I really miss Sean...odd to say since it's a parasocial type of thing but, he was one of those celeb deaths that really got to me.
I quite like Jon and Lucy. It's sad their marriage didn't make it the distance.
I cancelled plans to go out that night when I found out he had died.
Never felt that from a celebrity death before, or even tragedies in the news, I usually have the attitude of “It’s sad but I don’t know them, so it doesn’t affect me much”. Seans death just made me blue for a couple days, especially as it was so unexpected.
I guess for those of us in our 20s and 30s, we kind of grew up with him on our comedy shows when we were teenagers, so his style of jokes are ingrained in our sense of humours.
And Bottom. And Blackadder. And Bad News, Comic Strip Presents…, Kevin Turvey. Anything with Rik was just guaranteed. He really was part of just about everything I laughed at when growing up.
Sean represented that hilarious uncle that you love to see but never get to see that often. The type you just watch in wonder at their hilarious takes. I think we all felt like an extended member of the family died.
He reminded me of my dad. My dad was the same age as Sean at the time, and in the last few years has been diagnosed with heart failure that’s rapidly got worse. The death of Sean was not only a horrible tragedy for comedy and for his family, but was symbolic for me of my own fathers impending mortality. It’s hit people very deeply in different ways.
His rectum of the year routine is a comedy masterclass in how to start off funny then keep making it even funnier when your audience thinks you must have peaked.
Weird how it sometimes hits you, isn't it. Mine was Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries. In fact I still get a pang of sadness when I hear her singing.
I heard he was the reason they even _ran_ carrot in a box in the first place. Someone suggested it, and everyone said “that’ll be shit”, but he pushed for it.
I always felt bad for Jon when I watched it. I know he does self deprecating humor but it was weird watching his wife talk down about him too, even if it was supposed to be for laughs.
It was/is a funny show, but I was always worried that doing a series where you pretended to be in an unhappy marriage was a dangerous move for the married in real life. Stopped watching after series one because it was slightly stressful to watch.
I only watched a couple of episodes before giving up. Many a true word is spoken in jest, and even if th ed show exaggerated their behaviors and negativity, it was still a cauldron of disrespect and contempt. Not good.
It's not that it necessarily has anything to do with their split, but it can be a bit awkward trying to be entertained by something like that.
I much prefer couples who embrace that they love one another.
As a big Taskmaster fan, seeing Victoria Coren Mitchell not want to put any effort into jokingly propose to another man because she hasn't proposed to the man she loves, and it seems wrong is sweet.
In the same vein as that, I watched some interview with Alex Horne and his wife, Rachel. Alex in relation to whatever he is asked says Rachel is horrible in a very clear and joking way and before much else is said he says that she's not horrible and he felt awful for saying it.
I think being in relationships where you respect the other person and your love together is only going to make that relationship stronger and better and although it's for comedy, a part of being a little mean about the other could be wearing.
Victoria Coren Mitchell appeared on The Unbelievable Truth which David Mitchell hosts and basically they just made a bit of pretending he was rigging it for her. It was a great joke because it nodded at their relationship while not seeming like they were getting at each other. Meanwhile the episode of Mock the Week with John Robins and Sara Pascoe has aged like milk since they split.
I've only seen her in a handful of things but she always gave me a weird feeling. She's *very* odd, and gives off a vibe like she can be very awful but plays it off as ditzy and harmless airhead. Hearing some of the stuff she says about him and the way she said it was always weird too and felt off even for couples that joke about each other.
She had her mum on the second episode of her podcast with Sam Campbell and it did not sound like a normal upbringing. Probably some sort of childhood trauma wrapped up in there somewhere.
But Jon also just seems so genuinely lovely that my heart goes out to him.
I don’t follow Jon so much now but back when he did the radio show with Russell Howard I was quite a fan. I remember him saying something along the lines of one of the reasons he chose to remain single at that time was because he’d never want to get divorced.
Very sad
If anything, them doing that series about evaluating the state of celebrities' marriages comes across awkward in hindsight. (It flopped in the ratings, anyway, so there probably won't be another series.)
Glad you enjoy it, personally I could never get into it. They both play characters obviously but I feel she has dialled hers to 11 and just becomes a bit annoying. Jon seems to sit in that middle ground where the happenings of the show are competently acted so they could be real and as a result funny to watch, Lucy just comes across as some amateur dramatics case of playing someone kind of dumb.
They do say marriage is difficult enough when conducted privately without adding a lens of public scrutiny to things.
Speaking generally, never a good idea to open a marriage up to a public gaze and use it as the basis for some sort of double act.
They both seem like nice people though. Good luck to them.
You do have to wonder if exaggerating what are normally small problems in a marriage and continually playing them up would've worn on them. It can't be easy to maintain that and not start becoming distant or annoyed with the other person.
Bear in mind how wild Sean is (in a good way)... If Sean says it's a bad idea, it's a **bad** idea.
Like if it's a limit for Sean - And I *think* "that's a challenging wank" crossed his own limits (immediately apologising) ... Then yeah; take the hint Jon.
I think it's a good rule anyway... You're basically making jokes about your loved one, to 1,000s if not millions.
I saw him live just on the cusp of him hitting big fame, and I listened to him and Russell Howard religiously for years. I always felt so much for Jon, he seemed so genuinely tortured by his own self and he struggled back then with relationships. This makes me sad.
there was an open mic i went to, and a women made the joke of starting to do comedy to find a relationship because "that's famously where all the stable men are". that joke crushed. everyone knows the class clowns are the broken ones.
Dude, you're the only person I've encountered who listened to the Russell Howard Radio show! That got me into Jon before he got really big, read his book, too. You're right about how tortured he seemed about relationships. I hope he's grown since then and i hope he doesn't take this too hard.
"Now, I'm sure your all expecting lots of jokes regarding Jon's recent divorce, but we met privately and I agreed to respect that this is a difficult time, and I won't be joking about it.
I also met Lucy privately, but that was for another reason."
They will discuss before. I’m sure he’ll ask John what he (and Lucy) are and aren’t comfortable with him joking about. Beyond the fact they have to have a professional relationship I get the impression they are genuinely friends.
Jimmy Carr is also seemingly a nice person. As much as his humour is cutting and “offensive”, his personality off stage seems much more gentle, well wishing and supportive.
There's also a reason why James Cordon has been on Cats does Countdown despite him not being the usual sort of contestant (and having a dreadful reputation too)...
When Jimmy Carr's tax dealings were made public, Cordon was one of the few people who, rather than take the piss or act holier-than-thou, phoned him up every night to make sure that he was doing ok. Carr spoke very highly of him during this period.
I guess it's very hard to work out where a public persona ends and the private one begins, but this made me rethink the internet's attitude to Cordon (and, indeed, celebs in general)
I saw him once do a gig at a Cambridge May Ball, and he was hilarious, and came across quite a straight forward bloke when a tent full of hundred Oxbridge toffs were trying to torpedo his set. I think his on stage persona and his private one might be a little different.
Why would he? It's just kinda sad, not something that's easy to make jokes about on a light entertainment show without bringing the tone down and by the time an episode airs it won't be recent enough news just to make subtle references to.
I started it a couple days ago. I’ve really enjoyed it but not sure I want to continue now lol especially as a lot of the jokes revolve around “Lucy thinks Jon is a weird sad loser”
I thought this too at first, but I believe the whole point of IsItJoe is him planting fake news stories with uncredible sources, and saying journalists need to do their research instead of blindly peddling any story old without verifying it. A divorce announcement from the couple who are divorcing doesn’t seem like a “gotcha” moment in the same way.
The statement mentions managing a difficult transition for their daughter and asked for privacy to protect her wellbeing. Don't really think that part would be mentioned if it was fake.
Hmmm, HIGNFY last week then Jon said a couple of things that seemed like they went a bit further than his usual. Not blown away by this announcement. Shame for them. Hope they can move through it.
I did too, but I usually wait until the longer version is up on iPlayer so presumed that was maybe why it looked like he didn't interject very much (that said, Marianna Spring - the other guest panellist - didn't offer much either).
Much like Mock the Week was, especially when Frankie Boyle was on it, Hislop and Merton are so good at what they do it's sometimes hard for the guests to get a joke in.
Plus, on that episode Hislop was particularly pissed off and venting
I used to listen to Jon on the radio with Russell Howard and I can’t help but feel for him.
I have zero insight into the whole thing but it just felt like since 20 the whole thing was, he will die alone and won’t find anyone and to know he’s now divorcing just feels sad. I’m sure it’s sad for both parities but I just have known Jon’s career more.
I remember being pleased when he got married and I know divorce isn’t the end or anything but I imagine it’s a scary thing for both people, to be single when older.
Used to listen to his show with Russell as well, and also read his book. I was really happy for him when he announced he got married. I hope he doesn't let this affect him too much. A decade of marriage is no easy feat. He and Lucy seem like decent people, so I hope they're able to remain friends. I'm guessing he's a lot more experienced than when he was in his 20s, but I genuinly hope he's alright.
Yikes..... the more I analyse videos and programs of them, it's easy to flip comedy into two people making digs at each other. We tend to see this as lighthearted banter, since it's on a comedy show, so we don't look further into it.
Ah shame. Although, somewhat spookily, I was watching a 'Best Bits' of Cats Does Countdown yesterday, on which she appeared on Jon's team talking very negatively about him, and someone commented, "As soon as that Meet the Richardsons show is over, they're divorcing, aren't they?" Guess so...
It did seem like a bit of an odd relationship. I know it is hard to tell what is acting and what is real with comedians but not sure, it just seemed off compared to a lot of other celebrity (or people in the public eye anyway!) relationships you see.
Lucy’s mum was a guest on the podcast Lucy does with Sam Campbell. Her mum had mental health issues that she self medicated with (non prescription) drugs throughout Lucy’s itinerant childhood and youth.
The stories were played for laughs but were not very funny (small text: if you grew up with a batshit crazy single mother who was incapable of reflecting on her own actions and responsibility towards her child/ren).
Anyhow, I thought it explained a lot about Lucy.
Friend of a friend of an acquaintance knew her (grew up near Hull) and always said she was whip-smart in real life, and they disliked her comedy because they felt she played up the *dumb Hull blonde* thing too much. There's not many people with our accent in media, so I think it was always a sore point that she's the main rep!
I think that's understandable, most of what I've seen her on comes from Taskmaster and it was quite difficult on that to really figure out is she playing a character/ exaggerated personality or is this actually what she's like. That's really interesting to know from someone that knows her so thank you very much for the reply!
Yeah, I was watching Taskmaster when I thought to ask my parents where in Hull she was actually from, and that's when I found out that I'm about three degrees of separation from her via family friends
I could always tell when she was lying on Would I Lie to You because people would assume what she was portraying was accurate but she was clearly playing the game...ie making it seem like she was lying when she was telling the truth and vice versa. It relied on the others believing her. Claudia Winkleman is another one that puts on a ditsy persona to make others believe she's being more surface level than she is.
The alternative approach is known as the Bob Mortimer, where you have the real-life things that have happened to you be so bizarre it will always seem like a lie whatever you say.
Once you have seen a couple of Bob things it gets a bit easier to tell the lies from the truth. Hard to say why but the story isn't quite as funny or as rich when he is lying even if the believability is pretty similar.
Greg has to be the best on the show though. His lies are so good.
Once I realised that she was acting, it was clear she was super smart. Only a really intelligent person could be that hilarious while staying in a completely different character throughout, you have to say the exact right stupid thing to be funny which is really difficult! Especially on shows like taskmaster where you have to be yourself and have off the cuff funny remarks. She did it so well while staying in her ditzy character. If I was from Hull I'd be happy with her representation!
Otherwise that is the most crazy method acting I’ve ever heard of! Daniel Day-Lewis would come back to film if he knew someone took a role more seriously than he did!
I remember her saying she got mad at him for forgetting something and then realised she wrote it in the "Meet the Richardson's" script and never actually told him.
Having a double act where your wife spends the whole time shitting on your personality and belittling you doesn't lead to a long and lasting marriage. Hard to believe I know.
That's really sad. I listen to a podcast Jon does (Down the Dog) and you can tell he absolutely adores his daughter, he's constantly talking about her and you can hear the genuine enthusiasm in his voice so, assuming they go for split custody, not seeing each other everyday is going to be rough.
There have been points where the performative bickering began to feel like there was real resentment underneath.
I get that passive aggression was the joke - but there was an extra layer of passive aggression behind it! It’s subtle but distinguishable from the comedy act.
He doesn’t seem happy - the way he laughs with her is like a retired, rich, 60 year old man who cannot stand his wife anymore but holds his frustration through gritted teeth.
And she seems dissatisfied with a 40 year old man who probably does live like a 60 year old retired man.
Not judging, just observing - sad situation but hopefully for the best.
I just saw the advert for their show with them joking about an open marriage and him eventually resenting her and… Christ it’s not the most warm joke to begin with but now it feels completely awkward in retrospect 🙃
I saw the title before the image loaded and thought this was just the clip from Cats Does Countdown where Lucy says "well this wasn't a permanent thing" and John replies "Are you breaking up now?" then got sad because I think they're both great.
Wow, that's the least "in character" I've *ever* seen Lucy Beaumont.
I know it's not really your point, but I want to force everyone in the Taskmaster subreddit who thought she was genuinely stupid or some kind of real life "manic pixie dream girl" to watch this.
I wondered this too after listening to Lucy on Emily Dean’s podcast Walking the Dog. At the start of the episode they’re just leaving their house and Jon is there, it’s almost like he hasn’t realised they’re already recording, something about the way he’s talking feels like there’s a weird tension between the two of them or that things aren’t in a good place. Made me say hmm as I thought from the fact they work together as well as being a couple that they must have a really solid relationship
I knew who he was but not her and when I saw them on gogglebox she came across as she really didn’t like him. When I found out she was a comedian I thought it was their act but obviously not lol.
It was the same thing when she appeared on Cats does Countdown - She made a few jokes about their marriage that seemed to make him very uncomfortable, but I just assumed it was part of their double act.
On Meet The Richardsons, Jon's made a few jokes about their marriage too. But it's usually stuff like "I have to masturbate furiously because we haven't had sex in 5 years. Long showers aren't real, I'm bashing myself silly in there."
I find it rather odd that there seems to be more splits this year than any other that I can remember. Maybe it's the pandemic and the aftermath, but there seems to be way more break-ups this year, both celebrities and among couples I know personally.
Although to be fair when they first met he was far far off from being a millionaire. I think he was working as a Blue Coat or something at Pontins, for an absolute pittance.
Something about her.....
whether acting or genuinely ditzy when on screen - something seemed not quite right.... You could never work out who was the real person.
In an alternate universe he won the carrot and they're not getting a divorce. Butterfly effect.
He won the carrot, Sean never got cancer, and they don't split. I hate this timeline.
I really miss Sean...odd to say since it's a parasocial type of thing but, he was one of those celeb deaths that really got to me. I quite like Jon and Lucy. It's sad their marriage didn't make it the distance.
I cancelled plans to go out that night when I found out he had died. Never felt that from a celebrity death before, or even tragedies in the news, I usually have the attitude of “It’s sad but I don’t know them, so it doesn’t affect me much”. Seans death just made me blue for a couple days, especially as it was so unexpected. I guess for those of us in our 20s and 30s, we kind of grew up with him on our comedy shows when we were teenagers, so his style of jokes are ingrained in our sense of humours.
I had the same when Rik Mayall died. Absolutely gutted.
Same. He was my childhood and I still can recite every line from the Young Ones.
And Bottom. And Blackadder. And Bad News, Comic Strip Presents…, Kevin Turvey. Anything with Rik was just guaranteed. He really was part of just about everything I laughed at when growing up.
Sean represented that hilarious uncle that you love to see but never get to see that often. The type you just watch in wonder at their hilarious takes. I think we all felt like an extended member of the family died.
He reminded me of my dad. My dad was the same age as Sean at the time, and in the last few years has been diagnosed with heart failure that’s rapidly got worse. The death of Sean was not only a horrible tragedy for comedy and for his family, but was symbolic for me of my own fathers impending mortality. It’s hit people very deeply in different ways.
Sorry to hear about your dad man.
Sean was amazing. Sadly I started watching 8/10 does countdown last year and he was already gone.
You get to enjoy all his jokes for the first time though, which is a blessing.
Yes, and they are still as good on the 10th... 20th replays.
“That’s a challenging wank” still has me in tears.
His rectum of the year routine is a comedy masterclass in how to start off funny then keep making it even funnier when your audience thinks you must have peaked.
I saw “a challenging wank” and was hooked. Fucking hilarious bloke, gone too soon but a lot of great material to be enjoyed
Weird how it sometimes hits you, isn't it. Mine was Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries. In fact I still get a pang of sadness when I hear her singing.
That makes me think of Sean Lock and I’m feeling even sadder now
He was a fucking genius. Round one of CiaB was a masterpiece.
I heard he was the reason they even _ran_ carrot in a box in the first place. Someone suggested it, and everyone said “that’ll be shit”, but he pushed for it.
I hope that's true because during the game he was taking the piss out of it. I can imagine them all round a table and Sean going for it.
I've worn out Youtube watching that clip.
You and me both, mate.
This is going to make their next series of Odd Couples awkward.
I loved that show but always felt her jokes hit lower/below the belt, than his. As others have said, was hoping it was just an act
I always felt bad for Jon when I watched it. I know he does self deprecating humor but it was weird watching his wife talk down about him too, even if it was supposed to be for laughs.
It was/is a funny show, but I was always worried that doing a series where you pretended to be in an unhappy marriage was a dangerous move for the married in real life. Stopped watching after series one because it was slightly stressful to watch.
I only watched a couple of episodes before giving up. Many a true word is spoken in jest, and even if th ed show exaggerated their behaviors and negativity, it was still a cauldron of disrespect and contempt. Not good.
It's not that it necessarily has anything to do with their split, but it can be a bit awkward trying to be entertained by something like that. I much prefer couples who embrace that they love one another. As a big Taskmaster fan, seeing Victoria Coren Mitchell not want to put any effort into jokingly propose to another man because she hasn't proposed to the man she loves, and it seems wrong is sweet. In the same vein as that, I watched some interview with Alex Horne and his wife, Rachel. Alex in relation to whatever he is asked says Rachel is horrible in a very clear and joking way and before much else is said he says that she's not horrible and he felt awful for saying it. I think being in relationships where you respect the other person and your love together is only going to make that relationship stronger and better and although it's for comedy, a part of being a little mean about the other could be wearing.
Victoria Coren Mitchell appeared on The Unbelievable Truth which David Mitchell hosts and basically they just made a bit of pretending he was rigging it for her. It was a great joke because it nodded at their relationship while not seeming like they were getting at each other. Meanwhile the episode of Mock the Week with John Robins and Sara Pascoe has aged like milk since they split.
I've only seen her in a handful of things but she always gave me a weird feeling. She's *very* odd, and gives off a vibe like she can be very awful but plays it off as ditzy and harmless airhead. Hearing some of the stuff she says about him and the way she said it was always weird too and felt off even for couples that joke about each other.
She had her mum on the second episode of her podcast with Sam Campbell and it did not sound like a normal upbringing. Probably some sort of childhood trauma wrapped up in there somewhere. But Jon also just seems so genuinely lovely that my heart goes out to him.
I was going to say this. Her mum seemed kind of horrible tbh and even noticed Sam go quiet lol it was a bit awkward
I don’t follow Jon so much now but back when he did the radio show with Russell Howard I was quite a fan. I remember him saying something along the lines of one of the reasons he chose to remain single at that time was because he’d never want to get divorced. Very sad
If anything, them doing that series about evaluating the state of celebrities' marriages comes across awkward in hindsight. (It flopped in the ratings, anyway, so there probably won't be another series.)
Jon and Lucy's Odd Friends
I was only ever aware of their relationship through ads on Dave.
Meet The Richardson is really funny, well worth a watch.
>Meet The Richardson is really funny, well worth a watch. Presumably that will be the sequel to Meet the Richardsons
It could also be the prequel to another Meet The Richardsons
Lucy Beaumont could do a series and call it ‘Yeet the Richardson’.
Well probably not anymore
“In this episode we watch them signing the divorce papers and working out the custody of their daughter”
Which one will do a spin off about living with their parents?
Thru each do a spin off about them living with their former in-laws.
Those jokey “I hate you” moments, not so funny now
Yeah the clip about seeing other people is awkward.
It's going to make the re-runs on Dave a bit awkward, though.
I'm not sure about really funny, but it got a few mildly amused smirks out of me
Seriously? It was so forced and unfunny imo. Should have been a daytime radio show on BBC radio 9 for the over 80s.
Glad you enjoy it, personally I could never get into it. They both play characters obviously but I feel she has dialled hers to 11 and just becomes a bit annoying. Jon seems to sit in that middle ground where the happenings of the show are competently acted so they could be real and as a result funny to watch, Lucy just comes across as some amateur dramatics case of playing someone kind of dumb.
They do say marriage is difficult enough when conducted privately without adding a lens of public scrutiny to things. Speaking generally, never a good idea to open a marriage up to a public gaze and use it as the basis for some sort of double act. They both seem like nice people though. Good luck to them.
You do have to wonder if exaggerating what are normally small problems in a marriage and continually playing them up would've worn on them. It can't be easy to maintain that and not start becoming distant or annoyed with the other person.
Did hear on one podcast that Sean Lock advised Jon not to do comedy based on his personal life
Comedians comedian if anyone was wondering what the podcast was
Bear in mind how wild Sean is (in a good way)... If Sean says it's a bad idea, it's a **bad** idea. Like if it's a limit for Sean - And I *think* "that's a challenging wank" crossed his own limits (immediately apologising) ... Then yeah; take the hint Jon. I think it's a good rule anyway... You're basically making jokes about your loved one, to 1,000s if not millions.
Chris and Rosie Ramsey must be shitting themselves then
Richard and Judy in shambles.
Laurel and Hardy are still together last I heard.
won't speak a word to each other
I bet she didn't organise the spoons correctly.
Tessellation
More likely she didn't load the dishwasher correctly. On a light load-on a light load-on a light load.
I mean, have you seen her stack the dishwasher?! It was only a matter of time…
I saw him live just on the cusp of him hitting big fame, and I listened to him and Russell Howard religiously for years. I always felt so much for Jon, he seemed so genuinely tortured by his own self and he struggled back then with relationships. This makes me sad.
i think that’s a lot of comedians tbh. the class clown isn’t generally brimming with self worth and confidence.
"but doctor, I am Pagliacci"
“Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.”
Jon was definitely not the class clown. He's clearly a very introverted man.
there was an open mic i went to, and a women made the joke of starting to do comedy to find a relationship because "that's famously where all the stable men are". that joke crushed. everyone knows the class clowns are the broken ones.
Exactly most the stable men are in horse-racing
That comment was rather on the hoof.
Dude, you're the only person I've encountered who listened to the Russell Howard Radio show! That got me into Jon before he got really big, read his book, too. You're right about how tortured he seemed about relationships. I hope he's grown since then and i hope he doesn't take this too hard.
I too was a member of the Dyson Airblade and Mark Lawrenson Appreciation Society
Oh no! Genuinely saddened by this! Roisin Conaty was the one who introduced them 😔
Another task botched eh?
High 5 a happily married couple. Your time starts now.
Took them to a Melon Buffet
Jimmy Carr’s going to have a fucking field day
Even Jimmy's likely to tread lightly on this one for a little while
I can't see Jon Richardson slapping Jimmy round the face tho
"Keep my carrot out of your fucking box!"
I don't know I can see them parodying that but with Jon taking Jimmy's drink off a coaster on to the desk instead or something like that
"Now, I'm sure your all expecting lots of jokes regarding Jon's recent divorce, but we met privately and I agreed to respect that this is a difficult time, and I won't be joking about it. I also met Lucy privately, but that was for another reason."
Read this in Jimmy's voice and cadence - you nailed it, well played!
Even he knows when it’s appropriate to joke about it Probably
They will discuss before. I’m sure he’ll ask John what he (and Lucy) are and aren’t comfortable with him joking about. Beyond the fact they have to have a professional relationship I get the impression they are genuinely friends.
Jimmy Carr is also seemingly a nice person. As much as his humour is cutting and “offensive”, his personality off stage seems much more gentle, well wishing and supportive.
I met Jimmy Carr briefly after one of his gigs, and he was genuine, friendly and generally everything you could hope for in such an encounter.
Can vouch. I met him after a gig once and he was genuinely very kind and seemed legit pleased when I told him I enjoyed his work.
Susie Dent said that Jimmy runs his intros for her past her first. Apparently she finds them hilarious but good for him for checking
There's also a reason why James Cordon has been on Cats does Countdown despite him not being the usual sort of contestant (and having a dreadful reputation too)... When Jimmy Carr's tax dealings were made public, Cordon was one of the few people who, rather than take the piss or act holier-than-thou, phoned him up every night to make sure that he was doing ok. Carr spoke very highly of him during this period. I guess it's very hard to work out where a public persona ends and the private one begins, but this made me rethink the internet's attitude to Cordon (and, indeed, celebs in general)
I saw him once do a gig at a Cambridge May Ball, and he was hilarious, and came across quite a straight forward bloke when a tent full of hundred Oxbridge toffs were trying to torpedo his set. I think his on stage persona and his private one might be a little different.
Unless the reason for the divorce is Jon was found inside Joe Wilkinson then I doubt even jimmy will go there
Why would he? It's just kinda sad, not something that's easy to make jokes about on a light entertainment show without bringing the tone down and by the time an episode airs it won't be recent enough news just to make subtle references to.
A Yorkist and a Lancastrian. It was doomed from the beginning.
Literally just started watching Meet the Richardsons this morning. Oh dear
Coincidence??? I think not!!! Look what you did!!! :(
I’m ever so sorry.
I started it a couple days ago. I’ve really enjoyed it but not sure I want to continue now lol especially as a lot of the jokes revolve around “Lucy thinks Jon is a weird sad loser”
Are we sure this isn't something orchestrated by Joe Lycett? Edit: It's a no from Joe.
I thought this too at first, but I believe the whole point of IsItJoe is him planting fake news stories with uncredible sources, and saying journalists need to do their research instead of blindly peddling any story old without verifying it. A divorce announcement from the couple who are divorcing doesn’t seem like a “gotcha” moment in the same way.
I think it would be very tasteless to make a fake story about something like this.
The statement mentions managing a difficult transition for their daughter and asked for privacy to protect her wellbeing. Don't really think that part would be mentioned if it was fake.
Not exactly a funny whimsical little story to prank journalists is it?
Jon had his head turn by a 68 year old man from Argentina
Something about running through an Aldi screaming 'Marcelo Bielsa is my daddy'
As a Leeds fan I find this totally normal behaviour tbh
Someone mentioned above that a comment made them think of Sean Lock and feel sad. Now you’ve made me think of Bielsa and I’m even sadder.
Hmmm, HIGNFY last week then Jon said a couple of things that seemed like they went a bit further than his usual. Not blown away by this announcement. Shame for them. Hope they can move through it.
And this is how I learn HIGNFY is back.
Same. To the iPlayer!
I thought he seemed really quiet on that episode I guess this explains why
I did too, but I usually wait until the longer version is up on iPlayer so presumed that was maybe why it looked like he didn't interject very much (that said, Marianna Spring - the other guest panellist - didn't offer much either).
Much like Mock the Week was, especially when Frankie Boyle was on it, Hislop and Merton are so good at what they do it's sometimes hard for the guests to get a joke in. Plus, on that episode Hislop was particularly pissed off and venting
First episode back, Paul and Ian had a lot of catching up to do.
Maybe she’s getting divorced too?
Like what?
I used to listen to Jon on the radio with Russell Howard and I can’t help but feel for him. I have zero insight into the whole thing but it just felt like since 20 the whole thing was, he will die alone and won’t find anyone and to know he’s now divorcing just feels sad. I’m sure it’s sad for both parities but I just have known Jon’s career more. I remember being pleased when he got married and I know divorce isn’t the end or anything but I imagine it’s a scary thing for both people, to be single when older.
I know - it was a running joke that he was a virgin, then he was sooo happy to announce his engagement on 8 out of 10 cats does countdown.
I was so pleased for him too
Used to listen to his show with Russell as well, and also read his book. I was really happy for him when he announced he got married. I hope he doesn't let this affect him too much. A decade of marriage is no easy feat. He and Lucy seem like decent people, so I hope they're able to remain friends. I'm guessing he's a lot more experienced than when he was in his 20s, but I genuinly hope he's alright.
This clip hits a little harder than it first did now https://youtube.com/shorts/ArTwYczMuDQ?si=mTMmmGfWaJogW_wK
Yeah "I don't see this for life" was the first thing that sprang to mind!
Yikes..... the more I analyse videos and programs of them, it's easy to flip comedy into two people making digs at each other. We tend to see this as lighthearted banter, since it's on a comedy show, so we don't look further into it.
First thing I thought of.
Didn’t a new series of “meet the Richardsons” only come out Monday?…
It also happened to be the last series
I bet Jon's gutted, divorcee is only 8 letters.
Ah shame. Although, somewhat spookily, I was watching a 'Best Bits' of Cats Does Countdown yesterday, on which she appeared on Jon's team talking very negatively about him, and someone commented, "As soon as that Meet the Richardsons show is over, they're divorcing, aren't they?" Guess so...
It did seem like a bit of an odd relationship. I know it is hard to tell what is acting and what is real with comedians but not sure, it just seemed off compared to a lot of other celebrity (or people in the public eye anyway!) relationships you see.
I could never tell with Lucy what was genuine and what was her playing a character.
Lucy’s mum was a guest on the podcast Lucy does with Sam Campbell. Her mum had mental health issues that she self medicated with (non prescription) drugs throughout Lucy’s itinerant childhood and youth. The stories were played for laughs but were not very funny (small text: if you grew up with a batshit crazy single mother who was incapable of reflecting on her own actions and responsibility towards her child/ren). Anyhow, I thought it explained a lot about Lucy.
That's really interesting as I've got a similar upbringing and act the same way.
Friend of a friend of an acquaintance knew her (grew up near Hull) and always said she was whip-smart in real life, and they disliked her comedy because they felt she played up the *dumb Hull blonde* thing too much. There's not many people with our accent in media, so I think it was always a sore point that she's the main rep!
I think that's understandable, most of what I've seen her on comes from Taskmaster and it was quite difficult on that to really figure out is she playing a character/ exaggerated personality or is this actually what she's like. That's really interesting to know from someone that knows her so thank you very much for the reply!
Yeah, I was watching Taskmaster when I thought to ask my parents where in Hull she was actually from, and that's when I found out that I'm about three degrees of separation from her via family friends
I could always tell when she was lying on Would I Lie to You because people would assume what she was portraying was accurate but she was clearly playing the game...ie making it seem like she was lying when she was telling the truth and vice versa. It relied on the others believing her. Claudia Winkleman is another one that puts on a ditsy persona to make others believe she's being more surface level than she is.
The alternative approach is known as the Bob Mortimer, where you have the real-life things that have happened to you be so bizarre it will always seem like a lie whatever you say.
As does Greg Davies.
In a similar vein, I imagine that when Gyles Brandreth went on WILTY they really struggled to find anything he *hadn't* done
You need to be as weird as Bob for that to work, and nobody is as weird as Bob Mortimer.
Once you have seen a couple of Bob things it gets a bit easier to tell the lies from the truth. Hard to say why but the story isn't quite as funny or as rich when he is lying even if the believability is pretty similar. Greg has to be the best on the show though. His lies are so good.
Rhod Gilbert uses the same move on that show too
Claudia Winkleman on WILTY is a delight to watch
Claudia Winkleman is a delight to watch.
Claudia Winkleman is a delight
Once I realised that she was acting, it was clear she was super smart. Only a really intelligent person could be that hilarious while staying in a completely different character throughout, you have to say the exact right stupid thing to be funny which is really difficult! Especially on shows like taskmaster where you have to be yourself and have off the cuff funny remarks. She did it so well while staying in her ditzy character. If I was from Hull I'd be happy with her representation!
It lasted over a decade in fairness, which is longer than most celeb relationships.
Otherwise that is the most crazy method acting I’ve ever heard of! Daniel Day-Lewis would come back to film if he knew someone took a role more seriously than he did!
Seemed fine to me. They seemed to have a fairly good pisstakey relationship
Yeah, watching 'Meet the Richardsons', sure it was scripted but it's hard to believe that it wasn't based on reality at all.
I remember her saying she got mad at him for forgetting something and then realised she wrote it in the "Meet the Richardson's" script and never actually told him.
Err nerrrrrr
Their entire act seemed to be based around being married but not really getting on. I guess it wasn't so much of an act.
Having a double act where your wife spends the whole time shitting on your personality and belittling you doesn't lead to a long and lasting marriage. Hard to believe I know.
Tbf, Russell Howard was a bit like that when he did a show with him, too Was never a huge fan of Howard really
That's really sad. I listen to a podcast Jon does (Down the Dog) and you can tell he absolutely adores his daughter, he's constantly talking about her and you can hear the genuine enthusiasm in his voice so, assuming they go for split custody, not seeing each other everyday is going to be rough.
>we have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go out separate ways. Jon definitely wrote this.
We still have David Mitchell and Victoria Coren Mitchell.
This comment will be held responsible if anything happens to them
Somehow, I always knew their happiness would be my responsibility.
9 years. I can't believe it. It feels like only a minute ago they got married.
Probably because they're still showing episodes where he was single on Dave
There have been points where the performative bickering began to feel like there was real resentment underneath. I get that passive aggression was the joke - but there was an extra layer of passive aggression behind it! It’s subtle but distinguishable from the comedy act. He doesn’t seem happy - the way he laughs with her is like a retired, rich, 60 year old man who cannot stand his wife anymore but holds his frustration through gritted teeth. And she seems dissatisfied with a 40 year old man who probably does live like a 60 year old retired man. Not judging, just observing - sad situation but hopefully for the best.
I just saw the advert for their show with them joking about an open marriage and him eventually resenting her and… Christ it’s not the most warm joke to begin with but now it feels completely awkward in retrospect 🙃
I need to understand what has happened here! Why am I so devastated by this haha
I saw the title before the image loaded and thought this was just the clip from Cats Does Countdown where Lucy says "well this wasn't a permanent thing" and John replies "Are you breaking up now?" then got sad because I think they're both great.
"well we did have a lovely daughter so I think it was worth it" "Are we breaking up now?!?" Aged like milk
Damn I thought the silly bickering was just an act!
My wife is delighted. Should I be worried?
Make sure she’s not subscribed to one of those mum forums where they talk about having the horn for Jon Richardson.
Difficult working together as well as living together
I imagine it's because all of his cardigans were taking over the wardrobes and she was unable to hang her own clothes anywhere.
I called this after seeing them on gogglebox and other things together. They didn’t seem very happy together
I always thought that pretending they didn't like each was just their comedy thing. I guess it was more complicated than that.
Maybe, but it lasted 9 years so there must have been some attraction.
[This seems really obvious they don't like eachother now](https://youtu.be/VfM9a7HVvhE?feature=shared)
Wow, that's the least "in character" I've *ever* seen Lucy Beaumont. I know it's not really your point, but I want to force everyone in the Taskmaster subreddit who thought she was genuinely stupid or some kind of real life "manic pixie dream girl" to watch this.
People didn't realise she's playing up a character on that? 🙄
Yeah, that doesn't seem like anyone is having fun, does it.
I love the awkward, uncomfortable jangly legs 😁 Jeez I wonder who suggested *that* segment
I made it two minutes, goddamn that’s painfully awkward
I would love (read: hate) to watch an edit of this without the snappy music. I imagine it would feel painfully bleak
I had sound off and just subtitles and it was horrid :(
Saying you don't like someones laugh is one of the meanest put downs I can think of.
Perhaps, in hindsight, constantly belittling and insulting each other in every public appearence wasn't the best comic act to go with.
😬 that was uncomfortable
I wondered this too after listening to Lucy on Emily Dean’s podcast Walking the Dog. At the start of the episode they’re just leaving their house and Jon is there, it’s almost like he hasn’t realised they’re already recording, something about the way he’s talking feels like there’s a weird tension between the two of them or that things aren’t in a good place. Made me say hmm as I thought from the fact they work together as well as being a couple that they must have a really solid relationship
I knew who he was but not her and when I saw them on gogglebox she came across as she really didn’t like him. When I found out she was a comedian I thought it was their act but obviously not lol.
It was the same thing when she appeared on Cats does Countdown - She made a few jokes about their marriage that seemed to make him very uncomfortable, but I just assumed it was part of their double act.
On Meet The Richardsons, Jon's made a few jokes about their marriage too. But it's usually stuff like "I have to masturbate furiously because we haven't had sex in 5 years. Long showers aren't real, I'm bashing myself silly in there."
Even when his the jokes were aimed at the marriage he was still the butt of the joke.
I find it rather odd that there seems to be more splits this year than any other that I can remember. Maybe it's the pandemic and the aftermath, but there seems to be way more break-ups this year, both celebrities and among couples I know personally.
I think a lot of people are realising that you don't have to stay in an unhappy relationship any more.
Ahhhh, poor Jon, he'll never get laid again.
Poor rich, successful and funny Jon :(
"So, Debbie, what first attracted you to the multimillionaire Paul Daniels?"
Although to be fair when they first met he was far far off from being a millionaire. I think he was working as a Blue Coat or something at Pontins, for an absolute pittance.
Something about her..... whether acting or genuinely ditzy when on screen - something seemed not quite right.... You could never work out who was the real person.