “You’ve got to get your stripes.” So it didn’t help me in acting or acting, but I think it helped me become a better actor.

Do you remember the worst gig that is now funny?
The worst drama I ever had was in Skegness. There were about 20 people staring at me the whole time. I was pretty bad, and my timer hadn’t started yet so I didn’t know how long I had been. I did my usual 20 but in 13 minutes. When I left, the MC had not come back to the side of the stage. Terrible.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
That nobody cares. No matter what is in life, no one cares. If you’re at the beach and you don’t like the way you look, or if you’ve said something or done something… nobody cares. Everyone thinks about themselves more than they think about you.

Do you have any show traditions?
I try not to think too much about my set because I can get in my head. I usually just go smoke.

Who is your comedy hero and why?
People like Alan Carr and Daisy May Cooper, because they’re funny. I don’t care about the structure of the joke or anything like that… I just want it to be funny.

What’s a joke that you believe is good, but just doesn’t have an audience?
I tried it recently when I confused the abbreviation for the shop, which is cocky-T, with the bird cockatoo. When I wrote this, I thought: there is no way this will fail. I have never met people who laugh.