Amuse Douche with James Haskell

What A Flanker: Ed Jackson

James talks to ex-rugby player Ed Jackson about his incredible story. Sustaining life-changing spinal injuries, Ed fought back to defy the odds, setting his sight on a new challenge: mountaineering.  His book LUCKY is a must-read and is out now in hardback, ebook and audiobook, narrated by the man himself. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James Haskell is facing an existential crisis. Since retiring as an international rugby star, he has become a ubiquitous personality, shape-shifting week-to-week from elite athlete to reality TV star, DJ, podcaster, author, MMA fighter, influencer and pundit. While James adapts to rapid-onset fatherhood, he is looking for his final form. In Haskell's opinion, the common thread running through his many post-rugby ventures is his unique brand of ‘comedy’... which brings us here. Amuse Douche puts Hask to the test in the most brutal arena: a live stand-up set. To prepare himself, he is speaking to some of the funniest comedians, actors and writers in the country, including Russell Kane, Sindhu Vee, Lou Sanders and Ed Byrne. While picking up tips and tricks, he’ll learn all about their journeys into comedy and find out what life is really like as a stand-up. But it's not all laughs as James and his guests also tackle serious issues such as alcohol dependency, living with ADHD and struggles with self-confidence. At the end of the series, James will take everything he's learned and get up in front of a live audience to see if he really is – or isn't – as hilarious as he says he is. Whether car crash or surprise success, the end result is sure to be compelling either way.