JOANNE MCNALLY: The Identity Crisis of Being Adopted, Finding Success In My 30s and Why I’m Single

0:00Adoption's like just being spat out of a spaceship, naked. you're like where did I come from and I've had a very happy adoption I've been very very lucky but there is a lack of context for yourself so I went in and then on she's like look whatever you think about you and this this is like throwing a hand grenade into this woman's life so just be aware of that hello my name's Joanne McNally and I'm in great company will you please welcome Joanne McNally Joanne McNally I used to say like I don't fall in love I fall insane these very intense relationships where it's like the worst of times and the best of times and you're breaking up all the time it's always that kind of I like got a train out to his house I tried to doorstep him basically and his mum was like he's not here so he wasn't answering my calls she said do you want to ring him off the landline my eyes lit up because I was like he's never going to know that's me so he answers what he thinks of his mother Joanne Joanne Hiya it's me so you then decide not to meet your mum for 10 years and then you decide to make that decision up to that point it had been a fantasy what happens Okay, that's just, the whole thing is wild Yeah, it is kind of crazy, when I think about it I've been tinkering around the plug of an eating disorder for like years And then it just went, it really like kicked in How bad was the eating disorder?

1:13It was pretty, I like to leave my job and move back to my mum's Really? I think I was deeply unhappy in my life choices Recovery had to be like my full-time job If I was to really break it down, Dr. Jamie Yeah, here we go, I can't wait, give this to me This is what I love, give this to me I think Hello everyone, my name is Jamie Lane and this is Great Company.

2:01button is completely free. It does us wonders. It helps us create the show, get the guests that we want and keep delivering on the content that you love to watch. So if you can do that one thing, I will love you forever. Okay, here we go. Enjoy this episode of Great Company with Joanne McNally. My name is Joanne McNally. I'm in great company.

2:22You would have a facelift? A hundred percent. Wait till you see me the next time my eyes be on the back of my head. depending where I go if it's a good one or not of course I'm a product of my generation we're lifting I'm 42 what age are you again? 36 36 yeah so we're kind of similar yeah yeah kind of similar kind of similar you always look younger in real life I always forget you're actually quite babyish and petite is that what you're noticing right now? yeah you're a little pocket rocket because when you see people on telly they've because you're very charismatic but in real life less so no I'm going to say

3:00Growing up in Ireland Yes Confident or not confident? Em Yeah I was I was confident In different Like Not across the board But I liked I was a little show pony baby And I had lots of friends So I never struggled In that regard But I wouldn't have been Like I suppose Kids don't think about being hot But I was a hot baby Jamie I'm not going to lie Were you really? Ah yeah Well my mum I remember because I'm adopted Mum said when I arrived that obviously she was mad about me because I was this new baby in the house. And it sounds like I kind of let myself in with my own keys. But she said that, I asked her once what was I like as a child and she said, you were very flirtatious.

3:40And I was like, what? And she's like, with men and women, actually. And I was like, oh my God, I was just like a gamey bi baby. Yeah. Really? Yeah. So you were aware that like... I think I just liked attention as a kid. Who doesn't? Yeah, you liked it. I remember as a kid, I liked to be cuddled. I like to put all those different things. Do you know what's interesting with you, though, is that there's two things which you've mentioned, and this is probably because I noticed it myself. Two things that you mentioned which are huge topics, but you use humour to brush over them. The fact that you were adopted and the fact that you had an eating disorder.

4:12I know, yeah. And so you do, you just go, and I was adopted. I'm just like, you know when you're just doing your own thing, you're like, I don't care. They don't sit with me anymore. But being adopted, that's a huge thing. Idiot. You can make it a huge thing if you want. You didn't? Well, I think it was handled very, very well. So there was never any big reveal. So my thing is now, as a woman in her 40s, you can decide. Now, I'll probably get rinse. This is going to be one of those Molly Mayers 24 hours in a day. But this will go number one. Get over it. Move on. Stop making a big deal out of it.

4:50But you can deal with your shit or you can choose to not deal with your shit. It's kind of my angle on it. So yeah, I've dated men who were also adopted and very much leaned into that and kind of really struggled with it. I never really struggled with it. Now, maybe my adoption was handled differently to theirs. I don't know. I was adopted into a very happy family. Like, so there was no, it wasn't like I was adopted out of something magic and adopted into something terrible. They were actually kind of quite equal, the two families. They were just kind of normal, regular working families. Because my birth mother and my adopted mother actually look a little similar, which is kind of strange.

5:26Okay, but when you say it was articulated to you now, when was it said? So, yeah, I asked the same question because I always knew. So it was never, for me, it was, I just assumed everyone was adopted. Because when you're a child, you assume your normal is everyone's normal. No. Yeah, I just assumed everyone was. We were all just being passed around like little gifts. And then whoever was the last to take the wrapper off, kept the baby kind of vibe. Yeah, because my brother was adopted. Now, I knew my cousins weren't adopted, but I was like, shit, went for them. Because it was so to us that we were loved so much that we were passed around.

6:01Like, so my mum said that basically what happened was that she turned it into a bedtime story. So every night she'd say, you know, everyone loves you so much. There was never any rejection. My thing was that I was too lovable, that no one, everyone was just like fighting to keep me. So there was so much love. Everyone loves you so much. You're so loved, so loved. That's probably why I'm a comedian. The confidence. You're so loved that... That's amazing. They wanted someone who could give you everything that you deserve. And they worried that, you know, it was all really positive. So it was a bedtime story.

6:33So I just landed into school thinking I was really special and that everyone was adopted. And it was only when I got in there and it was like, oh, this is like a thing, do you know? You said to the people at school, hey, by the way, I'm adopted. And they were like, well, what do you mean you're adopted? I don't remember. I do have one very clear visual memory of I do remember when the penny dropped that I was like oh this is an unusual thing this isn't like common now it was fairly I mean in Ireland and I was adopted in 83 out of Roscommon in Ireland so like there were I know a lot of adopted Irish kids to be honest Really?

7:06Well we know we know abortion and we and we were very it was a pretty religious country at the time so like keeping a baby I've never put of course that's what it is Yeah of course yeah Yes, there's loads of us. That's what I was saying in Ireland. It's like just fucking snapple. It's pretty common practice. I had a crazy, you'll know this better than me. Apparently, before the referendum in Ireland, wasn't it, if a woman was sexually assaulted by a man and she fell pregnant, and if she aborted the child, she would get a longer prison sentence than the person who sexually assaulted her. I don't, to be honest, I don't know.

7:44But there's always archaic laws. Any law that stays in place from centuries ago, there's always going to be archaic parts to it. But I remember when I was growing up, I was really anti-abortion because I saw myself as like an abortion survivor because I was like, like I've been wriggling around dodging hangers. Do you know what I mean? Because I was like, oh God, I'm so lucky because my take on it was having no life experience of my own. Had abortion been readily available, that my birth mother would have, I was absolutely going to, I was certainly a person for that job. Do you know what I mean?

8:18I was a candidate for it. So that was my thinking when I was growing up. I was like, oh, no, no, no, let them. If women want to have abortions, let them go to the UK. Hopefully the sea will stop them. Hopefully they'll be like, I'm not dealing with the ferry. And they'll keep the babies. Because I was like, well, I could have easily, you know, been aborted. Because I wasn't planned. So was there a sense of like the fact that you felt grateful to be alive? A hundred percent. Yeah. But then you grow up and you realize that's not the real world. and I value the lives of women who are alive. Do you know what I mean?

8:46Get me into that mindset because if you, when you, as you're young, naive, and you kind of go like, okay, yeah, I'm adopted, whatever. I think everyone's adopted. And then slowly but slowly you get to school and you grow in that like awareness. And then suddenly you realize you are adopted. That doesn't change anything within you. You don't have questions. You don't want to seek things. You don't. Oh God, I do think now as an adult, I was so determined that there would be, because I had a lovely, happy adoption, I'm very lucky but I did absolutely feel like there was something amiss for sure and now I would call it like a kind of identity crisis of sorts and that you know there's also a lot of adopted comics which I'm sure probably isn't that much of a coincidence there's this kind of need to prove yourself or need for validation or yeah I mean there's all these books on it now which obviously I have not read but like I do remember standing This is fascinating I do remember standing in the schoolyard when I was a girl.

9:45I don't know, I might have been like eight or nine kind of thing. And there was like a little gang of girls standing around me. And I was, so once I realized there was currency in being adopted and because I was a little show pony baby, then I was like, I'm going to use this to my advantage. So then I was coming up with all sorts of stories. I didn't know anything about my birth parents, but in school I was like, they're like, where are they? And I was like, plane crash, a car accident, like rinsed by a truck. I'd come up with all these like because it gave you it's called storytelling because it was storytelling so and then it would be it's a one moment show standing in the iron town and I think it was it would make you more exciting yeah of course and I loved it and then I remember there was one story I think I was in on the plane and I was a cell survivor there was all sorts because what because you felt that you if you were going to say that that would make you far more exciting and so you could story tell then people would be talking about you you'd love telling stories yeah it's more interesting saying you're a cell survivor of a plane crash that your parents died in and they had to give you up for adoption and then I don't know.

10:39You wanted to impress everyone? Yeah. Storytelling. Did you ever get caught out for saying that? Well, I'm pretty sure the reason it's such a strong memory is I must have at some point. Yeah. Mum's like, will you stop killing everyone off in plane crashes, Joanne? For fuck's sake. Yeah. Okay, so, but then your parents, closer than ever with your parents, right? Not your biological parents, but your parents who adopted you. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, my father's dead. He died a year, like he died. Again, you brush over these things. But he's so long dead now. No, but Joanne, you can't.

11:16It's like when someone goes, someone goes, oh, sorry. I'm like, no, no, you're a grand. Don't worry about it. Because this is Frank. He was an asshole. No, no, actually. He was amazing, actually. This is Frank, right? Frank. He was actually English. Really? Yeah, he was from Lancashire, Preston. But he, do you know what was really sweet about Frank? And my memories of him are a little shifty, obviously. Well, I was 16 when he died, but he was sick for a very long time. I had a stroke when I was 11. So then he was kind of in and out of rehab and he never walked again and that kind of thing. But he was from Preston, Lancashire.

11:43And my mother is from Cork in Ireland. But she was training as a nurse in London. And my dad had a real horn for Irish women. So he was just determined that he was going to meet an Irish woman. He just loved Irish women. So he'd go to these Irish dances. And like, it's so funny because now people call it like a king or something. People would be on field or something. Do you know what I mean? and it'd be like Irish women only. But back then, it was just, it was what it was. But anyway, so we met my mum at an Irish dance and then he moved back to Ireland with her. But then he learned to speak Irish, which I thought was really sweet because the Irish education system, the primary school education system in Ireland, we need to, and for our leaving, we need to be able to speak Irish.

12:25But our father spoke better Irish than we did because he really went to the truth. He's like, well, if I'm going to raise Irish kids, I need to speak the language that they're never going to speak themselves. Why did they choose to adopt? They couldn't have kids. Really? Yeah, just couldn't have them. Yeah, whatever. The two bodies were wired. My mother had endometriitis, which was... So that brings its own fertility issues. But anyone... And I don't want to get too deep because I know maybe you don't want to... But having... Finally you're adopted, then Frank, your dad, passing away when you're 16 years old, that's quite a lot to handle.

12:58I know. It's a lot to handle. I'm just... But I'm 42 now. I know. I'm very like let's get on with it now Really? So you're just like I'm like okay that's that now let's move on Yeah If you pull a string the whole thing will fall apart Yeah It's just like ego It's just like I'll leave here and have a full mental breakdown and no one will see me for 10 years I do I am a bit like old school like that I'm like you can You think that's the way to do it? You can dwell or you can just some people are different I've just been a, okay, let's just get on with it now. I mean, like I've done that. Is your mom like that as well?

13:38Oh, yeah. There you go. She's like, what do you mean you're depressed? Just have a shower.

13:47A bit of nature. You'd be grand. Okay, so when did you go, just because I wanted to know about your parents, then when did you decide to go and like search for your actual biological parents? So then I was, I knew I was always going to do it because I definitely, and there was that show, like I loved acting and I was like ta-da and tap dancing and I was the kid who'd, you know, knock around to the neighbours. So you always wanted to perform? Yeah. And that wasn't in my family at all. So when I, I said like I call my adopted family my family. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that wasn't there. So that was, so I felt that I'd inherited some sort of panto dynasty, you know that I was like going to be the child of Twiggy and who else?

14:32Julian Clary you know it was like I felt like this was there was something big coming my way because I was That must be a weird moment right? When you suddenly think and you're like right there's something more out there because you must have that sort of realisation where you're like okay hang on these are my parents I love them but I want to understand my history right? My roots in a way even though you've got your roots Yeah You don't have your roots You don't? Well it depends how you look at it like I've had this conversation with my mother before and I you're rooted you are rooted but you're rooted in your family but I would have I have an interest in kind of like history and DNA and all that kind of thing and that's obviously a big missing piece so that to me was and physically you don't look like anyone and stuff so and I always had a huge amount of hair as a child like loads of hair which I still do obviously I've lasered all the way off except for my head I'm like a dolphin now but growing up I was like I was like a little bear and so Hair everywhere Everywhere Yeah Everywhere I think I was shaving my legs at five Yeah Just a little hairy baby Okay And loads of thick like loads of hair on my head and then when I found these like these documents that when you're adopted you come with a little pamphlet of like it's actually quite cute it's all very 80s with kind of like clip art in the front.

15:57Like, you know. This is what you get as a kid? Yeah. So when they collect you from wherever they get you. So I thought my idea of adoption, which was completely false, was that my parents went in. I obviously saw a TV show or something. And there was a big glass. Like Annie. You would have seen Annie. Well, I knew I was a baby. Okay, you were a baby. Fine. Yeah. I knew I wasn't full Annie. Okay, yeah. I wasn't mopping floors or anything before I got to them. You thought it was like a screen and there were like babies in the room. Loads of babies. Yeah. Yeah. And they'd go through them and they'd pick the baby that they wanted.

16:30Which isn't at all what happens. You're matched with the baby. It's like a blind date. Wow. Yeah. And then you're given like a little leaflet. And then when they finally, when all the paperwork is signed and it's all done and just a deal, they obviously collect you, which must be so mental. That's crazy. Yeah, they go in and they collect the baby. And then, I'm the baby. And then you come with a pamphlet and your little outfit. You're just like, so they still kept the little outfit that I came in. and then this pamphlet of like, watch what I was eating, like feed her this and feed her that and whatever.

16:59Wow. Yeah. With a lot of sugar, teaspoons of sugar. I was christened Katrina. Nice. Yeah, I like Katrina. I like Katrina. I think I could have pulled Katrina off. I like Katrina. Yeah, so do I. So with all these thoughts in your head and with this leaflet, you were like, I want to go and find my biological parents because I had this acting and everything within me. Sorry, I was saying, when I read the little pamphlet thing, it said that my father had loads of hair. So I became kind of very hyper-focused on him. and then I remember there was an Irish whiskey I had at home I was grown up and there was a guy with hair he'd loads of hair playing the bear on and because he was on the TV I was like hello daddy so anyone on the TV yeah because I was like I'm obviously from a famous acting family because it made it more exciting again of course you don't have to be from a normal family how boring you want to be Anastasia wow from the Russian family I mean the age doesn't really add up I didn't even think about that so you're making so not only you're at school like making up these scenarios is how you survive plane crash stuff, which makes it exciting.

17:55In your own brain, you're thinking, well, my real parents are out there and there's something famous and exciting in Hollywood and one day I'm going to go and find this and it's going to be amazing. I think because I had, I showed an ability for like acting and writing when I was young, right? And you were super smart. I don't think I'm... Yeah, you are. I'm not thick. But my brother is really good at maths and drawing. So like, I didn't have those abilities, but my father, Frank, was also really good at maths and drawing. so my brother could kind of see himself in that. Whereas my little skill set wasn't reflected back to me at all.

18:28So that's why I think I was looking for it elsewhere. I need to know, what is the moment when you suddenly go, right, I'm going to go and try and find them? I was seeing a guy at the time who was adopted and he'd found his. I think you're like one of the only people I know who's adopted. Like I don't, you see the like, no. Yeah, we trauma bonded, what can I say? But he was the same as me. We were like, it's had no impact on our lives. And then the more we spoke, we were like, actually, as I sit there in my white, what are those mental coats you have? Straight jackets from a eating disorder and all.

19:07And I'm like, that's not absolutely grand. That doesn't affect me at all. You just go in the whole time. Emily, educated comedian. I'm like, that's absolutely grand. What's everyone going on about? I just don't think about it.

19:23as I'm handcuffed to a padded wall. I don't think about things. It's working fine for me, actually. But he'd already done it. Yeah. And then he was like, I think he was a little bit older than me and I think speaking to him and I knew I was going to do it at some point. Okay. And do you know what actually happened? I did try to do it when I was quite young. I tried to do it when I was about 21, 22 because the place that I was adopted out of was actually down the road from a university, randomly. and I wasn't really committed to my studies. So one day I was literally like, instead of going to this lecture, I'm going to make an appointment and go down and see.

19:56And that's wild. Yeah. So I went in and then on. She kind of annoyed me. She was very much about the impact this would have on my birth mother and very, she actually said, she's like, look, whatever, whatever you think about you and this, this is like throwing a hand grenade into this woman's life. So just be aware of that. And your mum is aware you're doing it? Not your biological mum, but your mum that adopted. Yeah, she, no, no, no, she didn't know at that stage, no She didn't know, okay She didn't know, no, because I was like, as much as she would, she was always of the ilk that, she was always very positive, she was like, if ever you want to do it, like I knew what I was getting myself into when I adopted kids, like Yeah But she also says, the fact that you didn't come out of me blows my mind, she's like, I can't get my head around it, because obviously, you know Of course She's like And she's yours, and you're hers, yeah, which is the most beautiful thing Yeah, but so I didn't tell her, I didn't tell her then, I was really, I went down and I went And then the nun told me my birth mother's name.

20:52And I was so overwhelmed by the whole thing. Because as we've since established, I don't think about things. I'm just like, just do it, get it done. And then suddenly it was like, oh my God. It was like she just came into focus. Because it became a thing. She was like a human being with a name. And then I realized, I was like, oh no, no, I'm not ready. I'm not ready for this at all. Why? Because what did it make you feel? Up to that point It had been It had been a fantasy You just let your imagination Run wild She could have been You know what I mean She could have been Helen Mirren No that was unlikely She was something Helen Mirren lived in Roscommon In the 80s But you know what I mean Whereas now This is a real woman With a real life And a name And the name just Completely threw me Knowing your name Completely threw me And I realised then Oh this actually deserves Some thought Joanne This is one of those times You're going to have to Actually think about something so I left it then for another 10 years but they had contacted her because I had made contact so she did there was an initial contact from the orphanage hospital whatever you call them the nuns my mum said she told us we came from a hospital when we found the pamphlet it said orphanage and she was like oh orphanage it's just such a terrible word I was like you're actually dead right it's actually a terrible word terrible word yeah Oliver gave it a terrible press didn't he he ruined it huh Annie That's funny that when it becomes It's almost like a fantasy in your head And then when it's not a fantasy anymore It becomes too real to handle Yeah, you're like, oh this isn't pretend anymore And I was like, oh no, no, no, I'm not ready for this But Joan, that's the interesting thing about the connections Between like Mothers and kids, right?

22:31Even though your adoptive mum is your mum That's your mum That's who you love You guys are like that But for some reason Is it storytelling throughout lives what is it that makes you have that connection to someone that you've never met? Do you know what I mean? This person, I just need to understand that. Maybe there isn't a way to understand it. I think the human condition needs to have a sense of belonging. It needs to have a sense of belonging, doesn't it? And I think the one thing from my experience of adoption is, and I've had a very happy adoption, I've been very, very lucky, but there is a lack of context for yourself.

23:05And I think when you look behind you and see your parents and your grandparents and, you know, there's a physical resemblance or that's, adoption's like just being spat out of a spaceship naked in the woods. And you're like, where did I come from? And I think that's just part of the human condition. I think we all need that. It's like why everyone's back into Jesus. Have you heard Jesus? Everyone's religious again. Everyone's religious again because you need meaning and purpose. Yeah, exactly. And I think that is part of that piece.

23:38Why did you decide to go into comedy? What was that moment That you were like I want to go and do this I was in a play And I was in So I was in treatment At the time For eating disorder So I'd had to quit my job I was a publicist You know that And Because you did sociology At Dublin right Yeah and then I did a masters In PR As we call it now PR PR PR PR I'll never forget When I moved to London Trying to order butter It was one of the most Embarrassing humiliating I was like butter They're like What I was like butter And I'd be like Acting it out and all. I never felt so Irish. Anyway, PR. I did a master's in PR, went into PR, worked in youth brands for a while and then I'd been tinkering around the plug hole of an eating disorder for like years and then it just went.

24:24It really like kicked in because I was under, I was overwhelmed at work and all the usual shit. Then I had to leave my job and move back to my mum's, blah, blah, blah. How bad was the eating disorder? It was pretty, but I had to leave my job and move back to my mum's. Really? Yeah. Like I was in, I was never an inpatient, I was an outpatient but I was in a treatment program so I had to kind of but it was actually the best thing that ever happened to me that's not true that's an exaggeration that's what I like to say change of thing some of the happiest days of my life were getting weighed in that hospital no but it's hard eating disorder because it completely takes over your mind well this is the thing so and what I mean is I think there's in a way a blessing that it was as serious as it was because I think a lot of people can tip through their whole life with an eating disorder and it go undiagnosed or they just keep it to themselves.

25:12Whereas mine got to the point where it was, no one could ignore it anymore. People had to kind of like, you know, take over. Well, because you became too thin. Well, I was just too sick. But so, so that was in a way good because then I had to press pause on everything. I couldn't, I had to just deal with it like full time. It had to be like my full time gig. Like recovery had to be like my full time job. It wasn't like I was doing a job and then just like, Going to meetings in the evening. How old are you at this point? 32? Wow. 31? 30. 30s. It's a prime time in the life, right? Yeah. Your 20s is sort of you're meant to be figuring out yourself, like deciding what you're meant to do.

25:52And then 30s, they sort of say, this is when you should start finding what you want to do. But actually, you're in the mix of an eating disorder. What I wanted to do was be really, really thin. That was what I realized. I was like, this is my goal, my purpose. Was it a lack of control in your life to begin with? I think I was Look It's so hard Who knows They're so complicated And like I've already said I think everyone kind of has one in a way Mine did escalate But I think I was quite unsatisfied If I was to really break it down Dr. Jamie Yeah here we go I can't wait Give this to me This is what I love Give this to me I think Yeah I think I wanted to perform And I think there was a creative side of me that was not being met at all.

26:37At all. So your soul wasn't being fulfilled. I think I was deeply unhappy in my life choices. And I didn't have the confidence or the kind of contacts or the... I wasn't in the world of performance or comedy or anything like that. I just wasn't in that world. The confidence to do it either? No. Once you hit your 30s... Yeah, you're stuck. You're not going down to do five minutes in the store. Do you know what I mean? You're not. Those days are gone. you've made your choices you've made your bed now you're just gonna you're just gonna fucking lie in your bed but it's not true some people would do it I wasn't gonna do it I was too I was too like shy I guess or I didn't I needed someone to tell me to do it and then and then that happened someone told me to do it and kind of pushed me to do it so I did and so then when you you have your eating disorder right and so then you have to look after yourself yeah you come back from that and then you you write a show Bite Me right Yes.

27:36So, let me remember what happened. Yeah. So basically, got the eating disorder, Grant. I was like, okay, let's deal with this. But I was still, because I was an outpatient, I was still very free to like, I had all this free time to just be mental. And then, but I knew something had to change. And I started writing a blog, which I'm pretty sure still exists, called Eat the Pastry. But I've lost the login details, obviously. So I have no idea. And then someone sent it to a Irish newspaper and then I got a column out of that, which wasn't, the column wasn't about eating disorder, but I realised then.

28:11You've been very honest in it as well? Yeah, but it was, it was, that ended up becoming Bite Me. See, I always wanted to write and I always liked writing and I was always a good writer, even in school, like even as a kid, you know, like I could spell, like just that little muscle was there.

28:30And then suddenly I had nothing else to do So I was like okay, alright And then the second I got rewarded quite quickly with that I got that little column And then I was like oh hold on There's a bit of traction here now And then I got cast A friend of mine, Una McEvitt Who's a director She cast me in a play that she's doing Called Singlehood And then from that I met a comedian who was like Actually I think you should do stand-up comedy So I got That's wild I was so It's still online by the way Eat the pastry Is it? But that's funny that you would, you would like, you were, but you were documenting it.

29:02Yeah. But so there was, with eating disorder, at the beginning, were you embarrassed about it, shameful about it? Or were you just quite open with it? Oh, no, no, no, no. So the lies involved in an eating disorder, I mean, we should work for the FBI. Like. Really? Oh, yeah. You're living a completely double life. Explain that to me. Until people start, until the cracks start showing. And then the problem with an eating disorder. Well I mean there are obviously many Depending on the kind of eating disorder you have Because some people could have severe bulimia And their weight stays the same Whereas I was bulimic anorexic So ultimately you get to the stage where it's very visible There's something wrong with you Because you're obviously you know Not looking well You don't look great And I always say it's like if anyone knows anyone going through eating disorder Never say you look too thin Just say you look really unwell Because too thin Is a good thing Of course that's like This is like I'm great I'm doing it What I'm trying to do is now succeeding I'm meeting my goals where it's just like you look really unwell for me that was the first kind of when people started going using that kind of language around me I was like what are you on of it you're just jealous you don't have my discipline I've got a bot blah blah blah more absolute carnage coming out of my mouth but so that was the it's amazing but it's amazing how that no but it's amazing how something so tragic then leads into something so amazing right because without all of that stuff that happened you wouldn't have been you wouldn't life being put on pause, you wouldn't have written that blog.

30:26You wouldn't have done that moment and then moved into what you're doing. So when I say, when I say I wouldn't change the eating disorder, I'm too nervous. You can't, we're just a product of everything that's happened. It's like when people say, what's the light to be adopted? I don't know. It's all I know. Like, it's like, if you mix two colors of paint, you can't take those bits. You can't like separate them again. You're just a product of everything that's happened to you. So I have no idea. Like if I wasn't, if I didn't have that eating disorder, I wouldn't be sitting here. So in a way, I'm like well everything's happened For a reason I guess Even though I don't believe in Like the universe So By Me happened Then when was your first time You ever did stand up When was the first time You walked on the stage And went in front of a mic By yourself And were like right I'm going to do I'm pretty sure it was 2018 Dude that's crazy I'm pretty sure my first open spot Was in 2018 I think I did five minutes in 2018 Nervous?

31:16Oh yeah Like I'm not going to pretend I wasn't nervous But because I'd been doing So what happened was When Una cast me in the play called Singlehood, which was a play where we were just talking about our love lives. And I, when I was, when I had an eating disorder, I had more boyfriends than I knew what to do with. And I don't know what that says about me or them, but I had men swinging out of me. I was on fire. But I also, I think, was looking... Men swinging. I think I was also actively looking for it because I was like, oh, a man will fix this now. I knew that things were not good with me.

31:51And I knew, And I was looking for something outside of myself to fix it Were you feeling unhappy? Well, I knew I was There's a difference between There's actually a difference between I think really being unhappy And just like Well, I knew I'd lost control of my detox Yeah I knew my fitness journey was It's not in a good way Spinning out of hand at this point Yeah And I was like, oh, okay Maybe I'm a little old man. Isn't everyone doing this? Not everyone's doing this. No. I mean, I'm probably making light of it, but like, I definitely, you become so possessed by it. I remember speaking to a therapist once and I was like, okay, fine.

32:37I accept this isn't normal behavior and it's not sustainable, right? There's obviously some issues here. But like, why do I care so much about my weight? Like, I don't understand. Like, why does Aisling not care? or why does Carol not care? Like, why are they out eating sandwiches in the park? Like, why am I? And she said, because basically when you, your, your brain's broken really. And so she did this diagram of a brain. She's like, imagine you use like 100 % of your brain. You've now let 89 % of your brain fill up with these thoughts. Wow. So she's like, we're going to work at reducing, reducing, reducing, reducing those thoughts.

33:13And so that was, that was, for some reason that diagram really worked for me because I was like, oh, okay. It's, I need to learn how to control my thoughts or think less of these things. And then she was like, and soon when we do the work, you won't, it won't have the same, what am I trying to say? Priority. It won't, it won't feel like the priority it feels like at the moment, but we just have to do the work. It's a cruel, cruel disease. It's a pain in the hole. It's really cruel. It's a pain in the hole because ultimately you have to rework your whole relationship with food because look, I've never given up alcohol for any length of time.

33:47I mean, that's probably and probably coming down the road with me as well at some point. Oh, that's another problem. Wait, wait. I think we can't drink all day every day. It's fine. It stops the thinking. But like people who give up booze, I think there's some piece in the fact that you don't have to like micro-dose booze. Whereas with food, of course, you have to eat. You can't not eat. Wow, it's constant, isn't it? So you've got to constant. And alcohol is kind of hidden away. Like alcohol is Food you have to constantly do it So you're constantly You're constantly remembered That this is a thing That you have You should reprogram how you eat Wow But I suppose What I think is so amazing about you Is that the fact that you've been open about it Right And also so many women Who look up to you by the way So many women who look up to you Who without a doubt And men Who have been suffering with it Will go Oh my god If I'm suffering right now I can still be successful I can still get through this Because Joanne McNally has done that Yeah I hope so Oh, someone gets something out of it.

34:46Without a doubt, they will, 100%. I still do get messages. When I was doing Bite Me, because it was a show about eating disorders, obviously there would be like a lot of women coming in and I was like, this is actually a bit heavy now. It becomes heavy. I get it. Yeah, and like you're talking to them and all and like you just, you're like in this gang. It's like this club of women because you see them and you understand almost immediately what's happening, you know, behind closed doors for them and how isolating it is and how lonely it is. and you empathise massively you're like I understand I see you you know but then we toured Bite Me for a while me and Una McEva directed it but that was Eat the Pastry we turned that blog into a play and that was what Bite Me was but what I was going to say to you was when you were saying were you open about it at the start obviously no and then once I cracked and I had my like I was like right this is unmanageable now I kind of you know hand myself over to whatever it was the professional and I was not God it's not I don't I couldn't I don't I don't believe in any of that stuff it's terrible isn't it I don't even believe in star signs I'm like the worst white woman alive

36:03but once I admitted it was a problem once I'd kind of I was like okay fine I'm over pretending like I'm mentally unwell I'm mentally unwell then I couldn't there was no one could walk past me in the street how are you Joanne mentally ill I was telling everyone because I'd lied about it for so long oh it was like a tap it was like a release the release it was like I'm out of my mind wow how are you Joanne I'm fucking out of my mind how are you so then and then a friend wow what a release that is yeah yeah it was unreal but then of course you kind of lean into that role and you're like of course because that becomes your identity Yes, and then a very close friend of mine spoke to me once, and she's so funny.

36:48She's probably the funniest person I know. She said to me one day, okay, enough now. She was very honest. She was like, people only have a certain amount of sympathy in them for you. So it was maybe a bit early for the conversation. That's what she's like. She's kind of hardcore like that. She's like, you've just been. Yeah, I was like, it's been two weeks. I mean, can I not enjoy my new role for a little bit? She was like, let's move on now to start getting better now because don't stay in this patient phase for too long now.

37:28When's the worst breakup you ever had? Well, to be fair, I've had loads. Really? Yeah, because I'm very like, when I'm in, I'm in. Not anymore, now I'm quite out. Do you do the dumping Or can you get dumped Oh I can get dumped It's quite a skill Really Oh yeah I can get really dumped Yeah No Oh yeah Do you see it coming Yeah Yeah Oh boy yeah Yeah Yeah I'm never one of those women Who's like It came out of nowhere One did One came out of nowhere But like I wasn't that into them It was more of a relief Because when I was sick And I had these string of men When they break up with me Because it was like Three months in The button They were like oh she's mad do you know what I mean like you can get away with it for three months then you're like you're staying over you have to eat dinner like it's something yeah you can keep it together yeah three months in they're all like they're right like you could literally set your watch by it really yeah but it was like a release I was like oh grand I'll just go back to my eating disorder now full time thanks you were kind of holding the whole thing up to be honest you were in the way of my weight loss journey thank you yeah but no I have I used to like I remember my first breakup oh how old are you Oh my God.

38:40I'll never forget the pain of it. It's the worst. Oh my God. I remember breaking up with a guy when I was 10 years of age. Get out of here, Joanne. I swear to God. I'm gay, me. I've been gay on a long time, Jamie. I was an early starter. I loved boys. I was boy mad. But you can't be 10 and be brokenhearted. Oh my God. Do you remember the song? I swear by the moon and the... My God. Pipes are nuts. I know because I've listened to it 60 billion times crying holding his not nunchucks dog tags which I'd engraved our names in myself with a compass he didn't even he didn't even know I had his not nunchucks dog tags nunchucks

39:28just self-flagulating myself just hitting my own back why did I leave it's your fault but then I remember my first serious breakup when I was I don't know I must have been in my 20s I'd say yeah and I like obviously because your first serious relationship you're like I guess this is me now we're going to just get married and have kids which is hilarious in hindsight you know like I have girls coming to my shows now and they're in their early 20s and I'm like are you going to marry him she's like yeah and I was like I don't I don't know you are I don't know I'm fucking you know what I mean you need to speak to Angela you're not this is you're too fucking young for this shit but I was so devastated oh my god I remember I like got a train out to his house I tried to doorstep him basically and his mum was like he's not here and I ended up going in sitting and waiting for I remember I rang so I went I was heartbroken and I was like I just need to see him he just needs to see me and then everything will be fine like I was quite a needy girlfriend and at the train out of his house he was living with his mum at the time we were only like young and his mum was like he's not here and she could see that I just wasn't going to go anywhere and she's like do you want to come in and wait for him I said yeah so and he wasn't answering my calls I was ringing him off my little pink flip phone and she said, do you want to ring him off the landline?

40:40My eyes lit up because I was like, well, he's never going to know that's me. Yeah, I'll ring him. So he answers what he thinks of his mother. Joanne. Joanne. Yeah, it's me. I murdered your mum. Your mum's trapped to a radiator. If you don't come out in the next 10 minutes, I've got a specific set of skills. That is so nuts You took a bus To the mum's Took a train I got the dirt Yeah He lived in Shankill At the time You took a train To the mum's house To the mum's house But that was just a bonus That she let me do that I could never have anticipated Like get a hotline Straight to his mobile But I remember Sitting on the dark So you know when you're broken You know when you're heartbroken And it's like Like I've learnt a lot Like I fall I used to say Like I don't fall in love I fall insane When I'm in love I'm so I have these very Like It's deep deep deep deep Yeah these very Intense relationships Where it's like The worst of times And the best of times And you're breaking up All the time It's always that kind of Never anything Like regular Is it because it's the type Of person you go for Or what?

41:52I'd say it's A bit of me And a bit of them It's always You can't You can't remove yourself From all accountability I know myself That it's probably That dopamine mean thing you know that kind of ADHD brain vibe it's like you chase that the highs and the drama and also when something's still it feels boring exactly and so you want it to be feel exciting the whole time it's quite a juvenile way of going about things as well I hope that I don't behave like that anymore I've had some very boring relationships since so hopefully that's a good sign that I've evolved worked off my tits this must be what it's like um but I remember sitting in the dark going out to his house and feeling like at peace because I was going to see him.

42:32So they say it's like a drug and you've just gone, your drug's just been ripped off you. It's cold turkey. So you felt calm that you knew you were going there? I was there grinning like an absolute fruit loop on the train. I never remember. I was in a lawn style top and a denim skirt and my furry boots. Wow. Yeah. Do you think there's a... He didn't... It didn't work out. Would you believe that? Can you believe I didn't marry that man? Not shocking. Do you Would you like to get married? No Really? I wouldn't So if I met someone tomorrow And I was Again Mad about them Because I do have it in me Yeah yeah I do have it in me to go To go mad To get mad about them And I think I've hardened up In the last couple of years I don't think I'm The way I was Like I think it's I'm more For men I'm way more I'm not I don't fall the way I used to fall as often as I used to fall.

43:28I think you're quite tough. I am quite tough. You are tough. Until I have three rides and I'm like, would you love me if I was a worm? But like at the start, I'm very tough. I'm too tough actually. Yeah. I've kind of hardened up a bit too much. I think with the job as well, the job became, I realised pretty quickly, the job is a bit of a cock block really. Why? Because you have to be married to it? No, that man, no man, no man is going to walk out of my show and be like, I'll slip into her DMs. I disagree You're a different beast I disagree I think because We know each other And also you You kind of dabbled In a bit of comedy At one point But like Man The average person I was doing a show In Plymouth Yeah And there was three Straight men in the front row And the whole show I was like Why the fuck Are they there And then after I was like Maybe one of them Fancied me From like A TV show or something And he came And I was like And I was saying it To my tour manager And she was like Oh why didn't you see And I was like no no no because I know now he will leave cured he's not going to be like he'll be leaving now and be like I'm not taking that on even Vogue Vogue our mutual friend she was she was trying to set me up with someone before and he asked my Instagram and she's like no no you're not having it and I was like why and she goes you're hostile you're hostile but I think the job has kind of toughened me up and I think there's a certain amount of resilience required and I feel like I'm very independent now and I'm financially independent and I'm not willing to like You don't need You only need it for The accident Which is love You don't need it for Financial support Anything you don't You'll find out I'm on my own My own little beast now But I would And also like I've actually Do you know what I Went I actually didn't allow A date nap last night For the first time in I don't know how long Which one was it Hinge Okay love And then five minutes in I was like Ugh Ugh I was like, Joanne, this is not the energy to bring to Hinge.

45:28You've rolled your eyes 19 times. You've been on it 30 seconds. I also think there's a weird thing which the question is always asked women. Always. It's always about kids. And I don't know why they always ask that. I know. Because when we get to a certain age and it's like, well, wouldn't you want to have them? Yeah. I'd love to have kids. You would like to have kids? Yeah. I'd love to have kids. I might adopt kids. I might just pay it back. yeah but like my problem is I forget like I'm 42 and like life just sneaks up on you and because it didn't happen for me with a man because I think I'm way more self aware now and I realise now I was never going to be the type of I just was never going to be the person who got married at 25 that was just never what I was going to do and now I've gotten to 42

46:15I think I call myself a little problematically independent at this point so the kids thing I assume it'll be something I'll probably do on my own or my friend Ross he's gay we were trying to maybe we'd kind of genetically collab Really? Maybe yeah but like then I'm like I'm fully I'm touring until next Christmas Yeah and there's a tricky thing which especially with being a comedian it's like Where do you put the baby? Out of any job I think that's the hardest because the way you make your living is touring you have to go around the country and meet different people so then where do you put the baby?

46:48Well then you have to prioritize that's the thing It's like, well, if you're going to do it, you need to prioritize putting time aside to raise the baby, Joanne. You can't just have the baby and pick it up when it's 18. But you're not in a relationship? No. Oh. No. Hence the download of the dating apps. Yeah. What is your type for anyone listening? Oh, great question. You need funny. Yeah.

47:14Criminal isn't necessary, but it seems to be. A little bit of time somewhere along the line seems to be a thing for me. White collar. It's always white collar, which barely counts. You know? Maybe an old addiction issue, but they've recovered, but they're probably, you know, maybe one sausage away from a relapse kind of vibe. I stay away from spiritual vegans now, because I always feel like they're trying to hold a lot of shit behind them, do you know what I mean? But you like a little bit of trauma? I seem to, yes. Yeah, okay. Yeah, yeah. There seems to be, that seems to be my jam. Yeah. Where are your wounds?

47:50Yeah Let's rub wounds together Yeah I actually think for the moment I'm actually I would My concern for myself Would be that I'd close down shop completely Because I am quite content And you have to be open What so no sex forever? Well no I'd have sex Yeah I'm willing You're willing to have sex Yeah to let a man have sex with me Yes Yeah I am willing Yeah I leave my doors open every Saturday afternoon Between 2 and 3 any delivery drivers. I'm like, come on in. I'm not going to give you the code. I'll give you the code after. Come on. I'll tell you. I interviewed Lou Saunders. Lou Saunders, the funniest thing she ever told me.

48:32She said she once had a one night stand with a guy and he didn't take his anorak off the whole time. He just wore his jacket. Oh my God. That is so lazy. Like talk about, just get a wank sleeve. Why am I even here? I know one of my mates Roald Ladi kept his hat on the whole time but I was like What like a trophy? No like That'd be hot that's very Justin Timberlake isn't it? And just one white glove He kept his hat on I was like yeah because he's bald She was like oh I was like oh come on It's classic 101 Have you ever had a strange one night stand? I mean they're all strange I remember one guy I went on a date with him and I was again I was in the aftermath of a breakup yeah yeah and I fancied this guy and it was probably the first guy I fancied after the last guy and you know when you've kind of broken through that wall you're like oh amazing and I just moved to London and I was like gonna you know I'm gonna be like Harry Bradshaw well you know living my London life and I'm just gonna date and because I was never particularly promiscuous I was very much like I'm not giving you this my flower yeah I'm just going to ruin it tell your mate that you took it I was always like that so but I was like I'm just going to like you know I'm going to be going to have that like really promiscuous day I don't think I'm really equipped for that but um anyway I went to the day with this guy and I really fancied him and I was like thank god so I was like I'll go home with you and he was like oh okay so I was sitting in the black cab with him because I just assumed all men wanted you to go home with him I never thought that he didn't Never crossed my mind And I was sitting in the taxi But then I realised His attitude toward I was like Oh you're You're like a little You're a little sexist actually Because he was like Well look I'm assuming You don't do this a lot And I was like Oh What the Yeah He was judging me For going home with him What Yeah Oh Jamie come on now Let's not be surprised I am surprised by that And I think I In my heightened state Of like my new London life and I fancy someone was like, surely this man would be absolutely terrible.

50:48And of course he was like, I'm obviously going to have sex with you, but I'm just hoping this isn't like how you normally behave. So you then have a weird like argument in like the taxi. I just remember it very clearly that stuck in my mind. And I was like, oh, he's judging me. Followed through anyway, obviously, because I was like, I'm new to London. I don't know where I live.

51:09Having a clue what shoe blind I'm on. I'm stuck in this taxi now. and I went back and the next morning it was ice cold. What? I mean, had his back to me and I remember saying to him, he was on his phone and I went, are you back on Hinge? I said, are you on Hinge? And he went, no man's your mouth. And I was like, I was taking the piss. And then I obviously hadn't a clue where I was. So I said, listen, I don't know where I am and he told me I was in like wherever, you know, it was like Wolfordshire or something. And he said, I said, can I, I said, is there a train station nearby and he goes yeah it's down the road and I said do you drive and he said yeah and he goes and he looked at me like as in I was going to do something really cheeky and he goes I'm not Joanne I'm not giving you a lift and I said oh okay and he said I said why just out of interest and he goes because that would be I'll never forget it an unprecedented act of chivalry and I just don't think I feel that way about you yet welcome to London Joanne and I started laughing and he's like what's so funny because I was like you're like you're too much yeah this is ridiculous so I was like I'm going to go now and he's like why are you being like that and I was like you're you yeah exactly I was like I know you're grand yes that's the end I thought I was like giving this gift to this man me for 12 hours you lucky bastard yeah but men are like I call the ejaculate explain they ejaculate they hate really ah come on now Jamie I can see it in your eyes you know exactly what I mean they get what they want not all of them now not all men hashtag blah blah blah but like there's a pursuit there and there is that post not clarity of like oh you're still here don't rob anything on your way out you're like wow you were all over me last night yeah that post not clarity mmhmm the jack you hate ah

53:10Your career is like insane, right? Because you do comedy. You're kind of bubbling on the surface. You then go and do My Therapist Ghosted Me with Vogue and everything just goes boom. Do you know how it started? What? Yeah, tell me. So I was, so yeah, Vogue was known. Vogue was already known. So she had established herself in the UK already and I had not, but I was, like I was, you know. You were working. I was, it was kind of trickling over. I was getting bits of TV work here and there. And then I was down in Vogue's one day because I know her years from home. And she asked me to do a tan video with her for her tan company.

53:49And I was tanning her. And we put the video up. And whatever our rapport is, some people were like, oh, we'd love to see more of that. And because Vogue is such a smart little business, bitch, she was like, let's do a podcast. And that's literally how it started. It started from me rubbing her with tan. And then we started doing the podcast. and then I realised when I was in the clubs then there was girls coming to the club gigs because I was listed in the clubs back then so you'd have your name on the posters and they were coming from the podcast and I remember saying to Vogue oh you can't see it because you're not out and about the way I am like in the clubs but I said something's happening with this podcast You could feel that it was just building momentum Yeah there was something going on with that I was like something's happening with this podcast We started it in COVID so by the time COVID finished everyone was dying to go out.

54:39So then the Prosecco tour, it just benefited from, it was just this perfect timing of the pod starting, the pod doing well and everyone bursting to get out of their houses after COVID. You know, I've seen you on stage. I've seen, it's like mesmerizing. You're so good at it. Thanks, Jamie. But do you realize that as well? Do you realize that that's your skill? I think, I do think I'm a good performer. You're amazing. Even though it kills me to say it and I almost asked you to cut that. But I do think I am a good performer, yeah. That's the Irishman, you hate it. You can't. The Irishman, you have to like, it has to be a constant like digging to each other.

55:11You can't ever compliment it. I think I'm a good performer and I think I work hard. And because I don't have a family, then I do all the, everything that comes in. Not everything, but like, when I started, I was, you know, doing the workman's clubs. I was up in Grimsby. I was down in Peterborough. I was on the trains. I was doing it all. But like, what a job. What am I going to give out about working an hour a night. Do you think the fact that you are Irish has that little bit of extra like twang to it, right? Yeah, I think so. I think Ireland, we do, we're funny. Yeah, very funny. We're just funny and we have a great sense of humour.

55:52Like we just do culturally and so because coming to the UK, they trust Irish comics because we have such a great legacy of Irish comedians. It's very rare you meet a shit Irish comic. But they're just funny. So when I go out, they hear the accent, they're like immediately, they feel, safe you feel comfortable safe I'm like oh okay she's Irish Grant go on that's funny it does that doesn't it same with Scottish I think you suddenly feel safe you're like oh okay I trust these guys these clowns one question I need to know my therapist ghosted me right yes did your therapist really ghost you yeah get out of here yeah yeah Joanne yeah so what happened was I was I was in the in the swirling around another breakup I was very sad and I went I started seeing this guy in the UK actually and um he was a bit witchy woo woo and there was like incense and I'd never had a therapist like that before usually they're quite like clinical um and really good but it was just a different vibe it was more kind of like you know hippie dippies okay hippies and I was like this is great now and um then lockdown happened and he went cold on me.

57:07I just couldn't get hold of him. And then I emailed, rang and then I was like... Went to his mum's house and then... It's like, John, I'm on the way. Sam, Sam, I'm on the way over. I'm going to ring you off your Maz landline. That's my USP. It's my calling card. I will find where your mother lives and I will turn up. And yeah, I couldn't get hold of him. And then I was... Then I was kind of worried about him. and then I thought something had happened to him and then I emailed him one day a very kind of like abrupt, like let's just, I need answers Sam. Yeah, yeah. And I said, Sam, it's Joanne again.

57:49I've left you a lot of messages and you haven't responded. I'm guessing you don't want to do any more sessions. I'm willing to pay. I was like, Sam, do you still work in mental health? like that's not a question like that's not saying can I see you that's just like a broad question and he said Joanne yes I do and here's who I'd recommend for you

58:16burn so then literally a couple of weeks after that I was on a zoom with Vogue and Global and we were just and we were literally making small talk remember the zooms and he'd be like how are you because you're waiting for someone to jump on and I was making small talk with the programming dude and he's like, any news? And I said, my therapist goes to me. And he was like, oh, let's just call the podcast that. It's a great name. It's a great name. I actually don't think it is. It is a good name. Depending on how it's written, sometimes it's like my rapist hosted me. And they put me in vogue on these, on these, did I not tell you this story?

58:54They put us on, Global put us on these posters in the tube, right? But it's these Three tiered Posters So there's one podcast And then there's two posters Kind of slipping out From behind Yeah yeah So obviously Vogue is invisible completely And it's just me With rapist over it In the tubes How no one spotted it Is bizarre to me Vogue's like I'm not on it It's like well I'd rather not be on it Than my face With rapist over it

59:29whatever way the poster fell

59:42they're like wow she's really owning it isn't she must be part of a recovery or a punishment yeah like in the olden days when they'd make you walk around with signs of your crimes. She looks so happy.

59:58You started your new tour. Pinophile. Pinophile. Such a good name. It's a good name, isn't it? It's good. Yeah, I think it's great. It's really good. Do you know where that came from? No. So, there was a video going around. You know Peloton, the people who, they pedal the bikes. And there was a video going around. The American Peloton instructors are, you know, they're very American. and they're very enthusiastic and it's all like a kind of a therapy session. They're all screaming at you and everything. And there was a video going around where, because you have to come up with the Peloton name.

1:00:30So it'll be like spin for gin and all this, you know, mummy's drinking wine and blah, blah, blah. And there was an American instructor and she was looking at the leaderboard while she was on doing the class. And she went, no! And she obviously saw a name that she was like, she go, we don't do that here. And then she was screaming up to the office. They're like, ban him, ban him. And of course I was watching this clip and I was like what was the fucking name and the name was Pedalphile and I was like that is so funny that is so funny come on now she's I'm gone in at home and his name was Pedalphile it's brilliant that guy so far as though it's genius like pedos can't own file file just means you like something they've ruined file for the rest of us like eat the Brexit there were like Euro files and like Files is its own thing It does For some reason Pedophile is a little Closer than that But that's what's so funny about it But anyway She obviously thought He was just calling himself Pedophile So she Since now said She's like look I apologise It was a little overreaction She was trying to get him Banned from Peloton For the rest of his life For being a pedophile So anyway I was talking about it online It's genius It's so funny It's so funny And I was talking about it online And a woman Messaged me We've been in contact since But she messaged me saying your Peloton name should be Pinophile.

1:01:50And I was like, that is such a good idea. And I said, it's not going to be my Peloton name. It's going to be my show name. That is... It's that or Pinocyco. So I went Pinophile.

1:02:06Hey, listen, you're the best. You're the best. No, Joanne, honestly, I want everyone to go and get your tickets. Pinophile at joannemcnally.com. We're going to leave the link in the description. I have two new Apollo dates. Let's go. Because the others are sold. so it's the 5th and 6th of February. That's mad. That's a lot of people. Yeah. Do you want to come? Yeah. But you can't. It's all out. No, I've already got, I got the email. I got the email saying I can come. I'm only joking, of course you can come. I can't wait. Do you come now. Promise me you'll come. I swear to God I'll come. I swear to God.

1:02:32But when's Sophie do? December. Oh yeah, well maybe the Feb. You might be able to come to one of the Febs. We can do the Feb one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She won't be there, I wouldn't say. Jamie, Jamie, I don't think you know what's coming your way. Even like... Yeah, I do. You're going to be nipping out the night after for pints? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's going to be fine. He's like, we'll be there. She is not going to want to go to that. Three of us. We'll be there. The fam. We'll be there. You're the funniest person I know. You, Jamie. That's so nice. You really are. I adore you to bits.

1:03:00Thank you for coming on. Listen, we end the podcast with eight questions. Are you ready? Oh, my... What the hell have I just been on? Here we go. You ready? Okay. what's a saying or phrase that makes you smile or cheers you up oh silly Billy it's what we dismiss all bad male behavior we're like if someone if someone oh silly Billy we're like oh silly Billy yeah he's off trafficking again silly Billy

1:03:28best compliment anyone's ever given you I remember one I remember one guy and I was mad about him at the time and he said I think you're very beautiful but it's the least interesting thing about you. And I remember being like, wow, I know. I know, yeah, I was like, wow. What a thing to say. I was like... Did you date him? Oh, yeah. How did it end? Well, he's not here, is he? It ended like the old end, Jamie. Like a bin fire.

1:04:01Yeah. Yeah, I think something's still smoking in Dublin from the end of that. What scares you most about yourself? That I'll forget to have a kid and then I'll regret it Oh Okay, next Really firing through these, aren't we? When was the last time you cried? Oh I don't know I can't imagine you crying I'm not an easy crier I bet you're not No We had some bad health news in the family and I cried Really? Yeah, but it's actually I think it's going to be okay Okay Yeah Sort of okay? Yeah, that'll do it that does it fuck the treatments just touch the wood that does it just touch the wood that does it yeah what's something you can't let go of I would say brunch great because it has your friends and wine and goss and vapes and chats there's nothing better when someone says it like a brunch should we have a drink my thing our code is when someone sends the weather report into the girls group and it's like sunny the next day and you're like I know what she's saying we're gonna brunch the shit out of tomorrow Wake up at 6pm In a blackout With your fucking eyelashes On your chin Let's go What's your guilty pleasure?

1:05:13Well I don't believe In guilty pleasures Okay I think if it's a pleasure It's a pleasure But now that I've made My diplomatic point Yeah I would say love is blind It's good It's very good It's good It's very good Yeah I love it Have you seen the America one recently? Love ain't blind Jamie I don't know if you've realised Have you seen the There's a woman on it Who was going blind And the lads are like I'm not having it She's literally meeting the brief And they're like no What's your biggest turn off? I was with the man recently he pretended he didn't know who I was that's a turn off for ages but it turned out he did anyway I was like you're fucking pathetic you're pathetic that was a turn off yeah he let something slip then oh yeah yeah yeah it's very it's all very dominant you know kind of like power everything's power Jamie it's all power and I think like that male instinct to kind of hold on to that 100 % upper positioning, you know?

1:06:07Yeah. Biggest turn on? Men who know who I am. No, I'm only going. Laughing. Oh, God. Laughing into bed all day. You could look like a gremlin. I wouldn't care. What do you like most about yourself? Come on. I like my... I love laughing. Yeah. I love laughing. And I'm a real cheap laugh. I laugh at pretty much everything. Yeah. And I... Yeah, I love having... I love a good laugh. Last one. Favourite swear word? No. I've actually moved around, you know. Okay. Because sometimes I feel like am I just saying cunt for dramatic effect? Do you know what I mean? Yeah. But like it does feel because it's like female genitalia and the fact that it's so bad I think I find it empowering to use it.

1:06:55I also like Tosser. And Silly Bit. I like Wanker. Yeah, it's good. Yeah. So if you're going to shout it to someone. I swear a lot which I'm trying to work on but then I rise from and we see it as a sign of intelligence so I'm obviously a fucking rain man Joanne I adore you the best thank you for coming I adore you the best Joanne you're amazing I really hope you enjoyed that episode with Joanne McNally man she's so funny she's one of the funniest people I know and sometimes when you meet comedians they're not actually as funny as they are when they're on stage, but Joanna's one of those people who actually has funny bones.

1:07:38What I found interesting about the episode today is how so many things have happened to Joanna in her life. So many tough things. One could argue being adopted is a pretty tough experience to find out or going through an eating disorder. And what she seems to do is she firstly covers it up with humor and she has this attitude, which is she could lean into it. She could worry about it. She could suffer from it, but actually she tries to just move forward and get up and go and have this get up and go attitude. So I really hope you enjoyed this episode. And if you really like this episode as well, you can go back and listen to my episode with Joe Brand.

1:08:12It was one of our first episodes and it was so amazing, so incredible, so funny in so many different ways. I mean, I personally always wanted to do anti-adverts. So I wanted to come on after an ad and go, can I swear? Yeah, that product shit. I've tried it. And I don't know why that person and saying it's all right.

1:08:35I do that, like, for no money, you know. But aren't we all selling throughout our lives? Selling ourselves to our partners or our husbands, selling comedy tickets. It's just a different sort of selling. Well, I see that as like a job, you know, and I think that's very different from, I don't think of myself as a product. I mean, maybe I am, but I don't see myself like that. But you're definitely a brand. Ha, ha, ha, ha. No one's made that joke before. That was so clever of me, wasn't it? Yeah, really. Go and check that out. And of course, we'll be back next week for another episode of Great Company.