Wine writer Hannah Crosbie interviews her friend and comedian Grace Campbell in Soho’s Bar Crispin about the changing face of social media, the pull of TV and getting high in Edinburgh.
Hannah Crosbie: So the last time we saw each other was that hilarious night at the Edinburgh Fringe. We went to Noodles & Dumplings and had champagne and Smirnoff ices.
Grace Campbell: Then we went and got margaritas and went to see Reuben Kaye and got high.
HC: Hahaha, we did. But not as high as our friends who found themselves on Arthur’s Seat at eight o’clock in the morning.
GC: Reuben is so fun, we always just have such crazy chemistry. He was on my new podcast Late to the Party. It’s sort of evolving as I’m going, but with Reuben we figured out what his ideal party is. We had to cut out some bits as I’m trying to get it on TV.
HC: There’s always that fine line. You want to be realistic with what everyone’s getting up to at parties, but for the BBC, maybe not. Maybe for Channel 4.
GC: Yeah, people tell me all the time to be honest, open and wild, but I understand why I have to be careful. I don’t want to not go on TV because I tell stories about drugs. That makes me sound like a raging drug addict (I’m not)!
HC: Ha, I understand. You’re big online, but would you like to do more TV?
GC: TV is really good for money and stability but the comedians selling the most tickets are huge online first. Before, you’d do Live at the Apollo, then you’d sell out a tour: everyone was finding new people from TV and radio, but it’s not the case anymore. The comedy scene has become so much more saturated. In the UK there aren’t enough opportunities for new comedians on television. I do think something in live comedy is going to change soon. The power needs to be put back in artists’ hands. I say I don’t care but obviously deep down I do want to be on TV.
HC: It’s ironic given that Brits like to think of ourselves as pioneers of comedy. We have so many successful exports as a country, it’s a bit pathetic that we’re not there to support people who are up and coming.
GC: That’s why social media is amazing. It’s still a great way for new talent to get noticed. But what do you do when you’ve been noticed? That’s the challenge.
HC: So you’ve got the tour coming up and the new podcast… You’re busy!
Comedian Grace Campbell in Soho’s Bar Crispin
GC: I’m very excited. It’s going to be like nothing I’ve done before. I’m touring all major UK cities from Southampton to London, Leeds and Liverpool, Exeter, Bristol and Coventry. In December I’ll end with a couple of European dates in Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin.
People have been amazing in supporting me getting this far and I’m really thankful to everyone who’s sent me lovely messages. I’m excited to talk shit about my life. As for the podcast, there have been some great guests. Me and the comedian Joanne McNally absolutely died laughing. There are loads of other guests too, including Paul Black, Zeze Mills and my tour support act Christopher Mills. Anyway, tell me about how’s everything gone with your new book?
HC: Corker has been a really interesting one, instead of writing for a paper or for a brand, it’s been… just me, which has left me feeling quite vulnerable at times. But it’s ultimately been so gratifying connecting with an incredible, inquisitive, fun audience as a result.
My proudest moment besides actually writing it will be taking it to Cheltenham Literature Festival. I volunteered there fresh out of sixth form and it was such an incredible moment that solidified what it was I wanted to do — write. It’ll be a wonderful full circle moment for me. Aren’t you off to do Live at the Apollo?!
GC: It used to be a dream to be on Live at the Apollo, but now I’m just doing my own solo show at the Apollo instead! Maybe it’s because I’ve calmed down a lot and TV execs like my style now. When I started doing comedy I used to be so raucous; I’ve really changed. A few years ago I was like ‘don’t tame me, I will swear if I want to, I don’t give a f**k about Ofcom.’
HC: I’d like to do more TV too. I’ve grown up seeing people on screens that I don’t see myself in, so I want to be the person to change that. There’s all this incredible new wine and food and drink talent but they’re on social media rather than traditional media like television. It really irks me when people are snotty about social media. How else are you supposed to get seen?
GC: I’m loving your wine memes…
HC: I’ve always been unafraid to talk about wine the way I want to talk about it. People may find that cringe: me being unapologetic, unashamed, sweary, vaguely gross, oddly sexual. When I was little I was freaking out that no one liked me, but now I have embraced my weirdness as an adult and quite frankly, f**k anyone who can’t handle it. A girl can be weird and hot at the same time.
GC: I don’t think your content is cringe at all, I think it’s great.
HC: Thank you. I’ve started to take my own advice over the past year: I’m now not taking criticism from people who don’t know me personally. At the end of the day, I’m posting cringe wine content and naked memes. It’s not life and death!
• Hannah Crosbie’s book on wine, Corker, is available at all good bookshops. It is about which wine to match with life’s most important (and unimportant) events. Her writing can be found in many national newspapers. Grace Campbell starts her UK and European tour from 16 October running through to December. Her new podcast, Late to the Party, sees the comedian interview people she’d like to party with about their favourite ways to be hedonistic. She delivers chaos, life lessons and stories of nights out gone wrong. To book Bar Crispin go to the website here