{"id":27585,"date":"2025-04-17T13:06:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T13:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/27585\/"},"modified":"2025-04-17T13:06:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T13:06:10","slug":"failsworths-funniest-export-wants-your-laughs-and-some-new-parquet-flooring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/27585\/","title":{"rendered":"Failsworth\u2019s funniest export wants your laughs (and some new parquet flooring)"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a rainy Tuesday morning in Manchester, and I\u2019m chatting with Josh Jones<\/a>, who, despite the weather, lives up to his nickname as \u201cthe Mancunian Ray of Sunshine.\u201d Though he\u2019ll be the first to admit, it\u2019s not a title he gave himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I just say, I didn\u2019t call myself that?\u201d he laughed. \u201cBut I\u2019m happy to style it out! I think it\u2019s a silly name. I don\u2019t know where it came from, maybe my agent, but sure, I\u2019ve been called worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be that much of a ray of sunshine to stand out in Manchester though, as it\u2019s literally raining right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that pretty much sums up Josh\u2019s approach to life: self-aware, cheeky, and up for a laugh.<\/p>\n

As he prepares to hit the road on his new UK stand-up tour I Haven\u2019t Won The Lottery So Here\u2019s Another Tour Show!, we caught up to talk comedy, cats, and his very real dream of parquet flooring.<\/p>\n

Josh Jones goes on tour<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Manchester, Josh had what he calls a \u201cnormal Manchester upbringing\u201d split between his parents in Droylsden and Failsworth.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad was in Droylsden and my mum was in Failsworth. I was gigging in the Frog and Bucket<\/a> a couple of weeks ago and when i said I was from Failsworth someone made a massive wrenching sound like they were throwing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family are all sound,\u201d he says, \u201cbut we\u2019ve got a few gobsh*tes\u2014I can say that, right? But yeah, they\u2019re harmless. Just proper Mancs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those roots run deep in Josh\u2019s comedy, and he\u2019s quick to acknowledge how the city shaped his voice on stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cManchester makes you funny by default,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s grey, it\u2019s raining\u2014you\u2019ve got to find the humour in it. And growing up here, you learn to laugh at yourself. Which helps, because everyone else definitely will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning to be a stand up comedian in Manchester<\/p>\n

Like many Northern comics, Josh\u2019s early days were spent playing open mics and local clubs. Gigs in the city were mainly in the Northern Quarter<\/a>, but the scene is so varied now, people learn where they can get an opportunity.<\/p>\n

He was soon on the road, gigging across Greater Manchester and beyond\u2014everywhere from the Northern Quarter to small rugby clubs in the Peak District.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou learn fast,\u201d he said. \u201cThose rugby clubs don\u2019t mess around. But it puts a bit of hair on your chest!\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, it wouldn\u2019t be a proper Manc comedy career without a few gigs at the legendary Frog and Bucket.<\/p>\n

Ten years into his career, the heckling\u2019s mostly behind him\u2014\u201cPeople know I can handle myself now,\u201d he jokes\u2014but that hasn\u2019t stopped fans from jumping in mid-show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate saying fans. People who like me. Even they\u2019ll shout stuff out sometimes, but it\u2019s usually fun. I think I\u2019m just easy to take the mick out of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now touring\u2026 and gardening?<\/p>\n

Josh\u2019s new tour is a mix of fresh material and his trademark storytelling magic. But don\u2019t expect tales of wild nights and reckless youth\u2014Josh has moved on.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m balls-deep in my thirties now,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve got a power washer. I go to garden centres. If I go out, it starts at 5pm and I\u2019m home by 10. That\u2019s my life!\u201d<\/p>\n

His comedy, however, hasn\u2019t lost any of its charm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want this tour to feel like a proper night out,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to change your life, but you\u2019ll have a laugh, and that\u2019s what matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s one bit he won\u2019t spoil, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a joke in the show that\u2019s a surprise. I can\u2019t say what it is because the whole point is that people don\u2019t see it coming\u2014but I\u2019m quite proud of it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Also on the cards: vasectomies, Spring Break chaos in Mexico, and his ongoing war with his cat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought my cat was stupid because he can\u2019t use the cat flap and I have to open the door for him. But then a mate said, \u2018No, he just thinks you\u2019re the idiot who opens doors on command.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Touch\u00e9, feline.<\/p>\n

Manchester\u2019s incredible comedy scene<\/p>\n

Now headlining across the UK, Josh still feels most at home among the Northern comedy circuit\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked up to so many of the headliners when I was starting\u2014like Hayley Ellis, Dan Nightingale, Brennan Reece, Mick Ferry. We\u2019ve got some of the best club comics in the country right here in the Northwest.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while big names like Jason Manford and Sarah Millican have long flown the Manchester flag, Josh has carved out his own place on the scene\u2014respected by his peers, loved by his crowds, and still keeping things proudly Northern.<\/p>\n

Dreams of parquet and puddings<\/p>\n

Of course, this tour isn\u2019t just about making people laugh\u2014it\u2019s also funding his dream of the ultimate grown-up living room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve found this gorgeous light-blue sofa I want,\u201d he beams. \u201cAnd I want wall-to-wall bookshelves and parquet flooring. But it\u2019s not cheap. So yeah, please come to the tour\u2014I really want that floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Until then, you\u2019ll find him in Manchester doing what all proud locals do after a trip away: heading straight for a chippy tea.<\/p>\n

\u201cChips, steak and kidney pudding, peas and gravy\u2014that\u2019s the dream. I was vegetarian for seven years, but I always had one \u2018lapse day\u2019 on my birthday for a chippy tea. Can\u2019t beat it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A night out with Josh Jones<\/p>\n

So why should you buy a ticket?<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s just a good night out,\u201d he grinned. \u201cIt\u2019s not serious, it\u2019s not political, it\u2019s just jokes. And I don\u2019t want to big myself up too much\u2014but I am actually really quite good at stand-up.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I write good jokes. You\u2019ll have a laugh, whatever your age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josh Jones is funny, warm, and just the right amount of chaotic\u2014like all the best nights out in Manchester. Just don\u2019t mention the cat flap.<\/p>\n

You can get tickets to see Josh Jones on his I Haven\u2019t Won The Lottery So Here\u2019s Another Tour Show!<\/b> by clicking here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s a rainy Tuesday morning in Manchester, and I\u2019m chatting with Josh Jones, who, despite the weather, lives…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,2197,393,16659,4884,16660,2465,16661,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-27585","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-comedy","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-frog-and-bucket","12":"tag-great-britain","13":"tag-josh-jones","14":"tag-manchester","15":"tag-stand-up","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114353457601173935","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}