With her self-described “small, feral woman” persona, Lucy Beaumont brings a lighthearted touch to her words, but it’s her sharp northern wit and fearless approach to comedy that have truly captured the hearts of audiences. Born in Hull, Lucy spent years entertaining viewers alongside her then-partner Jon Richardson in the popular Dave series Meet the Richardsons, which she also co-wrote, as well as hosting Channel 4’s ‘Jon and Lucy’s Odd Couples’.
Having bid farewell to her long-standing comedy partnership both on and off stage, Lucy is now forging ahead with new projects, including a podcast with a former Taskmaster contestant and her own stand-up tour ‘Lucy Beaumont Live’. As she’s just turned 41, OK! asked if she feels any different.
Her response seems straightforward: “I don’t feel any different really.”
However, she adds: “Just a bit angrier and not willing to take any s**t from anyone.”, reports the Mirror.
Although Lucy isn’t new to the scene, her visibility has surged in the 12 years since her BBC New Comedy Award win. Her role in the Bafta-nominated Meet the Richardsons significantly raised her profile, yet it’s clear that stand-up comedy remains her true passion.
“Live shows are unbeatable, there’s nothing like it because it’s so immediate. And each show is totally different. You can sort of get the same reaction because they’re well bedded-in shows, but each audience has a different personality it’s mad, and really fascinating. You can say something off hand and it can be the best gag of the show you just don’t get that with TV! “. .
Lucy, who proudly hails from Hull, was raised by her playwright mother, Gill Adams, who bagged an Edinburgh Fringe Festival award in 1997 for best new play. Lucy studied drama at the University of Hull while working as a teaching assistant.
After graduation, she found it challenging to secure consistent acting gigs and ended up cleaning at her former university.
The mum of one believes these experiences, coupled with witnessing her mum’s hard work and triumphs, have shaped her into the comedian she is today. “It never feels that bad because you sort of do it in fits and starts,” she says.
“Once you’ve done teaching and 40-hour weeks, you just feel so grateful. It feels like a real honour doing this sort of job. You’re just trying to make people laugh.”
Last year, Lucy was in the running for a Bafta in the Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme category for her role in “However, having completed the mockumentary-style show Meet the Richardsons, would she be open to participating in more reality TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing or I’m A Celeb? ” competing with the likes of Daisy May Cooper, Diane Morgan, and Derry Girls’ award-winner Siobhan McSweeney. Despite the recognition, she openly discusses the hurdles faced as a woman in the traditionally male-dominated comedy scene.
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“I grew up seeing things very differently. It was only when I got into comedy clubs that people were telling me ‘women aren’t funny’, and I couldn’t understand it because I knew that my mum was the funniest person I knew.”
She believes it’s vital to challenge these perceptions: “If people don’t call it out, it could easily slip back because it’s an unconscious bias. The sexism in everything is still there, exactly as it was years ago, but every now and then people feel confident enough to say stuff like that. It’s still a man’s industry and there’s still this bias that actually comedy is a man’s thing, and it can’t be further from the truth.”
Riding on the success of her stand-up tour this year, which has been extended until December due to popular demand, Lucy is set to perform at the London Palladium on 4 October in what she describes as a “real pinch-me moment”.
“When it comes to what’s funny, sometimes you don’t know until you test it out on an audience. That’s scary and really exciting. My thing is, ‘What can make the audience laugh the most in 90 minutes? ‘ and I pick and choose based on that. There’s a fine line between oversharing personal things and sharing enough so people feel it’s authentic. And the learning is working out where that boundary is.”
However, one subject that she refuses to divulge is her recent separation from husband Jon, which they made public in April. Inquired about her present emotions, Lucy respectfully declines comment.
“People might think I should talk about it because we were so public and everyone knew us as a couple, but I won’t, and not because there’s any animosity,” she says. “We both decided that even if others find it odd not hearing anything about it, we wouldn’t speak about anything related to the marriage or each other.”
Meanwhile, Lucy’s intrepid comedic spirit garnered applause for her stint on Channel 4’s Taskmaster with co-stars Sam Campbell, Sue Perkins, Julian Clary, and Susan Wokoma.
Her antics on the game show cum jesting competition led Reddit users to declare her “simultaneously the worst and best contestant ever”. “That sums me up nicely! ” she chuckles.
“I was just being myself really.”
After wrapping up the mockumentary series Meet the Richardsons, she was asked about her interest in joining shows like Strictly Come Dancing or I’m A Celeb, to which she responded decidedly: “No, no, no, never ever,” adding with conviction, “I find something a bit apocalyptic about them! I’m a bit over reality TV.”
She then outlined her ambitions, saying, “My goal is to create a sitcom, and I hope to perform in theatre, which is where I started before comedy. Although I didn’t make much money from it, the experiences you have while pursuing your goals shape who you are, and for me, that was teaching. I’m sure I’ll go back to that someday too.”
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