Doing stand-up with a stammer? It's all about timing

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Bobby

Since enrolling on comedy course just two years ago, Bobby Jethro has won competitions and performed with many top names. Here, he tells us about keeping it from his parents, the challenges of doing stand-up with a stammer, and how he's using it into his advantage.

I started doing stand-up just under two years ago when I took an eight-week comedy course. I've always enjoyed stand-up comedy but it wasn't until I watched Chris Rock in Leeds in 2022 that I was bitten by the comedy bug. Since then I've gone out of my way to watch as much live comedy as I can. 

I never thought of doing it myself until 2024, when I watched a podcast with the legend that is Tez Ilyas. He talked about doing the open mic circuit, putting in the graft. Working 9-5 then doing gigs straight after work. I could just visualise it, and that inspired me to give it a go. I signed up for the course and never looked back.

Also, a special mention to the phenomenal Drew Lynch. I remember being in awe of his performance on America's Got Talent and thinking, WOW! You can use your stammer in stand-up and be funny! 

Double life

I remember the exact day my stammer started. I was trying to answer a question in class and couldn't get the words out. I was so confused as to what was going on. 

Mum thought I was dating! I remember thinking, I wish it was true! I'd much rather be doing that than trying to make these ungrateful people laugh! 

I started speech & language therapy, then went to group sessions as a teenager. Then I joined an adult support group, where I've made great friends. These things have been so important for me, as there's nothing worse than feeling isolated and lonely. Often getting bullied growing up was tough.

I remember my mum wanting to "shield me from the world" as she didn't want people making fun of my stammer. Look at me now, Mum! She's super proud of me doing stand-up and I owe anything I accomplish to my parents. Their support, wisdom and life lessons I cherish so dearly. 

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Bobby performing at The Comedy Store in London

Funnily enough, I didn't tell my family I was doing stand-up for the first 18 months. I was leading a double life. Mum thought I was dating! I remember thinking, I wish it was true! I'd much rather be doing that than trying to make these ungrateful people laugh! 

I wasn't sure how my parents would react. Stand-up involves travelling alone for long distances to do unpaid gigs, for the first few years at least. Also, I still wasn't 100% sure I was going to stick at it.

It was when my father passed away recently that I decided to come clean and tell Mum, as she was so scared. What motivates me is making my family proud, especially my dad, who didn't know I did stand-up. Mum said he would've been so proud of me too.

Achievements

Doing stand-up for the first time was scary, especially with a stammer. I remember my comedy teacher telling me: "You won't be able to hide it on stage, neither should you! You should address it. Take the power back and make it your superpower!" Words I live by to this day!

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Bobby with Shazia Mirza

Thankfully I've received incredible feedback and have had great success in competitions, including Omid Djalili's Best Stand-Up Comedian Newcomer competition, where I was a finalist at what was only my 17th ever gig! I performed in front of Omid and Paul Chowdhry, and was awarded ‘Joke of the night' by Omid himself. 

Since then, I've supported Syed Ahmed Raza and Ola Labib on their tours, I've performed on the same bill as the legendary Shazia Mirza and I'm going to open for Michael Shafar in December. Most recently, I was in Mo Gilligan's Comedy Brunch and even made it onto TV, being featured in Rosie Jones' Disability Comedy Extravaganza on UKTV, which you can watch below. I'm on at 47:37. (Ed: warning, video contains swears.)

Challenges

The biggest challenge I have is that comedy is all about timing. What's frustrating is that I don't know when I'm going to stammer. Sometimes it happens mid-punchline, which is super annoying and it almost ruins the build up. I joke about this in my act, though.

My pet hate is being asked if my stammer is an act, if I'm putting it on. The audacity! Like talking isn't already hard enough. Yes, you know what, let's make a scary task — which most would shy away from — that involves timing and talking on stage in front of complete strangers who are going to judge me, EVEN HARDER FOR MYSELF!!! I have a joke about this too. Watch it on my Instagram @bobby.jethro

My pet hate is being asked if my stammer is an act, if I'm putting it on. The audacity! 

I'd be lying if I said such accusations don't affect me. But I try not to let other people's ignorance affect me. In fact, it inspires me to educate, entertain and inform them.

Motivation

A principle I've always lived by is to do the things people said I cannot do. There's no greater motivator than proving people wrong. I've worked all sorts of jobs you wouldn't normally think a person with a stammer would do. I've worked in the retail and hospitality sector for 10+ years, serving customers, and then in a call centre (I know).

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Bobby with Mo Gilligan

It's almost like I said to myself ‘how far can I take this stammer thing?', which ultimately led to performing stand-up in front of strangers.

What inspires me and keeps me going is being the only British-Pakistani Muslim stammering comic, inspiring others who stammer and raising awareness.

One of my proudest moments was recently, at a comedy club in Liverpool. An audience member approached me, told me they stammered too and said how much of an inspiration I was. That genuinely made me emotional as it makes all the struggle of being a new comic worth it. It means I'm doing something right and is precisely what inspires me to keep going!

For the first time I feel like I have found something I am good at and what fulfils me. I love that feeling of being able to tell jokes that I have written and getting people to laugh. That is magical.

I have big plans, and want to put stammering and my hometown of Bradford on the map. Watch this space! (Humblebrag: me and Gareth Gates were born in the same area in Bradford, and even attended the same school.) 

I'm going to end on one of my favourite lines... "To make a short story long!"

Thank you, and please drop us a follow on Instagram @bobby.jethro It would mean a lot!

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