A chance to have a good laugh with Jo Brand, and stop people dying

  • Post

  • 21 November 2013

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

  • 0

If you like Jo Brand, if you like a good night out, if you have an empty diary on the evening of this coming Sunday November 24, and if you have a passing interest in making a small contribution to curing cancer and saving lives, then please click on here. I've been involved in An Audience With… since the very beginning, and every year it's one charity event not to be missed. In fact it’s become an Autumn Institution and a resounding success for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, raising over £160,000, so far, to help beat blood cancer. The annual event was the idea of my literary agent and leukaemia survivor, Ed Victor, and thanks to his, my and Alan Yentob's contacts books, we’ve brought audiences a unique insight into the lives of some of the most impressive people in entertainment, including Mel Brooks, Kevin Spacey, Michael Palin, Stephen Fry, Billy Connolly and Miranda. Not a bad line up, and every single one of them turning out for not a penny. Jo Brand is the next great name to step up in the same way. The beauty is that although the Criterion Theatre is full of splendour, it is still a relatively small and intimate venue, so can you get up close and personal to the celebrity guest. Alan Yentob uses archive footage as the basis for interviews, and then the audience gets to ask the questions. A highlight last year was when an over zealous fan just wouldn't shut up but Miranda just said 'Shush now' and he did! I’ve no doubt that An Audience with Jo Brand will be brilliant. I have seen her do stand up, chat, after dinner, political, and lots else besides. Whilst she may be known to most as a BAFTA-winning English comedian, writer and actress, many may not know, for example, about her life as a psychiatric nurse for 10 years, or a Crystal Palace fanatic. That’s what makes this event so unique – we go way beyond what you thought you knew about the person. I’m expecting the evening to be full of laughs – Jo is an incredibly funny lady. However, there are always twists during these evenings so expect the unexpected! And here is a reminder of how to be there

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Lucky or Left Behind? The Gen Z Money Story

Is Gen Z the most informed generation in history,  or the most financially trapped? Is a university degree still worth it, or have we sent too many people to study the wrong things? Has Britain gone ... Continue

30 April 2026

527. Are American Tech Billionaires Threatening British Democracy?

Given Palantir’s controversial manifesto – described by some as having “techno-fascist” tendencies – why is the UK Government expanding its work with the company? Why has the Foreign Office ... Continue

30 April 2026

Alastair Campbell’s diary: I went head-to-head with Aleksandar Vučić – and we’re still at war

The Serbian president still blames Nato and New Labour over Kosovo... Continue

29 April 2026

Alastair Campbell’s diary: I went head-to-head with Aleksandar Vučić – and we still don’t agree

The Serbian president still blames Nato and New Labour over Kosovo... Continue

29 April 2026

526. Can the King Save the Special Relationship?

Is the so-called ‘special relationship’ between America and Britain already broken, and is it even worth saving? How can the UK and Europe achieve independence from the US on defence, tech and nuc... Continue

28 April 2026

186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU

How does President Vučić justify Serbia's geopolitical balancing act between Russia, China, and the European Union? Why does he warn that if the EU further delays enlargement, the United States migh... Continue

27 April 2026

525. JD Vance vs. the Pope and the Far-Right Funding Machine (Question Time)

Why do Trump and JD Vance keep arguing with the Pope about theology? Who is funding the British and European far-right? As nationalism grows in Scotland and Wales, did devolution make this inevitable?... Continue

23 April 2026

524. Starmer’s Mandelson Mess and the Iranian Nuclear Threat

Did Starmer show a fatal lack of judgement and curiosity about Peter Mandelson’s suitability for public office? How and why did Trump destroy years of successful Iranian nuclear ‘containment’ po... Continue

21 April 2026