Jack Carroll - Walking funny

After appearing on stage in front of over 1400 people at the age of 12, Jack Carroll went on to be runner-up in Britain’s Got Talent aged just 14. Now 24, he’s currently touring his first solo stand-up show Walking Funny. He was born 11 weeks prematurely and developed cerebral palsy as a result. He spoke to us about how affects him.

“On a purely diagnostic level, cerebral palsy affects my lower half, my legs and my balance. My hands and arms are okay. I get muscle fatigue in my legs and my left foot is a bit dodgy, because of the way I walk it’s turned a little. On a practical level, I have to be careful with the amount of walking I do so I don’t overburden myself, but beyond that, I think I do pretty well.”

Growing up in Yorkshire, Jack felt his physical differences were widely accepted and through the support of family and friends he grew in confidence. This confidence led to him performing stand-up comedy and gaining huge media attention whilst still a teenager.

“I think I’ve always been hugely lucky regarding how people have accepted my cerebral palsy. My mum, dad, siblings, and extended family always imbued confidence in me, so I’ve never really felt different because I don’t do anything different. Due to my great upbringing, my condition has never been a massive issue or a stumbling block.”

Even at a young age, his humour shone through. Being a very funny and approachable child it seemed like an almost natural progression to take his humour on stage. Jack likes to extend his humour into his day-to-day interactions, he makes light of his condition, using it as an icebreaker with new people.

“Using humour is always a good way to disarm people. If people are slightly awkward about things, humour can end up chilling them out. If they see that you’re fine with your condition and can have a laugh it can help people to relax about it themselves. I hope my ability to use humour means that, after a few minutes in my company, people often just forget about the disability.”

Performing since he was a child has taken Jack all across the country. Although accessibility in comedy clubs for performers and audiences alike is generally good in the UK, Jack does need to consider his disability when venturing out to do gigs.

“With the practicalities of my disability, logistically it does make certain things harder. I have to think about getting into gigs, making sure the venue’s accessible, probably more than my able-bodied counterparts do.”

His cerebral palsy has helped him to write material throughout his career. His light-hearted approach to serious subjects puts his audiences at ease and creates a rapport. By making humour from his condition, he opens up dialogues in society about what can be joked about and by whom.

“From a comedian’s point of view, the condition always gives you something to talk about. That’s a great thing to have as a comic, having a unique selling point. It’s not the only thing that I talk about on stage, but it’s good to have that kind of recognisable characteristic to play with. It is hard being a comedian with a disability, but I think, from the aspect of creating material, it does make things slightly easier in a weird way.”

As an inspirational character for younger comedians, Jack at the age of 24 has a great deal of wisdom to call upon from his long career at such a young age. He believes that any up-and-coming comedians with disabilities have a unique perspective and story that they can use to write material.

“I’m always wary of advising younger comedians because I think my situation starting out was quite unique. I kind of was able to bypass the open mic circuit and stuff like that. Comedy is a good skill and I think particularly interesting if you’ve got a disability or any kind of life experience that deviates from what you would call ‘normal’. Anything other than ‘normal’ is fertile ground for comedy. Everybody has something to say that is interesting, you’ve just got to learn to make those things funny and I think that will be attractive to audiences.”

As Jack grows older, he sees his cerebral palsy changing. His condition has never prevented him from doing what he wants, pursuing his dreams and travelling extensively with his stand-up, as well as being a season ticket holder at his beloved Leeds United.

“In terms of how my cerebral palsy is developing, I have more trouble with my left foot at the minute, I’m having to watch out a lot more that I’m not giving it as much hammer. I’m going for physio on my foot a couple of times a week. Other than that, it’s much the same but I think eventually it will get progressively worse. The intervention of physio seems to help it to get better. It’s a kind of (no pun intended) balancing act.”

A great number of comedians on the circuit admire Jack’s talent, and as a result, he has made a varied selection of friends throughout his career. He has recently completed support slots with Frankie Boyle and David Walliams described him as “a comedy genius.” Jack’s tour continues into 2023 as his comedy reaches new strengths.

Although stand-up is his great passion, he has also had a long and varied acting career. Acting has seen him portray a variety of roles across various TV platforms, in 2019 he made his big screen debut with his starring role in the film Eaten by Lions. He also has a sitcom pilot that will be released on BBC shortly. One we are sure to enjoy! At the moment Jack is enjoying his tour and all that comes with it.

“I’m still playing dates for my Walking Funny tour this year which I started last November. It’s just me on my own doing an hour of stand up and that is very exciting because it’s my first real solo stand-up tour. It’s been a great learning experience and has been so lovely to see so many people who’ve come out to see me specifically. It makes the tour a little different from when I’m on a mixed bill in a comedy club, it feels like me and the audience have a great connection.”

Jack remains an inspiration for young comedians and especially those with disabilities. His drive to achieve has taken him on an incredible journey. He has achieved a great deal in 24 short years and continues to reach new heights. Why not head over and see Jack on his Walking Funny tour at a venue near you? You certainly won’t be disappointed.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture and is the most common motor disability in childhood. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles.

The symptoms can vary from person to person. A person with severe CP might need to use special equipment to be able to walk or might not be able to walk at all and need lifelong care. A person with mild CP, on the other hand, may walk a little awkwardly, but not need any special help. It does not get worse over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person’s lifetime.

Everyone with CP has problems with movement and posture. Some also have related conditions such as intellectual disability; seizures; problems with vision, hearing, or speech; changes in the spine (such as scoliosis); or joint problems (such as contractures).