So imagine the courage it must have taken for the 15 wannabe stand up comedians who entered the BBC South Stand up if you Dare challenge - filmed at Laughter-House Comedy Club in Basingstoke last night.
Okay, it was the opposite end of the scale to the usual acts Laughter-House bring in... but promoting awareness of live comedy is always dear to my heart.
So what did they have to do? First off - attend the 'Boot Camp' where myself and Mervyn Stutter were appointed Comedy Mentors.
One woman turned up with a dog on the end of a lead. We were slightly nonplussed but apparently she 'thought he'd like to join in'. We all watched expectantly as he wandered up to the mic and considered cocking his leg. He didn't. Probably a good decision.
By the time a few of them had wandered up to the mic I was worrying. Some people appeared to think that just telling a story (because that's what Peter Kaye does) is how you do it. I have news for any who wants to do stand up comedy - shouting "Garlic Bread" down a mic takes a lot of practice. Trust me on this.
Some however were pretty impressive. As mentors we dispensed cheerful advice on tweaking and timing. All the acts joined in with the feedback and there was some definite 'bonding' going on.
The Big Night was last night. This time the fear was palpable - but I took a couple of valium and quickly settled. The stand ups were bricking it. Some gave interviews for BBC South....and the room filled with their family and friends keen to support them. No pressure then.
They were all amazing!. They were far better than I thought they would be. They'd listened and learned on the Bootcamp and re-written loads of material. I was particularly proud of a few of the Laughter-House regulars who gave it a go....Glen Forder, Calvin Sharpe, Dan Keilty and 'Boo' ...well done guys.
The reaction when Glen bounced onto the stage in a black stretch one-piece was a sight to see. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of him dressed like that....only this one
Today there are fifteen would-be comedians walking on air. Because they DID IT. You'll be able to see it on you tube soon. Watch this space!
The moral of the story? It's never too late to give it a go....
.....and if your friends enjoyed the night can you kindly remind them that we run great comedy on the first Thursday of the month at Laughter-House Comedy Club....with 4 April being no exception :)
See you there.
