Comedian Jack Dee, 60, opened up on how he felt “left in the gutter” after his HelpDesk panel show was cancelled after three series. Instead, Question Time picked up the reins, with Jack claiming they “stole” the idea from his own programme.
In a new interview, he spoke about how fun the format of HelpDesk was, and how he wished it had gone on further.
The show consisted of Jack and a panel of four guest comedians, who turned agony uncle to help a live studio audience solve their problems and shed light on their dilemmas and issues relating to specific events.
Some of the topics discussed were the 2015 election, 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2017 US presidential inauguration.
The admission comes after he revealed he has written a book tackling people’s dilemmas and problems, called What Is Your Problem?
READ MORE: Jack Dee’s Brexit message to Remainer celebrities: ‘Find new material’
But despite his beloved show having reached an end, Jack has appointed himself as “the nation’s psychotherapist and agony uncle” with his latest book.
And even though the title may suggest it’s all about a comedic approach to life’s issues, he insisted there’s a semi-serious point smuggled in there too.
“I think it’s good to be reminded that you can approach your problems with humour,” he told Radio Times.
“Sometimes it can be more useful to stand back and laugh at your situation than take it too seriously.
“Everyone can relate to the idea of being in a bad place, and then going out with a mate, having a cup of coffee, telling them what’s going on and finding that you’re actually laughing about it.”
He explained that that approach can sometimes be “as helpful as drilling down into the issue and unpacking it” before quickly adding: “I’m certainly not debunking psychotherapy or counselling – counsellors can be miracle- workers, and I would never hesitate to recommend it to people who need it.
“I’m just saying that sometimes we can approach these things ourselves – we’re stronger than we think.”
Jack’s full interview is available to read now in Radio Times.
