Life is a rollercoaster - at least it is if you live in the shoes of Belfast-based comedian Jo Jarvie.
Jarvie began stand-up while studying drama at Middlesex University in 2012 because she fell for a fellow student who did a stand-up set for his solo performance module, and after that always appeared destined for a life in comedy.
At 22, she supported Dublin comic Ed Byrne at the Edinburgh Fringe and was able to rub shoulders with the likes of fellow Irish comedians Dara Ó Briain, David O’Doherty and Ardal O’Hanlon.
However, Jarvie was struggling off the stage and addicted to alcohol. She came to the conclusion that the comedy scene was not a particularly healthy environment for her and that she was ‘self-sabotaging her own success’, so decided to take a break in 2013. She got married and moved to County Down in Northern Ireland the following year.
Now, after years in rehab and an ultimately unsuccessful marriage, Jarvie is smiling again and rebuilding her life. confesses her experiences have helped her rediscover her passion for stand-up and develop an overall more positive outlook.
Having returned to the comedy circuit in August 2024, she has seen her career belatedly head on an upward trajectory, including headlining and MCing various comedy nights, opening for local comedy stars Paddy Raff and Paddy McDonnell, and taking her show ‘Crazy, Stupid, Funny’ on tour across the UK in 2025.
Indeed, this is someone who once upon a time gave up her job and her car, slept on buses and airport floors, and lived off her savings so she could pursue her stand-up comedy dream.
Quite simply, if you feel you’re failing in life, remember that Jarvie was a late bloomer. Her perseverance and hard work have afforded her a career to be proud of, and as an ancient Chinese proverb says, ‘Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still’.
Now busier than ever, the comedian took time out of her hectic schedule to look back on her recent meteoric rise with pride and her support for her beloved Hammers…
Jo, where did it all begin for you as a stand-up comedian, then?
“To be honest, I never planned on becoming a comedian. I went to drama school and fancied a guy that did the comedy module. I did the module because I wanted to be in another class with him, and I ended up being really good at it.
“I remember when I was in my early 20s and was sitting at a bench with Dara Ó Briain, Ardal O'Hanlon and David O’Doherty, which was just a surreal moment.
“I got back into comedy last summer and just walked into a local open mic night at Maddens Comedy Club (now Belfast Comedy Club).
“It’s really gone from strength to strength since. I’ve only really been back in it a year, and I’ve overtaken people who have been doing it for about ten years.”
You took a 12-year break from comedy - how difficult a decision was that for you to make?
“I’m a recovered alcohol addict. My addiction at that point was getting really bad. I was drinking a lot, and I felt that I was self-sabotaging my own success and embarrassing myself, and it was easier for me to just walk away rather than deal with any consequences.
“I couldn’t handle the pressure. I don’t think it was the right time for me back then, not as much as it feels like the right time now.
“What came later was the feeling of regret because people who started out when I started out are now doing massive tours, world tours and huge panel shows, and I obviously had that break at a young age.
“It’s only recently that I’ve realised that it’s a good thing that I had that break because if I was propelled into that world at the same time as them, my rock bottom could have been even lower than it already was.
“It was an easy decision at the time to take the break, but the pain of regret did creep up on me.”
So, when did you get back into comedy, then? Was there a moment you thought, ‘I’m going to do it again’?
“I saw a pop-up on my Facebook for Maddens Comedy Club to come and try out stand-up comedy. It was almost like it was something I needed to do. I was like, ‘Just go and do it, put it to bed and close the chapter [as a comedian]’.
“They had a full line-up but squeezed me in and gave me a five-minute slot, and I was asked to come back the following week.
“The moment I knew I wanted to do this full-time was when Paddy Raff, who is a big comedian over here, asked me to open for him at the Hot Water Comedy Club in Liverpool. He saw something in me that I couldn’t see yet in myself, and that’s what propelled me into thinking, ‘Maybe I can do this’.
“I’m forever grateful to Paddy for doing that because he really did give me my big start.”
You’ve taken your solo show, ‘Crazy, Stupid, Funny’, on tour across the UK. How’s that been, and what’s it about?
“I wrote my own show, ‘Crazy, Stupid, Funny’, and I took it to Prague, the Brighton Fringe and the Edinburgh Fringe in August.
“It’s split up into three parts focusing on key events and experiences from my life, from growing up in London as the daughter of an Irish mother and Greek father, to getting to grips with the dating scene in your 30s, so it’s quite relatable to a lot of people.
“I can’t compare it to anything else I’ve ever done before because it just feels like I’m having fun, and I’m getting paid for it.”
And comedy is something that clearly means a lot to you, Jo?
“I’ve always been an all-or-nothing person. My Dad is very much like that - if you’ve got to do it, do it right. And when I decided I really wanted to do this, I gave myself a year and told myself it’s now or never.
“I’ve got buses all around the country and trains and planes everywhere and anywhere. I’ve slept on airport floors, I’ve slept on buses, and it did not bother me. And I think that was really important.
“That’s how I knew I was on the right path, because that ugly part of it didn’t bother me. I was enjoying all of it.
“Comedy has taught me how to love life again and given me a way to open up. It’s given me a reason in life, and I’m hoping to break into the mainstream very soon.
“It finally feels like I have something to offer to the world, and comedy has been a real lifeline for me.
“I just want to appreciate everything that I’ve got because there was a time that I had absolutely nothing. I was sleeping on a dirty mattress on the floor. I had no curtains, was surrounded by bottles and had no will to live, and I was hanging on to life.
“I’m really proud of how I’ve turned my life around.”
You’re a big Hammer, too?
“My Dad’s a die-hard West Ham supporter. Literally everything is West Ham in both of our houses!
“I remember being at Upton Park, waiting by the gates and getting all the signatures in my autograph book. They are some of my happiest childhood memories.
“I remember the day I learnt ‘Bubbles’. We were in the back of my Dad’s car, and he turned the radio off and was like, ‘I’m going to teach you the most important song you’ll ever know in your life’, and he just sang it over and over again until I learnt it.
“My Dad was actually one of the Club’s sponsors at one point, so we would always go in to meet the players, and it was really special.
“I went to Prague on a wing and a prayer. I spent all my money getting to Prague and went through a number of countries, but honestly, I could die happy. It was the best time of my life.
“I’m part of the West Ham Supporters’ Club in Belfast as well, which I’ve really enjoyed.”
*Follow Jo Jarvie on Instagram @jojarviecomedy
