Jack Rooke Talks Quavers, Happy Man and Bowling For Weight Loss

Jack Rooke is one thing of a stand-up curiosity. A naturally, humorous and partaking determine who eschews the thought of out-and-out jokes and trite content-free reveals, in favour of painfully humorous tales embedded in transferring and even motivating programmes. In an period when the bad-taste gag usually grabs the headlines, it’s refreshing to see somebody creating reveals which are extra about emotional punch moderately than glib punchlines. To have fun his new sequence Happy Man (all episodes embedded within the article – you’re welcome) we spoke to him about his historical past with binge consuming, why Quavers gained’t get him and how he tried to bowl his weight away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyvzGNPDIk

First of all, inform us about Happy Man. Your first present Good Grief (which is brilliant and still available on iPlayer by the best way) handled a interval of tragedy in your life. What are you specializing in with this present?

Happy Man is concerning the options to the male psychological well being disaster on this nation exterior of simply speaking. It’s about discovering the issues that younger males can do which are free and are simply accessible and that maybe aren’t being run by way of the NHS, however that also assist good psychological well being. There is a type of failure within the assist system infrastructure in sure areas on this nation that signifies that some males don’t get the assistance that they want.

The sequence is impressed by my pal Olly’s suicide. He took his personal life when he was 27 and I genuinely imagine that earlier intervention for him would have been a life-saver. But it’s actually a celebration of him and I don’t need it to be too unhappy or miserable. I need the programme to encourage and empower individuals to have extra instruments to assist themselves.

Men’s psychological well being has been gaining a whole lot of protection lately due to the efforts of Princes William and Harry to deliver #headstogether and get individuals speaking about psychological well being – is that sufficient?

The present mainstream protection of psychological well being is so saturated with calls to speak and simply conversations about conversations. For me, it’s actually unproductive to encourage males to speak and go to their GP in the event that they’re then going to cock-up all of that bravery by placing a bloke on an 18-24 week ready listing to do one thing about the best way they’re feeling. You have to type out the infrastructure and the assist companies on this nation earlier than you’ve gotten this clarion name for males to exit and speak.

That’s why I’m actually proud to be an envoy for CALM and I’ve been since I used to be 18 years previous. I believe they fill within the hole that the federal government have created by supporting males in a manner that’s accessible to guys and that’s pleasant and approachable and humorous and life-affirming. It’s nice to see psychological well being rising to the highest of agendas however I’m by no means certain if it’s simply wanking into the abyss about speaking with out truly sparing a thought for what could possibly be the answer. I believe it wants infrastructural reform and extra options which are free and simple which is what Happy Man is all about. In the programme I’m assembly up with a lot of totally different males who’ve completed fairly radical issues like chilly water swimming, operating and drag all to assist themselves really feel higher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKPZd98ha-g

You additionally strive posing for a life drawing class within the programme. Would you say that was a superb motivator to really feel higher about your self?

I’m going to make this one simple: no.

Ok. Male physique picture is a rising difficulty, or it’s one that’s gaining traction as an concept that perhaps males generally don’t really feel great about how they give the impression of being. Is that one thing you see in your individual life?

I believe with male physique picture it’s both finish of the spectrum. Unfortunately, you’ve acquired larger guys who presumably have low vanity who’re actually beginning to really feel the crunch of not assembly as much as masculinity’s portrayed excellent. Then I believe you’ve acquired blokes who’re actually lacking the purpose of life as a result of they’re simply thrashing themselves with protein shakes, obsessive about health and picture as a result of it’s clearly filling a void somehwere else. It’s the boring age-old factor of claiming that we have to be balanced.

You’ve misplaced a whole lot of weight your self lately, so properly completed for that! What was your motivation behind that?

I’ve wished to drop pounds lately for well being causes and as a result of, I gained’t lie, it’s a tough factor to be efficiently gay, be fats and get laid particularly when homosexual tradition actually, actually promotes a hyper-masculine, oiled-up Greek God picture. So I believe for me I had these considerations and it’s laborious to stability each self-importance and desirous to be completely satisfied and to be embraced no matter measurement you’re. That’s what I hope Happy Man has is this concept that you already know what, fuck it, I don’t have essentially the most stereotypically excellent of masculinity however my masculinity is past muscular tissues. The motive I’m an extremely sturdy man is as a result of I’ve handled so many fairly tragic experiences and come out the opposite facet, in a position to snort and to have fun the individuals I’ve misplaced. I believe that’s what marks you out as a powerful man, moderately than somebody who’s hooked on protein shakes.

So how did you drop pounds then? Got any suggestions you possibly can share?

Generally, I used to be simply taking care of myself and watching what I ate. I attempted just a few weight reduction programmes with my mum, Slimming World but it surely wasn’t actually for me. I favored components of it, individuals coming collectively as a group and having a joint aim. I believed what was attention-grabbing a few weight reduction group was that it gave you a secure area to fail in and I believe in society as of late there are only a few locations to fail. You can’t fail at work. You can’t fail as a father or mother. You can’t fail on-line. So to go to a weekly weight reduction assembly and in the event you’ve placed on and failed you discover that persons are nonetheless supporting you. I believed that was actually human and I beloved it. Then however I used to be like, “Oh my god this is a cult.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9q764eFIaM

Fun truth about you is that you just’re an excellent ten pin bowler. Perhaps it’s much less well-known although that you just truly began bowling to drop pounds – is that proper?

It’s true. When I used to be a teen my GP instructed me that I wanted to do extra sports activities as a result of I used to be chubby. My dad wished to do one thing with me and him on Saturday mornings and the native tenpin bowling membership was there and open and so moderately than truly doing bodily train I simply rolled a 14lb ball down a lane in a warehouse that smelled of toes and sick. Me and my dad ate worse meals as a result of each bowling alley within the nation is true subsequent door to a McDonalds and additionally they had scorching canine merchandising level contained in the lanes, so it was totally pointless for weight reduction. The smartest thing I take from it although and my one tip is that with losing a few pounds it was good to strive and do it with another person and have that assist (the MAN v FAT Forum is this manner).

In Good Grief you had been very open about binge consuming – what do you concentrate on that now?

For me it was once actually dangerous. It occurs once I really feel fairly low and it’s about management for me. Food and management are intrinsically linked in lots of people’s lives, it’s one factor which you can management how a lot or how little you set in your physique. I discovered that any time I’m confused I discover myself strolling by way of the kitchen opening cabinets and I catch myself and assume, “What am I doing!?” You’re simply opening cabinets meals and it’s mad. You realise that you just do it in a daze and then you definitely assume, perhaps this is the reason I’ve acquired huge tits.

You’re touring from April twenty eighth till June twenty fourth (tour details here), how do you handle to remain wholesome on tour provided that storage forecourts are notoriously laborious to seek out salad at.

It’s actually boring, but it surely’s simply planning. It helps having a stage supervisor that’s fats phobic, so he’s undoubtedly not going to let me stuff my face with Quavers which is an efficient factor. It’s doubly essential to eat and reside properly on tour as a result of your psychological well being is paramount and underneath strain. If you had been consuming McDonalds on a regular basis you’d kill your self half manner by way of and I actually don’t need to find yourself feeling suicidal at a service station at Leamington Spa.