Introduction
Tom Mayhew is a professional stand-up comedian, writer, and podcaster. Recently, snooker fans were familiar with Tom Mayhew due to his participation in the the Virtual Betfred World Snooker Championship. Representing Judd Trump, Tom beat virtual Yan Bingtao in a 16-man event on the Snooker 19 video game, before losing to an opponent playing as Kyren Wilson.
Since he started his comedy career at 18, the working-class comedian started shining in prestigious comedy awards. He won the Comedy Store’s King Gong in 2016 and reached the final of the 2017 Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year. His 2019 show at the Edinburgh Festival, I, Tom Mayhew was critically acclaimed and had a sold out run at the Soho Theatre. Tom also runs a podcast to promote working-class artists and creatives.
We had a lovely chat earlier about his experiences and our interview is underneath. Enjoy!
Interview – Tom Mayhew
Life as a Virtual Snooker Player
CoR: Since you were confirmed in the line-up of the Virtual World Snooker Championship, how weird has the last couple of weeks been for you?
Tom Mayhew: Very weird, to be honest! I love snooker. I’m the kind of geek that follows the live score updates during tournaments that I can’t watch. Sometimes, my girlfriend will ask why I am reading the Wikipedia page of a random snooker player! I enjoy following how all the tour players do year-on-year and how all the stats shape up.
So the idea of taking part in an officially sanctioned Snooker World Championship is amazing for me. I know it might sound ridiculous because it’s just a video game, but it’s the closest I’ll get to achieving every snooker fan’s dream of playing in a World Championship!
CoR: How were you asked to be part of it in the first place?
Tom Mayhew: I got a direct message from the Snooker 19 Twitter account and they asked if I would be interested. I guessed I was on their radar because I have been streaming the game a lot since it was released, on my gaming YouTube page called Tommy Triangle.
CoR: Did you feel any pressure when you were playing?
Tom Mayhew: MASSIVE pressure. I don’t mind telling people that playing there made me feel as nervous as some of my earliest stand-up gigs did.
There were times when I took on shots that I usually wouldn’t have taken, because I kept thinking about what kind of shot the viewers would think I should be taking. There were shots I messed up that I have never messed up before. I can only put that down to the pressure of the virtual Crucible! I know it is just a video game. But the winner will receive a trophy at the Crucible, a signed cue, and watch snooker at the World Championships! When you’re playing for a very real prize like that, it makes you really nervous.
Loving Snooker
CoR: Considering you must be a fan of snooker, what was your favourite memory of the sport?
Tom Mayhew: The one match that always sticks in my memory is Paul Hunter’s 10-9 victory over Ronnie O’Sullivan in the 2004 Masters final. It was incredible to watch this young, cool underdog take on a legend of the game, and to play the way he did. There are not many sporting moments that have quite stuck with me as that final has. I will always remember seeing Paul lift the trophy and being blown away by the performance I had just seen. It is truly gutting how short his life was, but damn, did he achieve a hell of a lot in it.
CoR: Who is your favourite snooker player and why?
Tom Mayhew: My favourite of all-time would be Paul Hunter. He never gave up, which is exemplified by his three Masters’ victories by the age of 25. I think the only recent player to have won three Triple Crown events by that age is Ding Junhui. It is incredible that no-one has made a proper documentary about him, as he’s a player who should still be regularly talked about far more than he is.
CoR: Have you been to one of the venues to watch snooker?
Tom Mayhew: I haven’t, sadly! I live near Watford, so I was tempted to go to the Shootout for the last couple of years. Unfortunately, the dates clashed with gigs I had booked.
Obviously I would love to go and watch snooker at the Crucible. My last gig before the lockdown was actually in Sheffield. I just sat outside and just looked at the Crucible for around 10 minutes before going to my gig. I’d like to imagine that one day, I will be invited to play there in some sort of Celebrity Comic Relief event. But that’s just wishful thinking! More than anything, I am hoping someone sees this interview and thinks that’s a brilliant idea!
Standing Up
CoR: How did you get started in stand-up comedy?
Tom Mayhew: I started watching shows like Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week. I knew instantly I wanted to make people laugh for a living. I did my first gig a couple of months after turning 18 years old, so I’d often get ID’d in pubs I was performing in. At 23, I started gigging regularly, and I haven’t looked back since.
CoR: Who are your comedy influences?
Tom Mayhew: When I was first discovering comedy, I watched a lot of stand-up from Jon Richardson and Russell Howard. My main influences at the moment are people like Josie Long, Jeremy Hardy, and Mark Thomas. John Virgo is an influence, too!
CoR: What do you think you will do once this lockdown ends?
Tom Mayhew: I will probably go see my girlfriend and her family. I haven’t seen her in person for over two months, which has been very weird. I will also go to the pub with some mates and it will feel like Christmas!
Acknowledgments
Many thanks go to Tom Mayhew for taking his time out to be interviewed by me. Here is a snippet of his stand-up routine and I recommend you give it a listen too! Here is a link to his website: https://www.tommayhew.co.uk/
I take no credit for the photos and videos used in this interview. In particular, I am giving credit to Steve Best for two black and white images, including the featured image.
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