Comedy
Interview
Dale Elliott Jr would be scared to be stuck in a lift with his grandmother
Chatting bad advice, bad habits and Arsenal’s chances in the league with the Jamaican comedian ahead of his UK tour
Dale Elliott Jr is looking forward to his first British summer. His main hope? “That it’s sunny, and I can wear shorts and a tank top, and just walk around, because I’ve realised how happy everybody is here when the sun is here,” he says. “Everybody’s outside, everybody’s smiling, everybody’s walking around the city. It feels different. This Saturday I went to Soho House, and everybody was on the roof and in the pool, and I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen Britain like this before. This London is nice!’”
The Jamaican comedian is heading to the UK this summer as part of his Son Of An Immigrant tour. Having established himself as a household name at home in the Caribbean, Dale has visited the UK before to play some prestigious venues, including London’s Leicester Square Theatre. His return is much anticipated – and he’s glad he gets to do it while there’s sun. He might not have experienced a British summer before, but his grasp on British culture is already pretty strong.
“What I know the UK people like, though, is a good strong drink,” he says. “My Lord. The pubs. Oh gosh, if outside is empty, it’s not that everybody is home. Everybody’s in a pub.”
We caught up with Dale ahead of his return to the UK to chat about his obsession with cake, his loyalty to Arsenal, and why he’d be pretty nervous if his girlfriend went to an Usher concert…
Jamaican man tries English food | Home or Away with Dale Elliott Jr
Who would you most want to be stuck in a lift with?
Kevin Hart. He knows how to make anything funny, so at least it would be a fun experience.
Who would you least want to be stuck in a lift with?
My grandmother. Because my grandmother, she talks. My God, man. She’s going to be like, “Dale, why aren’t you cutting your hair? When are you going to cut that mop off your head?” I can’t do it. She’s going to be lecturing me on everything.
What’s the last gig you went to?
The Usher concert at the O2. I saw him feeding women cherries; putting cherries in a woman’s mouth. I’d be a very, very upset boyfriend or husband.
What’s on your rider?
Red Bull and a cappuccino. And cashews. And water. Red Bull, water, cappuccino and cashews. And fruits. Pineapple, watermelon…
What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
I love chocolate and cake. I exercise a lot, and I watch my health a lot. I’m a very healthy individual, but don’t take cake out around me, because I don’t have the resistance for it. I am not eating a slice. I’m eating the cake. The whole cake, all day, everyday. So I try to stay far away from it, because I don’t have no control. Don’t have any self control where cake is concerned.
What’s your favourite kind of cake?
I like cheesecake and I like fruitcake. And chocolate cake. Just cake. Put anything in it. I’m having it.
What did your 12-year-old self imagine that you’d be doing at this point in your life?
Track and field. I did track and field all of high school, because when I lived in Jamaica, that’s all we did.
What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given?
I’ve been given a lot of bad advice. I would say the worst advice is: the opportunity will come to you. To me, that’s the worst advice, “the opportunity will come to you”. No, you have to go to the opportunity. It will never happen for you, unless you make it happen.
What’s the worst job you ever had?
I used to work at a place in Jamaica, a tax agency. This was a summer job, and I would be in a big filing room, and I would have to organise them alphabetically. I felt like I worked there and there wasn’t anything for me to do. They’d be like, “Listen to me, you are going to put everything here in alphabetical order,” and that used to drive me crazy. I did it for one month. Never again.
Do you have any secret skills that no one knows that you have?
I can write with both my hands. I’m ambidextrous.
Do you have any predictions for the rest of 2025?
Arsenal is going to win the Champions League. I’m not going to get overly excited. I’m still worried, but I’m just saying, if Arsenal wins the Champions League this year, I said it,
You’re cautiously optimistic.
I’m just delusional at this point, listen to me. I’m just delusional, but I am a supporter. That, in itself, is a full time job of stress.
Dale Elliott Jr will tour the UK with Son Of An Immigrant this June and July – find tickets here
