Rob Beckett details “suicidal thoughts”, says “all comedians are broken”

nme.com:

8 Out Of 10 Cats, Mock The Week and Taskmaster, has spoken candidly in a new interview with The Guardian about his mental health struggles, and how it has interacted with his career.Describing how he directed his insecurities into an inspiring force to pursue his stand-up work, he said: “It was a toxic fuel.

Effective, like chucking petrol on a bonfire, but unsustainable.”Beckett, who was named as the sixth richest comedian in the UK in July, and who also hosts the spin-off show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!

Now!, added that even when success came his way, the negative thoughts continued.“I had all the markers of a successful person,” he said. “But I was having suicidal thoughts.”He made clear that he did not attempt to act on the thoughts, and instead underwent six months of intensive therapy, at the behest of his agent.

As COVID-19 hit, he had come to the conclusion that he was living with “what was basically a low-level anxiety disorder, poverty mindset and impostor syndrome”.Beckett added that he was of the opinion that “all comedians are broken” in some way, because “there’s got to be something wrong that drives us to achieve”.The comedian also co-hosts the podcast Parenting Hell with fellow stand-up Josh Widdicombe.