has revealed once fired him for a rather strange reason.
The comedian is now a household name, but Jason first started to gain popularity as fellow comic Paddy’s warm-up act in 2006.
Signing him up for the gig apparently had the opposite effect than desired, however, as Paddy for getting too many laughs from the crowd.
star, 42, has revealed that he initially jumped at the chance to open up for the Take Me Out host, 50, as, when he was Jason was earning £70 a night performing as a club comic in the early noughties.
When the call came to support Paddy Jason ‘snapped their hand off’ following a proposal of being ‘done by 8:15pm’ and earning ‘£100 a show’.
‘It certainly beats performing at Leicester Jongleurs and having beer bottles thrown at me,’ Jason told .
‘I signed up for the whole tour which was around 80 dates, I was thinking I could put down a deposit on a little flat in Manchester or something.
‘Around six or seven gigs in I thought I was doing really well as I was “club ready”, my act was really polished, but I then got a call from the tour manager and he said to me, “They’ve decided to go in a different direction for support. I think you’re a bit too funny”.’
Well, technically that’s a compliment… right?
Jason added that Paddy was ‘new to stand-up’ at the time, believing audiences enjoyed his material because his family-friendly jokes were of a similar vibe to his
‘Paddy was new to stand up and because I was a bit similar to Peter Kay, who was my hero, I suppose the audience that were coming off the back of Phoenix Nights were kind of my people who laugh at the same things as me,’ Jason explained.
‘So ended up getting sacked as Paddy’s tour support, even though one night I did longer than him on stage!’
Despite being cut from the tour, Jason has assured that there’s no bad blood.
When Paddy announced tickets for his 2024 tour in November, Jason even poked fun, telling him: ‘If you’re looking for tour support, I know a decent comic.’
Ever the jokester, Paddy replied: ‘Do pass on his details.’
He’s continued to sing Paddy’s praises, saying that if he were to ‘sit around a table’ with the alongside comics Harry Hill, Dara O’Briain, Sarah Millican, and even Peter, ‘Paddy would be the funniest person at that table.’
‘In company, he is hilarious.
‘So if he can get whatever he’s got when you’re just talking to him and replicate on stage, he’s onto a winner.’
Jason and Paddy will both be on the road at the same time next year, with Jason’s tour, A Manford All Seasons, following the success of his Like Me tour which ran for nearly two years.
Meanwhile, Paddy will perform in theatres across the country, starting in November and continuing well into 2025.
Reps for Paddy McGuinness have been contacted for comment.
