Clare Stobart caught up with the talented performer to talk stand-up, The Masked Singer and his fitness journey

A local lad with award-winning talent, I have the pleasure of sitting down with the one and only Jason Manford. Born and raised in Greater Manchester, Jason was inspired by other local talent such as Peter Kay. Jason found himself drawn to the comedy scene, first performing at Buzz Comedy Club in Chorlton before bursting onto our screens in 2007 as a captain on 8 out of 10 Cats after the role of Jack on Ideal.

As a friend and Padel partner, join me in learning more about the legend and man behind the mask.

As a former pupil of what is now Chorlton High School, you made a name for yourself in a band before you had even finished your GCSEs. What is your favourite childhood tale? I bet you have a few!

I joined a band at school with friends Simon and Neil who I’m still best friends with now. For our 40th our wives got together and booked us a recording studio and we put our old songs on an album. I wouldn’t release it, but it’s nice to have as a keepsake.

I was quite a good kid really, I wasn’t necessarily academic but I tried really hard. I did all the plays and musicals at school but never got the star part. I was an orphan in Annie and I was third person on the right in Bugsy Malone. I never actually had a character or a name, I was always just happy to be involved.

We had one holiday our whole childhood, which was Butlins in Pwllheli. My Mum and Dad said, “Right, we’re going to Butlins for a week” and I couldn’t believe it. We got there in our little chalet and we asked if we could have some money for the fair and the swimming pool and my mum said, “It’s all-inclusive, everything is free!” So we went on the rollercoaster, got off and queued up again about 20 times! We literally were able to do whatever we wanted.

One morning we got a knock at the chalet door and security asked if three lads were staying here. My dad stood there in his boxers like, “What? Yeah, yeah, my 3 lads are here why?”. There were reports of shoplifting and theft of sweets from the shop. Straight to our defence, he said, “It wouldn’t be my lads, they are good kids”. He shut the door and as he turned around, all 3 of us were sat there with a massive pick ‘n’ mix in shock saying, “You said everything was free!”

It went full circle. Years later I was doing a charity gig for the Lord Mayors Fund which was set up to help families from lower incomes get uniforms for their kids and take them on holiday. When I told my Mum she said, “That’s the charity that sent us to Butlins when you were little” and I had randomly ended up helping them.

You’ve gone on to become the proud father of six, including twins! I am sure you have your hands full, how do you fit it all in?

Sometimes when people look at your schedule and say you’ve got 6 kids, they think I must be doing it all by myself! We work as a family. It might not be a traditional one, but you have to work together to get everybody through it emotionally, spiritually and quite literally, physically. My parents help whenever they can, my Uncle Stephen, our cleaner and other family members have become our support network because it is the only way you can do it.

What are your favourite spots in and around Cheshire?

CPASE obviously, and Gails in Wilmslow. We go into Knutsford and occasionally Alderley Edge. I don’t go out an awful lot as by the time we are done with the kids, there isn’t time. Sometimes, I have big plans, but I end up brushing my teeth at the same time as the kids and drop off while I’m reading them their stories.

Exercise is so important, even with a hectic schedule. Prioritising it is beneficial both physically and mentally. As a valued member of CPASE, what does your typical workout consist of?

Sometimes I can be working out 4 or even 5 times a week, whether it’s working out in the gym, Padel or 5-a-side, but other times I can’t get here for ages or the job that I am doing is physical. When I did the Wizard of Oz, that was super physical. During a panto, you’re up dancing and get your 10,000 steps in easily.

In the theatre world, you’re surrounded by fit and healthy people. They look after themselves. They have the same respect for their bodies as Olympians and by osmosis, I look after myself too. You can’t be sat in the corner with your Five Guys if everyone around you is eating a salad. I prefer a class or training with someone as I struggle by myself, so I normally call Dave.

After training, we know you utilise some of the unique facilities at CPASE. Do you find that having regular Cryo sessions helps?

I love a Cryo, I even have an ice bath at home now because I love the cold so much. I stay in it for as long as I can manage and then jump straight in the hot tub which is great for circulation.

What is your favourite part of working out? Mine is the endorphin rush.

I’m still waiting for that! Maybe I’m not working out hard enough? I’ve got an athlete’s heart though, or so I’ve been told. I have such a low heart rate so it feels like I have to  work twice as hard to get it to the right bpm and it recovers really quickly. Whilst I have got an athlete’s heart, what’s surrounding it isn’t quite as fit, which is the problem.

I’m not a competitive person, but I do like competing with  myself. The buzz you get when you lift a new weight or you beat a personal best on the treadmill or bike is really helpful when you’re with other people. I think I would give up sooner than I would if someone else is there to spur me on and encourage me.

How has your fitness journey changed in recent years?

I don’t think I went into a gym until 10 years ago. In my teens, twenties and early thirties it never really crossed my mind. Then I started playing indoor tennis and joined David Lloyd. That was it really, other than five-a-side.

From The Wizard of Oz and Urban Legends to The Masked Singer and Scarborough, you have such a wide range of talents! As a nation, we love them all, but do you have a favourite?

Stand-up is my favourite. I love everything I do and I am really grateful. Stand-up is “me”. But obviously the risk factor is all on you as well, you can’t blame anyone else if it goes wrong!

In preparation for your stand-up shows, do you do any research? They are always absolutely hilarious, but I would love to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes.

Yes! Constantly, literally all of the time. Sometimes I end up down a real rabbit warren. It takes me about a year to get a show up and running. I have teenage girls and they are obsessed with what they look like - skin care and filters on their phones - yet people presume it’s just a problem from this generation. As a comic, I then go, “Right, are they wrong? Is it not just a modern problem? If we look through history, are there other examples in time where people’s looks and the way they present themselves were an obsession?”.

So then it is a case of going online and speaking to people who are experts at finding these things out. You can go right back to Greek statues, they had massive muscles but always had tiny willies because at the time to be seen to have a big one meant you were a bit thick because all you thought about was sex rather than being someone who was learned.

The concept of, “Can you take a couple of inches off that because I have a degree” becomes a funny process. That is where the magic of stand-up comes into its own because you start off with a little idea and then you grow it into something that is funny and interesting. That’s the sweet spot. The real skill is making it look like you’ve done no work at all. There is a lot of effort to make it look effortless.

As we’ve heard from your outstanding performance as the Hedgehog on The Masked Singer, you have an incredible voice. Maybe your collaboration with Shania Twain, Adam Lambert and Beverley Knight on Starstruck should be released?

I started doing musicals in 2012, and have been in 7, but The Masked Singer was the turning point where people started to realise I can actually sing. But they don’t know it’s you until the end. I opened ‘Big Night The Musical’ with a song called ‘The Greatest Show’ and people still say, “I didn’t know you could sing!”

I have a problem that I am never “in the moment”. I don’t have the opportunity to feel it, as I am always thinking about what else I have to do. What I have to do next or next week, month or even next year!

Even in really special moments, I didn’t process that I sang a song with Shania Twain. And Beverley and Adam, of course. But Shania Twain! Yet at the time I was just thinking, “Right, when I’ve finished this, I have to do that…what are the kids doing?”.

You met Shania Twain when she joined you on Starstruck, we have to ask, is she as fit in real life? As you know, we are huge fans and even listen to her when we are playing Padel together. Please tell me you trained with her in the gym.

As in sexy? Yes! Absolutely. She is physically fit as well. To do that many shows and come through an illness is amazing. As Adele says, you have to treat your body like an athlete. I didn’t train in the gym with Shania, but I did with Beverley, she is a real fitness fanatic. She’s up every morning, straight on the treadmill and really going for it. It’s intense.

I sat next to Shania on the panel, and sometimes people think close up I bet you can see the joins, but Shania is impeccable. She is one of the nicest people. You can be the most beautiful person in the world, but if you’re an arsehole then you’re not beautiful, are you? She is just a good soul.

Have you any insider knowledge you can share with us about upcoming projects?

I am back in Manchester in The Wizard of Oz this April and I have just finished a big acting job for a new series coming on the TV, but I can’t say what it is yet! It comes out in May and I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people. It’s a brilliant storyline and a great character and it’s something that most people won’t have seen me do before. That will be a big talking point.

And finally, what would be your one piece of advice to anyone hoping to break into the showbiz world?

The advice I was given was from many years ago from Peter Kay. I asked him. “How do I get to where you are?”. And he answered, “Well, how much are you working?”. I said, “I do a couple of hours writing in the week and then a bit of travelling. I might have a gig on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday so I’d say about 12 hours, something like that?” His response was, “Well the rest of the country is working 45 hours a week. So why do you think you’re any different because you do something in the creative industry or something that you get paid a decent amount for a smaller amount of time because you’ve got a skill?”. That was a real eye-opener, so I started treating it like a “proper job”.

Over the years, I’ve found out that putting the hours and the work in is key. You would be surprised how far being nice gets you. When I go and speak to young people, I explain they need to try their best, be nice to everybody and turn up on time is about 80% of most jobs. It doesn’t change just because you’re doing a more specific or unique job. It’s boring advice but it’s true.

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