Harry Hill says stepfather’s death inspired him to take plunge into comedy
Harry Hill: ‘I was absolutely merciless’ in pursuit of comedy career
- Comedian Harry Hill revealed on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that his stepfather’s death from cancer inspired his career change from medicine to stand-up.
- Hill explained that his stepfather's passing made him determined to avoid a similar fate of working his entire life without enjoying retirement.
- He attributed his relentless drive in comedy to his demanding medical career, where he often worked 80-100 hours a week.
- He said “I was absolutely merciless” in trying to get bookings: “It’s not the funniest people that get on, it’s the pushiest. And I was pushy.”
- Hill won the Perrier Award for best newcomer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1992 and later went on to create and present Harry Hill’s TV Burp on ITV.