“I cannot wait to do that gig because I could happily camp in the rain for three days!”
Comedian Fred Cooke talks Fatherhood, comedy, Electric Picnic and more…
Fred Cooke delivers a unique brand of comedy through his musical prowess and wildly crafted physical story-telling.
Currently appearing as the affable MC on The Tommy Tiernan Show – Ireland’s number one talk show which airs every Saturday night – Fred is a consistent contributor on both RTE (The Today Show with Maura and Daithí) and Virgin Media (Ireland AM, The Six O’Clock Show). In 2019 he cha-cha-changed up the pace with his much-acclaimed stint on Dancing With The Stars, and most recently appeared in the hugely popular 2023 series Réaltaí na Gaeltachta.
A well-known face on the Irish comedic circuit, Fred has supported comedy heavy-hitters such as Tommy Tiernan, Ardal O’Hanlon, Dermot and Dave and Seann Walsh. He is a regular at the UK and Ireland’s top comedy clubs (The Stand, The Comedy Store, The Empire, The Laughter Lounge – Dublin) and a familiar face on both the Irish and UK festival scene, having sold out previous Edinburgh runs.
Fred burst onto Irish TV screens back in the noughties in The Fear and Republic of Telly, with his Republic of Telly Hidden camera prank reaching 1,661,213 hits on Youtube. His collaboration on Ireland the Musical brought him around every county in Ireland through music and surreal sketches. It now stands at over half a million views.
An unmissable act, Fred brings a special brand of comedic chaos to every show, and is hugely entertaining. A night with Fred is a night not to forget!
“With stand up and to be funny, especially when it comes to creating content, I have to find a base level of who I am and working is ‘me time,’ that comes with no guilt. It is nice to still be ‘myself,’ rather than Dad,’’ said Fred Cooke.
“At a certain level, being a Comedian is a hard job but realistically my job is to come back to the same places and venues 12 months later with new material and be funny. I’m always gigging so I can test new material on a regular basis. Comedy is tough but at the same time, it is comedy and it is planned around people having a laugh. My sister is a Nurse and when I see people like her do that job, I say to myself ‘I couldn’t do that job for two minutes, I would be out the door!’
“My sons Ted (4) and JJ (almost one) do and say the funniest things. I was half thinking of calling my new tour ‘Father Fred!’ As a Meath man living in Kerry, I noticed recently that my son is starting to sound like Jackie Healy - Rae. The older the boys get, they keep giving me material, they are great,’’ he enthused.
Cooke continues to get a huge buzz from going on stage and interacting with his audience.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else (but on the stage). From the time I did my first gig I remember thinking how special it was witnessing people looking in the same direction, having a laugh; I honestly couldn’t think of anything better to do for a job. I’m going to be performing at Electric Picnic, I cannot wait to do that gig because I could happily camp in the rain for three days! These are gigs that I performed at last year as well so it is like a reunion for all of us Irish and English Comedians. I love the craic of it and I love comedians talking about comedy in a self-deprecating way. This job suits me and I’m very lucky that I make money out of it.”
In terms of the future?
“Hopefully I will be back to MC ‘The Tommy Tiernan Show,’; the genuine interest that Tommy has in people is incredible, the silence is powerful and he certainly gets the best from his interviewees. It is insane for me to witness the interviews take place in real time. There is no show like it in the world, it is a completely different energy to anything else I’ve seen. I’m always permanently surprised as I don’t know who the guests are until around half six or seven o’clock. Tommy is someone I’ve always admired and I still do (admire him), ’’ imparted Cooke.
“I have a new tour ‘Clown to Earth,’ taking to the road from October in Belfast with the main gig taking place in Liberty Hall on Valentines Night next February and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’m constantly working on new material and at the moment, I come up with a lot of my ideas when I’m hoovering or drying the dishes. Currently, I find when I’m driving I can ask SIRI to write a note on my phone and all of these ideas are there which is great for content,” finished Fred Cooke.