Squeaky-voiced funnyman Joe Pasquale returns to the Beck Theatre on Friday with a new comedy routine. SIBA MATTI spoke to him about carrying dead cows on his back, being a prisoner for a reality show and getting bombed in Basra
VARIETY is the spice of life, as the saying goes, and this couldn't be truer of Joe Pasquale's career.
The squeaky-voiced comedian is returning to his stand-up roots after being crowned King of the Jungle in I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, as well as writing a book, presenting
176 episodes of television game show The Price Is Right, and acting in The Producers in the West End.
Not bad going for someone who used to work in Smithfield meat market as a humper.
Joe explains: "Far from being the class clown, I was actually a pretty insipid, skinny teenager.
"I always wanted to be an actor but I could never afford drama classes, so I left school aged 15 and got a job carrying dead cows on my back.
"I was working with big, burly Cockneys in east London who made fun of my voice, so humour helped me to survive."
The 48-year-old from Essex escaped the meat trade to work at a holiday camp before becoming a bingo caller, unaware that a comedy career was calling.
He made his mark with his first stand-up show, Live And Squeaky, in 1996, coincidentally filmed at the Beck.
Eight years later, after a stint in pantomime and performances in the Royal Variety Show, Joe found himself in the middle of the Australian outback for the fourth series of ITV's I'm A Celebrity.
Joe, a father-of-six who has five grandchildren, remembers his first bush tucker trial on the show.
He said: "I was quite lucky that I didn't have to eat anything nasty, but it was horrible being in a coffin filled with water in the pitch black with rats crawling all over me.
"I also had to climb down a 100ft rope ladder, which helped me to conquer my crippling fear of heights.
"But the worst part was actually the boredom. You only see an hour of footage each day which Ant and Dec make look interesting, but the reality is that people get fed up and argue with each other, which really isn't fun. I was lucky there were some emus around to keep me company!"
After winning the show, the comedian got his pilot's licence and is now the proud owner of a 1969 Piper Cherokee. He has continued to live life in the fast lane by taking part in The Prisoner: X, where famous faces are locked up in some of the world's most fearsome jails.
Joe, who was sent to San Rafael prison in Costa Rica, admits that it was the most daunting job of his career: "It was a low security prison with not many guards but about 900 inmates, who were mainly doing time for murder, rape, extortion and trafficking.
"Almost all of them spoke Spanish - unlike myself - and most of them carried knives, so it was a pretty scary experience.
"Having said that, it was also a good opportunity to test my limits. I like to push my boundaries and put myself outside of my comfort zone."
And that he certainly did when he performed for the brave troops in Basra last Christmas: "A mortar attack was carried out on our base and I ended up sitting in a wardrobe with my helmet on, next to my agent, and I couldn't help but laugh at the situation we found ourselves in.
"The truth is that it was very serious and many of the soldiers were younger than my own children. It was eye-opening but worth it to put a smile on their faces."
And that's exactly what Joe intends to do with his new show at the Beck this Friday: "The show is for all the family, whether you are aged five or 95, with no pressure on the old cerebral cortex.
"It will include singing, juggling, Rolf Harris-style painting, mind-reading, fire and plenty of comedy gags.
"People need a bit of escapism these days and laughter is the best medicine for any problem."
As for the future, Joe will play Muddles in Birmingham Hippodrome's Christmas panto, Cinderella, starring alongside X Factor winner and Grease star Ray Quinn.
He is scheduled to appear on BBC show, Mastermind, and be quizzed on his favourite cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants.
Joe says: "I love a good cartoon, they are not just for kids, you know.
"Life is too short to take yourself seriously and I just want to sit back and enjoy it.
"My dad once said 'find a job you would do for nothing, and if people want to pay you for it, then do it'.
"I'm lucky to have spent years doing just that, but who knows what's around the corner?
"In 10 years time, I could be a pilot for Ryanair." [25cf] Joe Pasquale is at the Beck Theatre on Friday at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £19.
For further information and to book, call 020 8561 8371 or go to www.becktheatre.org.uk .
