The Louis Theroux Podcast
S6 EP8: Jimmy Carr discusses the secret to his comedy, being a late bloomer, and controversial stand-up gigs
16 Dec 2025
For this Christmas bonus episode, Louis sits down with writer, comedian, and panel-show super-host, Jimmy Carr. Jimmy discusses what lies behind his unique brand of ‘edgy' comedy, why he remained a virgin until the age of 26 and performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival despite public criticism. Jimmy’s film, ‘Fackham Hall’, is out in cinemas now. Warnings: Strong language and adult themes. Links/Attachments: Book: Before & Laughter, Jimmy Carr (2021) https://www.jimmycarr.com/product/book-laughter/ Fackham Hall (2025) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29008225/ Jimmy Carr Tour https://www.jimmycarr.com/tour/uk-ireland/ Alex Hormozi quote: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIzTPjPTZB0/ Book: Homo Ludens by Johan Huizinga https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/203913/homo-ludens-by-johan-huizinga/ Peter McGraw’s Benign Violations https://petermcgraw.org/a-brief-introduction-to-the-benign-violation-theory-of-humor/ Book: Discipline and Punish, Michel Foucault (1975) https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/13651/discipline-and-punish-by-michel-foucault-trans-alan-sheridan/9780241386019 Bob Monkhouse joke about cancer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTUvRW7gtGU Jimmy Carr: His Dark Material (2021) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16259786/ Nadine Dorries’ comment about Jimmy Carr joke: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nadine-dorries-jimmy-carr-netflix-jewish-roma-b2008317.html Jimmy Carr’s joke about injured soldiers: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6486964/Jimmy-Carr-feels-terrible-about-injured-soldiers-joke.html#:~:text=Jimmy%20Carr%20'feels%20terrible'%20about%20injured%20soldiers%20joke Saint Lawrence, the patron Saint of comedy: https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/08/10/st-lawrence-patron-saint-of-comedians TV Show: ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011-2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/ Dave Chappelle quote: https://btr.michaelkwan.com/2017/03/26/sunday-snippet-dave-chappelle/#:~:text=Posted%20by%20Michael%20Kwan%20%7C%20Mar,Maybe%20it%20was%20something%20else. TV Show: ‘The Black and White Minstrel Show’ (1958-1978) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0198065/ TV Show: ‘The Young Ones’ (1982-1984) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083505/ Titania McGrath quote: https://x.com/TitaniaMcGrath/status/1453065592651517964 Musical: We Will Rock You, Ben Elton (2002) https://wewillrockyoulondon.co.uk/ John Betjeman’s Slough poem: https://allpoetry.com/poem/8493391-Slough-by-Sir-John-Betjeman TV Show: ‘The Office’ (2001-2003) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290978/ Naval Ravikant https://nav.al/rich TV Show: 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (2012 – 2025) https://www.channel4.com/programmes/8-out-of-10-cats-does-countdown The Fog of War (2004) https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/the-fog-of-war/umc.cmc.3j815y9s5id2nvfztrlfh75il?action=play Eric Weinstein’s Intellectual Dark Web https://www.whatisemerging.com/videos/inside-the-intellectual-dark-web-eric-weinstein Hillary Clinton’s ‘deplorable’ speech: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-37330420 Jordan Peterson on compelled speech https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37875695 Credits: Producer: Millie Chu Assistant Producer: Emilia Gill Production Manager: Francesca Bassett Music: Miguel D’Oliveira Audio Mixer: Tom Guest Video Mixer: Scott Edwards Shownotes compiled by Elly Young Executive Producer: Arron Fellows A Mindhouse Production for Spotify www.mindhouse.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello there, and welcome back to the Louis Theroux podcast, or if you're watching it on Spotify, the Louis Theroux Slightly Shit TV Show. I just came up with that. Do you like that? That's quite funny. Well, the last series may be over, but guess what? I'm back, surprise, with some festive cheer and a bonus Christmas episode.
I'm joined by none other than writer, comedian, and panel show host with the most, Jimmy Carr. Jimmy has been a mainstay of the UK comedy scene for nearly 20 years. He is one of the busiest jobbing comedians in the world. His last tour sold over 1.2 million tickets globally.
Chapter 2: How does Jimmy Carr define his unique style of comedy?
That's a big number. Making it the biggest ever international stand-up tour. I mean, he's British, but he has a following in America, definitely Australia. So yeah, those numbers might even be true. He's probably best known for his rapid fire, often darkly humorous one-liners. He spits them out like a comedic spitfire. He does amazing crowd work as well.
And in fact, at the moment, there are many compilations of his audience interactions online that you can find in your favorite social media feed. He's got his wits about him. He's got that thing where someone in the crowd can give him some attitude and he gives it right back to them.
Chapter 3: Why did Jimmy Carr remain a virgin until the age of 26?
I have a lot of respect for people who can zing on the fly, ad hoc. improvisationally. You may also be familiar with him as the host of many, many panel shows here in the UK, shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, I think that one's not on the air anymore, the Big Fat Quiz of the Year, and most recently, Amazon's smash hit, Last One Laughing.
That's been smashing it in the ratings, where he's assembled with, he's the host, but there are a rogues gallery of beloved British comedians, and they all try not to laugh. Right. And then the others try and make them laugh. I think you're getting the idea. He's a colossus of the present day comedy scene. And it's great to have him on the show because it's a chance to examine someone.
Examine sounds operational.
Chapter 4: What are Jimmy Carr's thoughts on edgy humor and its reception?
Have a conversation with someone who's at the top of their profession and who will be a name that's known to many of you. And also to talk a little bit about comedy. But we're coming up to that. However, over the years, he has come under fire for various reasons. In 2012, there was his involvement in a wholly legal but nevertheless controversial tax avoidance scheme.
More recently, there were jokes... that some people didn't like. We speak in particular about one he made in 2021 on his Netflix special, His Dark Material. I was keen to talk to Jimmy because he's a big name, a talented comedian. I know him a little bit, but also because I was hoping to speak about comedy.
And it's a common topic in the sort of, is it the culture wars or these conversations about free speech, what we can and can't say, You know, there's a narrative that says, wokeness is killing comedy. And then there's another that says, bullies online are trolling people and it's not funny and they're pretending to be funny and you shouldn't be allowed to do that, right?
There's this binary narrative. And of course, it's all more complicated than that.
Chapter 5: How does Jimmy Carr navigate controversies in his career?
And I don't even know if we answered any of those questions, but we gave it a good fist. That could be a little bit like a rude joke right there. Expect more of that kind of humor. We recorded this conversation in November this year at Spotify HQ. It was a Monday morning and Jimmy turned up in a three-piece suit. I was dressed characteristically, I think, in a blue sweatshirt. Maybe it was gray.
He looked very sharp. You don't see people in, I mean, two-piece suits, let alone three. It was a little, what we call a waistcoat. And in America, I believe they call a vest. He was mid-promotion for his new film, Fackham Hall, which is out now. A spoof on Downton Abbey-style programs in which aristocrats in a stately home cavort and try and get married. I haven't seen it.
I don't know what to say about that.
Chapter 6: What insights does Jimmy Carr share about performing in Saudi Arabia?
I haven't seen it, but the trailer looks funny. There's a bit where... There's a young man and he's attempting to woo the beautiful woman and he opens the door and she's standing there and then his trousers go boing. Have you seen that bit? I make it sound kind of basic and maybe it is, but that made me laugh. What would you call that kind of humour? Ribald? It's sort of Viz style.
It's literally like... I think there's even a sound effect and his trousers tent out at the front. A quick warning, this conversation contains some strong language and adult themes as well as some risque jokes from the off and throughout. We've already started those. All that and much else besides coming up.
MUSIC
One, two, one, two. Ta-da!
Chapter 7: How does Jimmy Carr view the relationship between comedy and free speech?
Hey, man, how are you? Look at you. Come on. You don't dress like that, like, on a Monday. Yeah, of course I do. Why wouldn't you?
Why wouldn't I? Save it for the part. We're not recording it. What's the point? This is called a soft opening.
First time you've seen one of those in a while. That was me doing my Jimmy Carr bit.
Do some dirty jokes as we go along. How are you?
Chapter 8: What advice does Jimmy Carr give to aspiring comedians?
This is nice. Yeah, not too bad. Yeah, like a fancy setup. Yeah. It's great. Off the Strand. I quite like doing things here in this building. Go on. Because it's next to the Shell building. And I used to work for Shell. Yes, you did. Back in the day. And it's that lovely thing of being reminded of that and the commute and the job you used to have. Yeah. It's a nice experience.
And the road not taken. Well, yeah, it's that thing if you go, the luck, I could have gone... Yeah, you talk a lot about this in your book, which I've read.
Oh, did you? You're not here to plug that. Well, it doesn't matter, though. Talk about anything. Do you like plugging yourself? That's another joke. I'm working on that one.
Nice. I mean, it might work. It's not the best butt plug joke. No. Which the best butt plug joke in the world is Dave Attell's. Go on. You know Dave Attell? Like American New York legendary comic.
Yeah, he's sort of schlubby, self-deprecating. Incredible comic. Yeah, incredible. One of the greats.
He's in New York. He's at the Comedy Cellar every night at 1 a.m. He had a great joke about, I found a butt plug on a city bus. How did I know it was a butt plug? Because it fit perfectly. Just such a funny boy. Such a funny boy.
I read the book. I know you've got a movie out.
Yeah.
If we're plugging stuff, I've got a movie out and I'm playing a bunch of arenas. But yeah, it's a very fun thing. It's very much kind of, if this is a simulation, I feel like I've got some sort of cheat code.
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