A SIZZLING COMEDY RETURN AS ED GAMBLE BRINGS THE HEAT WITH HOT DIGGITY DOG

By Tanya Howard | Founder, The Live Review London · @glamglitzlondon ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Ed Gamble made his return to the comedy scene with his new stand-up show Hot Diggity Dog. Ed is known for his award-winning podcast Off Menu with James Acaster and for winning season nine of Taskmaster. But long before his Taskmaster appearance he was a regular on the comedy scene and is back to delight audiences. I went to Hackney Empire to see his latest show, and it was a memorable evening full of laughter.

The evening kicked off with a set by Chloe Petts, co-found of The Lol Word, a queer comedy collective. I was aware of Chloe after seeing her support Ed on his previous tour at the same venue. Chloe has a laddish carefree approach to comedy and immediately won over the audience. Chloe shared hilarious anecdotes about frequently mistaken for a man including a time, highlighting a time where she crossed the road to make a woman feel safe walking home at night. Another man then proceeded to do the same until he realised Chloe was also a woman. Queue total panic, and him choosing to walk down the middle of the road.

Chloe’s observations on being a vegetarian who occasionally indulges in meat was particularly funny. People would label her a flexitarian which lead to a hilarious comparison to her past sexual experimentation with men. Has anyone ever been called a flexosexual before coming out?! Her love of football also provided ample comedic material. Especially when she explained the difficulty of explaining to her girlfriend why she was laughing at a crying child on tv after their team lost. Chloe’s interaction with the audience, including calling out a man who took his shoes off, added a further layer of humour.

I CAN TELL YOU I WOULD NOT HAVE GUESSED SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WOULD COME UP DURING THE SETS AT HOT DIGGITY DOG

Following Chloe’s set and a quick interval Ed Gamble makes his way on stage for his show. He opened with tales from his recent honeymoon in Las Vegas. You’re right in thinking it’s not an Ed Gamble destination, they only went there to prove their friends wrong. Gambling fanatics would make comments about his surname and gambling which he could not be less interested in. In fact, Ed renewed his vows with an Elvis impersonator after 3 days of marriage just to have something to do.

Ed’s exploration of connecting with his local community provided plenty of laughs. He shared how he and his wife treat their street’s WhatsApp group as top-tier entertainment, projecting it on their television. The unexpected highlight of this segment was an outlandish story of someone defecating in the street. And the subsequent discussion and breakdown in the group chat as people shared photos and opinions. I can tell you I wouldn’t have guessed the topic of bowel movements would come up during the show.

Ed’s humour also touched on everyday life mishaps, like the time he attempted to make potato dauphinoise. This ended in an A&E trip following an incident with the mandolin slicer. Tell me you’re posh without telling you’re posh right! And yet somehow Ed has a knack for sharp humour and relatable stories leading to a night of genuine laughter. Hot Diggity Dog is not to be missed, and Chloe Petts’ supporting act is a great addition to the show.

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Photo Credit: Matt Crockett