Comedy
Stuck In A Lift
Josh Baulf met Lee Ryan at a seance
Get to know the buzzy sketch and stand-up act ahead of the UK tour of his debut show, Lovely Stuff
You may recognise his face from your social media algorithm, as you swipe away an influencer unboxing or another boring gym video from one of your colleagues, only to find this man’s cheeky face parodying everything that came before it. Yes, Josh Baulf has earnt a huge following for capturing the relatable realities of modern life. But stand-up was where it all started for the Essex-born funnyman, and on quite some stage at that. Having cut his teeth in London’s comedy clubs, Baulf appeared on Series 14 of Britain’s Got Talent, winning over the judges with his spiel about Groupon vouchers and chicken nuggets.
Fast forward five years, and Baulf is about to take Lovely Stuff, his first proper stand-up show, on the road as fans get to know him beyond their phone screens. “It’s a catch up on the past year really,” he tells us. “It’s about my relationship. It’s about my childhood. It’s about being stuck in between as well. So I’m in my 30s now. All my friends have kids, mortgages, all that, and I don’t, so I’m still kind of getting my head around all of that.”
But to get to know him even better before Lovely Stuff hits cities including London, Sheffield, Leeds, Southampton and Bristol, we got stuck in a lift with Josh Baulf to ask him the questions that really matter.
Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with?
Is this dead or alive? If it was dead, I’d go for Walt Disney. I’ve got obsessed with Walt Disney lately. He’s someone that would have made a great podcast, so I’d like to pick his brains. And then if it was alive… have you seen that guy who impersonates David Brent?
Yeah, the guy you can hire for functions?
Yeah he goes to stag dos and stuff. I’d be in there for a couple of hours with him, just to watch a middle-aged man pretend to be David Brent.
Who would you least like to be stuck in a lift with?
It happens a lot when you’re a comedian where you’ll get stuck in a taxi, or you’ll get stuck at a party with a man who wants to give you some jokes. “I’ll give you some jokes, mate, I’ll give you some jokes”. Or he likes to complain that comedy’s too woke now, so it’d be someone like that, yeah. People either go into one or two things, they will expect you to be really funny, or they want to try and impress you and give you their jokes. When it’s a middle-aged man they’re always a bit end-of-the-pier, outdated jokes.
Either that or someone who’s just bought an air fryer.
What’s the weirdest interaction you’ve ever had with a famous person?
So my my gran’s a medium. As in, she speaks to the dead. When we were younger, when we were kids, one of her clients was Lee Ryan from Blue, and one of the girls from Atomic Kitten. So they would go there, obviously to see my gran, quite emotional, they’re about to speak to their dead relative, they’d show up and there’d be 12 grandkids there waiting for photos and autographs. So that was quite a surreal moment where we sat in my gran’s living room getting photos with Lee Ryan, and then two minutes later, he’s having a seance. Quite a strange, interaction.
What was the last show you went to?
I see a lot of comedy with the stand up, but the last one I went to as a punter would probably be Only Fools and Horses The Musical. I’ve seen it twice. It’s a work of art. I saw Whitehouse in it, and then I saw it again a little while ago where Vinnie Jones was in it.
What work of yours didn’t get the attention that you think it deserved?
I’ve got a house plant I’ve been keeping alive and no one mentions it. My girlfriend’s not proud of me. I’ve kept it alive for a year. Professionally, I’ve always had jokes that don’t work. I tried a thing a while ago that twins were bigger in the 90s, because there were always films about twins and, you know, but then everyone was just like, What are you talking about? Like, twins are still here now, but I swear, like, we used to make a bigger deal about Freaky Friday all that. Yeah, so that was one joke that didn’t work that springs to my but I can’t really think of anything else.
What did 12-year-old you imagine that you’d be doing now?
Honestly, I was really into comedy as a kid. I always dreamed of working in comedy, whether that was writing scripts or doing stand up. Realistically, I probably just thought I’d work at Paddy Power or something. That seemed like a really big expectation. I wanted to be a magician for a while as well.
How’d that go?
Not great. I didn’t know what I was doing, but we used to put on little shows.
So you’ve always been a performer?
Not really! Maybe secretly. I didn’t do drama or anything like that. I was in one play in year six, I was in Theseus and the Minotaur. I played Theseus, I got way too excited in the first show, and I picked the minotaur up and threw him into the crowd, and then I wasn’t allowed to act anymore. So that was like my last stage experience, which would have been like 20 or 25 years ago.
What bridged that and Britain’s Got Talent, then?
I hit my mid-20s and got bored. I was in a job I didn’t enjoy and I wanted something new. I always liked stand-up, and I had a mate who was giving it a go, so I tried it and it went well so I went from there!
What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given?
My mum always used to give terrible advice, like the classic would be like, when you’re a kid, she’d say, “If she’s mean to you, it means she fancies you!” But it never meant that. I went to an interview once at JD sports, and she made me wear a full suit and take my my CV in a plastic folder. It just wasn’t that vibe at all. They were all dressed in tracksuits and there was hip hop music playing, and they basically laughed at me. So any, any advice my mum gave, it was always with the best intentions, but it was terrible.
What film have you most rewatched?
Honestly, it’s the most cliche man answer, but Goodfellas. I love Goodfellas. It’s classic Scorsese, it’s funny, it looks great and it still holds up. Even that or Toy Story 2.
What’s the skill that no one else knows that you’re great at?
I’m really good at making spag bol. I make a mean spag bol. A bit of Marmite in there, bit of red wine, obviously, bit of pancetta. That’s about it. I only learned to cook last year, so that’s my new hobby!
Do you have any superstitions?
I’ll never walk on three drains. And then before I go on stage I always have an irrational fear that I’m going to have a little wee patch on my jeans. It’s not that I’m always doing it, but I do have this fear that it’s going to happen. So I do constantly, and it does look odd, constantly check my crotch before I walk on stage.
Josh Baulf is touring Lovely Stuff from 25 September – 20 November across the UK – find tickets here
