SOMEBODY pinch me. Just had a bite to eat with comedy genius and Baggies fan
Frank Skinner.
He'd just finished his show at the Toronto Festival and I managed to introduce myself outside the stage door. It's not often I queue up waiting for 'celebrities', although Skinner is so down to earth I'm sure he doesn't see himself as such.
It was as if we were having a sarnie in some Oldbury cafe. The difference was the pretty girl who sidles over and manages to interrupt our chat: "Just to say I thought your routine tonight was fantastic", she smiles.
I tell Frank, (I can call him by his first name now) that it is my ambition for a pretty stranger to compliment me over dinner one day: "Loved that match report you filed last week", she might say.
Frank's been up in Montreal for a few days and hasn't had any internet access, so he is delighted to be told the Albion gossip from back home- two players and a trialist in and another out.
He's not looking forward to his 6am wake-up call, but has managed to cram in some useful sight seeing: the CN Tower and Niagra Falls- and he saw the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins.
Never knew he was such a baseball fan.
His ten minute slot had gone down well infront of a packed audience, he used some of the good old stuff mixed with some new. But the audience is definitely more taken with the American humour of John Pinette who is a big name over here. 'Big' definitely the word there. Roly-poly if you like.
Frank says he could see the pair one day playing Laurel and Hardy on the big screen, but admits it may never take off.
The host of the comedy night had been a Canadian by the name of Howie Mandel, not known at all in Britain but a huge star on these shores.
He is host of the Canadian version of Deal or No Deal, although Skinner tells me the show is slightly different over there.
"Howie told me that the boxes are opened by 26 super models in his show", he says.
Something Noel Edmonds might like to ponder?
Comments (1)
Is he like on stage, or does he have a different persona when relaxing?
Posted by Trotter | August 7, 2007 3:33 PM
Posted on August 7, 2007 15:33