Russell Kane is best known for his career as a stand up comedian which started back in 2004 and he has gone on to win various awards for his work
Russell is known for his comedy career
Stand-up comic Russell Kane has hit back at claims that ‘woke culture’ is impacting comedy, saying that he doesn’t know a single comedian who has been “cancelled” over their act. The 50-year-old told The Mirror that comedians who are willing to “offend a minority group” are proving to be successful these days.
“I don’t know a comedian who’s been cancelled for doing comedy,” he said. “If only I was brave enough to say some slightly more outrageous and hurtful things, I’d probably be number one on Netflix.
“It’s not my type of comedy but my point is, I think there’s more freedom of speech now than there was.”
Russell has become a household name(Image: Getty Images)READ MORE: BBC Breakfast shares ‘important message’ in emotional cancer updateREAD MORE: BBC Breakfast interrupted for update on ‘huge moment’ in politics
It comes after a number of comedians – including Jimmy Carr and Jack Whitehall – were criticised for performing at the Riadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia considering the country’s poor human rights record.
Addressing the ‘cancellation’ of those acts, Russell said, “That wasn’t for the comedy, that was for where they went to do comedy. A comedian might be cancelled for someone he’s touched or something he’s done to someone, I don’t know anyone who’s been cancelled for a joke.”
As for ‘woke culture’, he added: “It’s such a weird word because the opposite of woke is asleep. I don’t want to be asleep.
“Just because I recognise that someone of colour has had a different life journey to me – I’m not woke, I’m just not f**king ignorant. It’s ignorance.”
Russell is starring in a new game show(Image: Channel 4)
The comedian is teaming up with This Morning ’s Sian Welby to host ITV ’s The Spin Off – a new free-to-play quiz app that gives players the chance to win various prizes.
It’s the perfect challenge for the secret quizzer – who has previously won Celebrity Mastermind, Beat the Chasers and The Weakest Link. “I train like a boxer because my stand-up is incredibly energetic – I got to 35 and thought, ‘How can I slow down aging?’
“My daily regime is 60 minutes while quizzes are playing. I’ll put The Chase on or The 1% Club. I’m training my mind and body like some sort of renaissance man.”
He added that it’s his “dream” to become a Chaser – much like Joe Pasquale recently did on Beat the Chasers. “I’d love to go up to the level where I could be a Chaser,” he said.
“I’m currently learning how to speak Shakespearean verse properly because of my aspirations to act. My tour finishes in December – the longest tour I’ve ever done – and I want to do something completely different with my life next year. Stage-wise, I’m gonna thesp it.”
Having turned 50 earlier this year, Russell lives by “five pillars of wellness” to stay healthy: avoiding processed foods, exercising, minimising stress, strengthening relationships and taking evidence-based supplements.
The comic isn’t afraid to cut out friends who are a “drain” on his energy. “A lot of us spend our lives hanging around with drains because we’ve been friends with them for years and we feel bad, but it’s time to say, ‘bye t**t,’ and get that toxicity out of your life.”
Although Russell – who shares daughter Mina, 10, with entrepreneur wife Lindsey Cole – admitted that he has a small group of friends and family anyway due to his demanding career.
“People tend to cut me off because I work so hard,” he said. “I’m very friendly with celebrity types but I’ve kept my friends from home, my mum, my wife and my daughter.
“That probably holds me back in showbiz. I’m not falling out of clubs with the right people but I can’t help it. I’m so unavailable because I’m working so much – any spare time I’ve got goes on my daughter, my wife and whatever’s left over goes on my mum, my brother who’s not very well and then the rest of my mates.”
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