Looking like the bouncer he used to be – even down to the way he pulls at his tie – Jeff Innocent brings you comedy with menace.
But then it’s not surprising really. Born in
As the man himself says with a smirk: “I was always connected. I still get invited to the funerals, if you know what I mean.”
Instead young Jeff Innocent opted to plough a different furrow as a window dresser for a smart chain of 1970’s boutiques in
Giving up on the shops game in the 1980s, the ever-flexible stand-up comic Jeff Innocent headed off to university as a mature student, starting with a BA in cultural studies and ending up with an MA in history and philosophy.
And where better to share this newfound knowledge (and especially the philosophy) than on stage as a stand-up comic – a final career choice that he first lurched into some 10 years ago.
Now very much part of the comedy “firm”, Jeff Innocent uses his background and experience to persuade his audiences to laugh both at and with him – being built like the proverbial brick outhouse helps too.
A comic’s comic, Jeff Innocent is universally acknowledged as one of the one of the most consistent and reliable acts on the circuit, and is literally without compare as a compere. With an engaging manner from the off, he has an unerring ability to entertain comedy clubs all over the world with a particular penchance for the east - including Singapore, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Dubai, Taiwan and Japan.
Jeff Innocent’s many television credits as actor, stand-up and presenter include TV’s 50 Hardest Men (Sky One), Comic relief (BBC1), Edinburgh Nights (BBC1), Later with Jools Holland (BBC 2), The National Lottery Show (BBC1), Time Gentlemen Please (Sky), Real EastEnders (Ch4) and Brief Histories (BBC 3).
Comedian Jeff Innocent’s film roles include that of a publican in It Was an Accident and as if turning the clock back to what might have been when he played a prisoner in Mean Machine alongside Vinnie Jones – Jeff could eat him for breakfast.
A prolific writer, Jeff Innocent writes for everyone from The Independent to The Scotsman as well as working on documentaries and sketch shows for both radio and TV, working alongside the likes of Sandi Toksvig, Phill Jupitus and Roland Rivron. Jeff Innocent also contributed to the “stand-up bible” Sit Down Comedy.
Always a popular player at Edinburgh, Jeff made a welcome return in 2006 with his solo show Eco Worrier, which received rave reviews and made a few ethical and political points at the same time.
At a time when two many comics are floppy-fringed students or shiny-face toffs, Jeff Innocent remains a voice of reason – and a very funny one at that.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
“His gags come from his subversion of ethical values by juxtaposing them with his wide-boy charm." - Metro ****
"Clever, honest, funny, hugely likeable comedy." – writer, comedienne and TV producer Kate Copstick
