Grace Campbell hits back at male comedian who branded her sex jokes 'lazy'
A male comic told Grace Campbell that talking about sex so much made her look like a lazy comedienne.
Grace Campbell has hit back at a male comedian who criticised her for relying on her sex life for stand-up material, insisting she should be free to perform comedy on her own terms.
The unnamed entertainer told the 32-year-old comic that talking about romps so much made her look like a "lazy" comedienne.
But Grace has hit back, insisting she does not want to change her material to become more mainstream and suggesting men feel threatened when they are the butt of the joke.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, Grace said the criticism helped inspire her latest show, The Lady Is a Tramp, which is about "being loud and being unapologetically sexual" and encouraging people to speak their minds freely.
Asked how she felt about being branded "lazy" by the male comedian, Grace said: "I think it just tapped into what I already know about men and the comedy industry.
"It's a comment I've always gotten on the internet, 'Oh, this is a classic lazy comedienne relying on her sex life for material.' It's always from a man who probably feels threatened that men are probably, in that case, the butt of the joke, and they want to minimise it."
The former Celebrity Gogglebox star said The Lady Is a Tramp explores whether she should change her material to appeal to a wider audience.
Grace said: "The show is really about me interrogating that thought. Should I stop talking about sex in order to become more mainstream? Or should I just be who I am and not let someone tell me that I've got to change who I am to be taken more seriously in the mainstream way?
"But I think at the time when he said that, I just laughed. I was just like, 'This is hilarious,' and then just told my friends."
The actress, whose 69-year-old dad is former Number 10 chief press secretary Alastair Campbell, challenged the suggestion that her audience is niche, pointing out that it is primarily made up of women and gay men.
Grace said: "Who is someone else to tell me I'm not going to be mainstream? My audiences are primarily women and gay men, and I think some people look at that and see that as niche. But that's half and then some of the population.
"So I just don't know who this man thinks he is."
The Lady Is a Tramp, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, invites audiences to experience a day in Grace's life and explores her desire to embrace the different sides of her personality.
Explaining the title of her tour, she said: "It's about giving yourself the permission to be a lady and a tramp.
"My dog looks like Lady from Lady and the Tramp, so the original thought behind it was it's a nod to my dog, who I'm obsessed with, obviously, she's my child.
"And then I like the idea that tramp, in the traditional world, it used to mean whore. It was a word to describe whore-ish women.
"And you should be allowed to be both. You can be really sexual when you want to be. You can be really elegant when you want to be. You can be sexual and elegant."
The writer continued: "I just think we're deprived so much nuance in life, and what I've always wanted to do is paint this 360 picture of myself because that's what we all are. We're all so many different things all at one time.
"I could go from being, this morning, thinking I'm the best person in the world to in the evening having a nervous breakdown.
"There's so many different things all at the same time, all of us."
Grace revealed the show includes a story about a man who became angry at the sound of her voice in a sauna, but insisted being loud is something she is proud of.
The star said: "It's a show about being loud and being unapologetically sexual and talking about what I want to talk about and feeling free to do that.
"And it's been really fun seeing how many women also feel that way about themselves."
Grace admitted that learning to embrace herself has been a lifelong journey, but hopes to become more comfortable with the "many complex parts" of her personality, both personally and professionally, as she gets older.
The comedienne said: "I can't wait till I'm in my 50s and, hopefully, truly don't give a f***.
"That's what I want to be. I want to be that now, but I'm still 32."
Grace Campbell is returning to the stage with her third national comedy tour, The Lady Is a Tramp, which kicks off on October 30 and continues throughout November and into December.
Tickets can be purchased at aegpresents.co.uk/event/grace-campbell.
The Lady Is a Tramp tour dates:
October:
30 - Southampton - The Attic
November:
02 - Cambridge - The Junction 2
03 - Cardiff - Glee Club
04 - Bristol - Bristol Beacon
07 - London - The London Palladium
14 - Liverpool - Hot Water Comedy Club
15 - Manchester - New Century
20 - Barnfield, Exeter - Northcott Theatre
27 - Dublin - Ambassador Theatre
December:
10 - Brighton - Theatre Royal
