Emmanuel Sonubi is to tour a new stand-up show about surviving heart failure.

The comic was hit with the serious condition while performing stand-up in Dubai in 2019, but continued his set – and even flew home before the full seriousness of what happened hit home.

He had an undiagnosed condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, which means that the muscle walls in his heart are thinner than they should be.

Speaking on to the Radio 4 documentary Dying For A Transplant last year, Sonubi recalled: ’My heart decided that it was going to stop pumping oxygenated blood around my body, and I went into heart failure on stage. 

‘All of a sudden, I just couldn't breathe. It took all of my energy to get out each word. Funnily enough, actually made the joke better because the timing was better.’

He joked: ‘Plus, at that point, I was writing my debut Edinburgh show, and I'd only got to 40 minutes, and I couldn't the life of me think of anything. So when this happened, I was like, "yes! I've got this." And it became part of the show.’

However, the health issues were serious. ‘I couldn't sleep that night, because every time I lay down, my lungs and my heart would just stop working,’ he explained. ‘It wouldn't pump at all. 

‘Then I got the flight home. And luckily enough, I was actually sat next to two paramedics who were like, "He's not OK, he needs oxygen". And I do think it's because of them that I didn't die on the plane.

‘Then from the airport, went to A&E, still thinking, "I'm going to get some pills and I'll be fine." I get to A&E tell them my symptoms I was in the ICU within the hour, and they were like, "You are a lot sicker than you think you are". 

‘The hard part was I didn't present in a way that would have suggested heart failure because my heart function was so bad, they couldn't figure out why I was able to sit up, let alone talk.’

Now those experiences form the heart of his a 52-date tour, Life After Near Death, which kicks off in Maidstone on September 17.

Sonubi – who was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for best newcomer in 2022 and best show in 2023 –  said: ‘I can’t wait to bring this new show on tour! Life After Near Death is a special one for me – it’s personal, it’s raw, but most importantly, it’s funny. I’m buzzing to take this to audiences across the UK. Get ready for big laughs and a few surprises along the way.’

His other accolades include being nominated for the Chortle Award for best club comedian in 2023.. He has headlined BBC's Live at the Apollo and appeared on QI and Have I Got News for You. and will be seen in forthcoming episodes of  The Hitlist, U&Dave’s new format Silence is Golden and Richard Osmond’s House of Games.

Tickets for the new tour go on sale on Friday.

» Emmanuel ​Sonubi tour dates