Josh Thomas: Things I've Said Before

Josh Thomas is, in his own words, "a professional young person". Sure, he's also one of Australia's best stand-up comics, but the reason that most people recognise him is as one of Generation Y's representatives on Channel 10's quiz show Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation. So, young Thomas, how does an aspiring professional young person does one break into this lucrative industry?

"Umm, I think you just be a comedian around the age of 22, and have someone need a comedian around the age of 22. They only have, like, three options."

Surely that means the other young comedians are gunning for you, though? That Rebel Wilson, for instance. She's an ambitious lass.

"I don't think so," he chuckles. "She's got her own gig. Stop suggesting Rebel's going to steal my gig!" He pauses, thinking. "Plus I'm, like, fully tough and I'll just smash her. I'll punch her in the minge and it'll be over."

Of course, a moving target is harder to hit – which may explain why Thomas is hitting the road with his new show Things I've Said Before. Well, new show is a bit of a misnomer: as the title suggests, it's a bit of a Josh Thomas primer for those who've come in late. Surely he can't be offering up a hits 'n' memories set this early in the piece?

"Yeah, I know: it does seem premature," he considers. "It's just my favourite jokes. I mean, originally I was just doing the show in Melbourne to record a CD and then thought it'd be good to bring to Sydney... but it does seem a bit much."

Presumably it means the retiring of certain routines, though?

"Yeah, it definitely is: it's the end of everything I'm going to say. I'm going to record it on CD and then do a new show next year, that's the plan. But mostly [the show is] just because there's a lot of people who didn't know who I was six months ago who hopefully know who I am now, and they can come and watch it because they've never seen these things before."

The title of the show does rather give that away, of course.

"I know, but some people who come will [have heard these bits before] and they'd send emails and I couldn't handle it. It's just better to give full disclosure. I could have called it like a ‘best of' but that would have implied it was really good. So 'Things I've Said Before' lets everyone know what's going on and there's no pressure."

There's the sound of chopping as he explains, "Originally I was planning on recording the album in Sydney earlier this year, but it didn't work. So now it's like a bonus extra tour because people asked for it: I mean, I don't know if they actually want it, except on Twitter they say ‘why don't you come to Sydney?', so I'm coming. But often they say that and then they don't mean it. Or they say that and then I get there and they're not there."

Um, the chopping. Is someone being butchered there?

"Oh: I've made this yoghurt cheesecake and I'm putting some cherries on there to eat. I made it all by myself. I've never made cheesecake before, but you know what's really easy? Cheesecake."

Who knew?

"Not me. See, mostly it's just cream cheese whipped and then put into a mould."

Is this part of a plan to switch from Generation to MasterChef?

"Well, I did MasterChef last week. I was on Celebrity MasterChef last week and I lost."

Did you make cheesecake on it, though?

"No."

Perhaps that was your mistake.

"No, I think if I made cheesecake they would have been like ‘Josh, this is just cream cheese in a mould.' That is all cheesecake is."

Well, you could have livened it up by maybe getting one of those Woolworths' barbecue chickens and just putting that in the middle of it.

He pauses for a moment. "A chicken? I don't think Matt Preston would have liked that."

OK: you could stuff a barbecue chicken with cheesecake and yoghurt.

"Hmmm," he ponders. "You know what? That's an awful idea." Andrew P Street

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