... and it's not funny

Henrie Stride says that she looks only for comics who ‘have nothing wrong about them, nothing that anyone dislikes’ and admits: ‘Being hilariously funny and the best comedian in the world is not the whole objective for me.’

Her comments, made at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, apply to Australian broadcasters rather than British ones – but offer a fascinating insight into how TV executives’ minds work.

Stride said that even the smallest physical imperfection could cost a comedian a TV job. ‘I have just cast someone in a show who nearly didn’t get the gig because one of her eyes appeared a tiny bit smaller than the other,’ she admitted. ‘Everyone was concerned that it would be a distraction.’

‘Commercial stations need to capture as much of an audience as they possibly can. Grannies have got to like you, mums, dads, girls have to want to fuck you, guys to be your mate.’

Under her criteria many of the world’s most successful and acclaimed comedians may never have got their break, as traditionally comics are far from perfect in appearance – and many say things that offend parts of the audience.

‘When making television shows, you don't want to offend anybody in any way,’ she said. ‘There is no room for risk-taking, particularly in the current climate.

She admitted: ‘It turns everything bland.’

Stride also share her views on female comedy in the interview with Melbourne newspaper The Age. ‘A lot of women's comedy is angry and quite hard, bitter, man-hating, lesbiany,’ she said. ‘Not very many female comedians are commercial.’

Published: 20 Apr 2009