Only a few weeks after my first ever gig, I went to watch a friend perform at the King Gong Show at the Comedy Store in London. I had never even heard of this show before. What I saw was the toughest open mic spot on the planet.where 25-30 new comics 'tried' to last 5 minutes in front of a crowd that was encouraged to be harsh. The rules are that 3 people in the audience are randomly given red cards and when all 3 cards are up, the comic is gonged off. Most comics last about 90 seconds. At the end of the show, of the comics who last 5 minutes (normally 3-5 comics), one of them is voted a winner by applause from the audience. This winner is then invited to perform on a Thursday night at this world famous venue.

Halfway though the show, early in the second half, the host asked if anyone from the audience would like to have a go. My heart raced with excitement and fear at the same time. Five minutes later when he asked the question, with 3 Jack Daniels in my stomach and borrowed shoes from the guy sitting next to me, I walked up on stage. Much to my own surprise I got through those 5 minutes.and I won! The Gong has since been very kind to me and the Comedy Store is now my second home.