On telly today, I was introduced as a comedian and dad of Spider-Man. This doesn’t rankle in the way that some people might think. It is something I get regularly and I understand why. And it would be odd to complain, given that I have written a book called Eclipsed and my current stand-up set leans heavily on Tom for some of my biggest and safest laughs. And as I say in this book, there is no disgrace in being Eclipsed by Spider-Man.
There is disgrace, however, in appearing on TV, arguing for the importance of primary school kids learning their times tables and then proceeding to get every question fired at me flat wrong. 6 8’s anyone? Yeah, 48. Easy as you like, but try it on live telly when you weren’t expecting it. Not that I would ever claim to be anything other than a mathematics dullard. I took the O level 3 times – gaining in ascending order, E, D until I triumphed with a C and called time on maths. But my numeracy deficiencies also became my advantage, inspiring a few routines in my stand-up and again in my show at this years Edinburgh festival where I am likely to tell the story of my very first maths exam. Perhaps my greatest fail of all time? Although, sadly there are many others which might run it close.
My stand-up then offers me lots of advantages – in being able to turn disasters in to income. My broken leg routine is another golden example.
And Tom being Spider-Man is something to be proud of. Not for what we have inadvertently done to make it happen – because its been a fluke (also stated clearly in Eclipsed) – but for what it allows us to do now.
A neat link to The Brothers Trust – a charity that we have established – using Tom’s reach and celebrity to do some good whilst keeping some feet planted firmly on the ground. The 3rd event of which is a chance to win a Hot Toys Spider-Man figurine of Tom. Tom has signed the plinth which has been authenticated – All details are on www.thebrotherstrust.org
The live draw is this Sunday – good luck to all.
And tomorrow on The Wright Stuff, (C5, 9.15) if Mathew introduces me as a stand-up comedian and all round self-confessed thicko, you’ll understand why…
