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Comedian Nick Helm chats about Uncle, his on-edge stage persona and performing at Canary Wharf's Roof Garden

Ahead of his appearance at the Magners Greenwich Comedy Festival the funnyman tells us about evolving his onstage character and what he is up to next.

Jon Massey

By Jon Massey

Written by Rachel Bishop for The Wharf

Nick Helm appears permanently on the edge of a meltdown or, at the other end of the emotional spectrum, showing his rather uncomfortable love for Countdown’s Susie Dent.

But visitors to the Magners Greenwich Comedy Festival, which runs from Wednesday, September 16 to Sunday, September 20, may see another side to the Uncle actor.

He tells The Wharf he has moved away from his on-the-edge character with his recent work – although have a look at part one of the “Nick Helm and Susie Dent love story” below if you haven’t seen it – it’s awkwardly amazing.

He said: “My act will always depend on what I’m doing at that moment, rather than keeping with what I first did. There can be a lot of pressure to outdo yourself and it can become a bit gimmicky.

“At Greenwich I will be focusing more on my abilities than anything crazy. It’s still me but it’s more about not about picking on the audience. It’ll be a bit of a preview for Nick Helm’s Mini Tour Of The North, which begins this month.

“I’ve never toured the north before and rarely gig outside London but after one performance in Leeds went really well recently I thought ‘well if this is what all gigs outside London are like, I should do more’.”