Sara Pascoe gives Dominic Byrne comedy tips on Radio X

Sara Pascoe joined The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X to share her advice with co-host Dominic Byrne, ahead of his slot at the Rode Comedy Festival later this month.

It will be only Dom’s second ever stand-up comedy performance.

Sara had watched footage of Dom’s debut earlier this year at the Comedy Store’s King Gong show and admitted she had to pause the video when he called his wig a “hairy sword.”

She joked: “When I was told Dom wants to do stand-up comedy, instantly my hackles rose. Absolutely. And I said, ‘There are enough comedians. How dare he!’ But the minute I started watching you, I thought, ‘No, Dom can do this.’ You’re very confident, and you really look like you were having a nice time, and that’s 80 per cent of the work.”

Offering tips for newer comics, Sara explained: “What I always say to new comedians is that the most engaging thing is to watch someone having an emotional reaction. Quite often you can get really angry about one thing, or frustrated, and that’s so compelling that you have to be emotionally attached to your material.”

Dom’s first set had included a personal story about his parents selling the family home and “abandoning” him, which Sara thought could be developed further.

She suggested linking themes together for greater impact: “Is it because you’re bald? Is that why you bought the wig? You can link things together thematically.”

Laughing about his choice of words for the wig, Dom called it his “superhero power,” while Chris Moyles joined in the amusement.

The exchange ended with Sara encouraging Dom to lean into his confidence on stage and keep finding humour in personal experiences.

Dom will perform at the Rode Comedy Festival later this month, marking another step in his unexpected journey from breakfast radio to live comedy.

Tune into The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X weekdays from 6:30am – 10am and on Global Player.