Amuse Douche with James Haskell

Episode 1: Sindhu Vee

Strap yourselves in as James Haskell takes his first baby steps towards performing a live comedy set in his new podcast. In this episode he sits down with the brilliant Sindhu Vee. Why was a set in India her worst ever? Why did her mum compare her unfavourably to Oprah Winfrey after just eight gigs? And how did she not know James appears in the dictionary under 'toxic masculinity'? James learns the answer to all of these questions and more, including Sindhu's three rules for writing and performing comedy and there's an appearance from his good mates Alex Payne and Mike Tindall, who give their verdict on his new career path.

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.