James Acaster is an English stand-up comedian and television broadcaster who has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for numerous years in a row. Also, people nominated his 2012 act “Prompt” for five Edinburgh Comedy Awards, including Best Show. Then, in 2019, he received the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award for Most Outstanding Show for his show “Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999.” So, he has featured on a number of panel series, including “Mock the Week,” “Taskmaster,” “8 out of 10 Cats,” and “Would I Lie to You?” Also, he presently presents the panel programme “Hypothetical,” the music podcast “Off Menu,” and the podcast “James Acaster’s Perfect Sounds.” Then, in addition, he has two publications that have been on The Sunday Times Bestseller List: “James Acaster’s Classic Scrapes” (2017) and “Perfect Sound Whatever” (2018).
So, with his rising fame, he has his own Twitter account: @JamesAcastor, which has over 26k followers, and an Instagram account: @nocontextjamesacaster, which has over 87k followers.
Get the latest information about James Acaster’s personal and professional life, including his wife, disability, baby, social media presence, height, upcoming tour, girlfriend, Mr. Bean controversy, appearances on shows like Bake Off and Taskmaster, and relationships with Rose Matafeo and Louise Ford.
James Acaster Birth/Young
On January 9, 1985, James William Acaster was born in Kettering. Also, he went to Montagu Secondary School and Northampton College to study music. Also, he eventually worked as a teaching assistant at an autistic children’s school, and in his spare time began performing stand-up comedy. Prior to his comic career, Acaster played drums in several bands in his hometown, including The Wow! Scenario and the Capri-Sun Quartet.
So, he used the stage name Sir William Strawberry while a member of the latter. Following the breakup of The Wow! Scenario, he explored comedy while “deciding what [he] truly wanted to accomplish.” In 2007, The Wow! Scenario recorded an album titled Stand in the Star: A Verse and a Chorus. But they never released it. Acaster said in 2017 that he had reconnected with the band to finish the record, which he said would be released the following year, however it has yet to be published.
James Acaster Bio
First Name | James |
Last Name | Acaster |
Profession | Comedian |
Age | 38 years |
Birth Sign | Capricorn |
Birth Date | January 9, 1985 |
Birthday | January 9 |
Birth Place | England |
Country | England |
James Acaster Career
In 2009, Acaster appeared in a performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Also, he was in the company of comedians Josh Widdicombe and Nick Helm. Then, in 2010, he toured with Josie Long. Also, he toured with Milton Jones in 2011. Acaster was a member of the Capri-Sun Quartet in the past. Sir William Strawberry was his given name. Acaster opted to perform comedy before choosing what he wanted once The WOW! Scenario ended. Then, in 2009, Acaster appeared in a performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe alongside Josh Widdicombe and Nick Helm. Also, he has also appeared on Russell Howard’s Good News Extra. Also, he was also the online activities on the Bristol-based TV station Dave’s One Night Stand.
Acaster played Prompt in 14 different venues in England and Wales between January and March of 2013. Later that year, he performed at the News Zeeland International Comedy Festival. Then, in December 2013, the News Zealand Comedy Guild named Acaster as Best International Performer. So, Reset was the title of his 2016 concert. Rest had its world premiere at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, as well as the News Zeeland International Comedy Festivals in Auckland and Wellington. Acaster performed this act during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. As a result, he became the festival’s first comic to get a fifth nomination for best show. Acaster made an appearance on Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central. Also, he appeared in the comedy tent at Latitude Festival in July 2016.
2016-present
In September 2016, Acaster developed a pilot episode for a new sitcom called We The Jury. The BBC televised the sitcom. So, they released “James Acaster: Repertoire” on Netflix in March 2018. Then, in July 2018, Acaster appeared on the Comedy Stage at the Cornbury Festival.
Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 won the Chortle Award for Best Show in 2019. Excellent Audio Whatever is Acaster’s second book, detailing his compulsive quest to gather as much music released in 2016 as possible in 2017. Also, headline Publishing Group released it in August 2019. Then, in 2019, Acaster became the first UK comic in nine years to win the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award. So, James Acaster ‘s Perfect Sounds, Acaster’s podcast with BBC Sounds, premiered in April 2020. Then, in the 2021 film Cinderella, Acaster, Romesh Ranganathan, and James Corden voiced three mice and played three transformed footmen. Also, he wrote James Acaster’s Guide to Quitting Social Media: Vol. 1 in 2022.
In March 2021, he uploaded his special Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 video on Vimeo. Then, in 2022, people nominated it for a Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy Special.
James Acaster Wife
James Acaster has been in a relationship with comedian Rose Matafeo from New Zealand. They broke up because of James’ busy schedule. While James has usually kept his love life private, he spoke openly about his relationship with Louise Ford, another comedian, after their breakup. This breakup, along with other challenges in his career, has reportedly caused some mental health issues for James.
That’s correct! James Acaster had a falling out with his agency in 2018 and struggled with mental health issues. The following year, he learned through a newspaper that his ex-girlfriend Louise Ford had left him for Rowan Atkinson, another comic. James has been candid about his mental health struggles and seeking treatment for alcohol use and suicidal thoughts. He has stated that he will not date anyone until he learns to love himself again.
James Acaster Disability
James Acaster is fortunate to have no physical disability and is currently in good health. However, he has faced mental health struggles following a difficult breakup that affected him deeply.
Despite these challenges, he has worked to maintain his physical fitness and overall wellbeing. James has spoken candidly about his experiences and has emphasized the importance of taking care of both mental and physical health. He continues to use his platform to raise awareness and encourage others to prioritize their own wellbeing.
James Acaster Mental Issues
James Acaster has been open about his struggles with mental health issues, which stem from a variety of sources, including relationship problems, career setbacks, and a difficult falling out with his agency.
In 2017, Acaster sought treatment for mental health issues after he began drinking frequently and had thoughts of suicide. He has stated that he has struggled with self-loathing and depression, and that he will not enter into a new romantic relationship until he is able to love himself fully.
Acaster has also spoken about the importance of therapy and other forms of mental health support in his recovery. Despite these challenges, Acaster has continued to work and is widely regarded as one of the most talented and innovative comedians working today.
James Acaster Net Worth
James Acaster’s earnings as a stand-up comedian and television broadcaster are fairly substantial. So, James began his career as a drummer in bands and has worked his way up to become one of the most prominent comedians as of 2022. So, James has built a good income believed to be over $1.5 million after winning multiple accolades and speaking on several shows.
James Acaster Louise Ford
James, 38, and Louise, 39, had been dating for around two years and were living together in 2013 when she was cast in the West End drama Quartermaine’s Terms opposite Rowan, 64. Following her divorce from James, Louise began dating Rowan in 2014, and the couple is still together today. While James has been silent since, he apparently spoke up about the break-up this weekend at a stand-up comedy gig, telling the crowd in good humor, ‘I got left for Mr Bean.’ ‘I discovered it a year after we split up,’ the TV actress said. I opened the newspaper to see a full-page story.
‘No one else has ever been left for Mr Bean in the annals of time.’ I’m a goddamn saint for keeping this in my back pocket for so long.’ It’s my job to say hilarious things, and the funniest thing that’s ever happened to anyone occurred to me, so I put it on hold out of respect.’ James continued, making jokes about Rowan’s adored on-screen character, ‘Until you get left for Mr Bean, you don’t appreciate how regularly he turns up.’ Two blocks down, there’s a business that sells masks of his face. ‘There is no place I’m going where he won’t be.’ At the very least, he can joke about it.
Rowan divorced Sunetra Sastry after 24 years of marriage the same year he began seeing Louise. The couple has a daughter named Isla, who was born in December 2017.
James Acaster & Rose Matafeo
James Acaster has had several high-profile relationships, including one with Rose Matafeo, a comedian and actress from New Zealand. The couple was together from 2015 until the end of 2016, with Rose relocating to London to be with James. However, in 2019, James revealed that his partner Louise Ford had left him for Rowan Atkinson, famously known for his portrayal of Mr. Bean. James stated that Louise grew distant when she began working with Atkinson on a stage production. The news came as a shock to James, who found out a year after their split when he saw a full-page article in The Sun on Sunday.
James Acaster revealed that he found out a year after his divorce that his ex-girlfriend Louise Ford had left him for Rowan Atkinson, famously known as Mr. Bean. James and Louise had been living together in London and were in a relationship for two years when she starred alongside Rowan in Quartermaine’s Terms in 2013. Rowan, who is worth over £70 million, divorced his make-up artist wife Sunetra Sastry after 24 years. The couple started living together in the next year, and they had their third child, Isla, in December 2017.
James Acaster Repertoire
For creativity within the existing conventional hour long comedy special format is closing. Some comedians, such as Fred Armisen, have made a niche audience the purpose of a special, such as “Standup for Drummers,” which was created with a certain type of musician in mind. Netflix has experimented with its distribution tactics, including surprise releases and mini-collections from one of its most prominent partners, Dave Chappelle. While James Acaster may not have the global name recognition of Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, or Ricky Gervais, his four-part “Repertoire,” which is now accessible on Netflix, is unique among the Netflix comedy offerings. “James Acaster: Repertoire” exists in an unclassifiable zone between one-man fringe show, stand-up act, and live sketch experiment, and illustrates the type of formal trickery that may happen more with Netflix’s slate of offers as consumers want something fresh.
Despite the unorthodox method of collecting, “Repertoire” retains some of the standup rhythms that audiences may be hoping for. Acaster wades through several linguistic quirks, both British and otherwise, with some of the typical wacky insights you’d expect in an hourlong session. Also, he likes jokes that deal with what English cannot say and the strange ways that reusing certain phrases may be a laugh in and of itself. Acaster turns the final word in “Pret a Manger” into a verb and asks listeners why we haven’t come up with a better name for those photo-op cutouts you can peek your head through. Also, he draws a meaningless sentence with an audience member at one point, as if he’s at a hilarious Noam Chomsky lecture.
James Acaster Ricky Gervais
Following the release of Ricky Gervais’ Netflix special SuperNature, a clip from James Acaster’s 2019 stand-up performance has emerged. Gervais has been chastised for “transphobic” gags in the special, which was published on Tuesday (May 24), with LGBT rights group GLAAD calling it “full of gory, deadly, anti-trans rants masquerading as humor.” A footage from Acaster’s show Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, which attacks “edgy comedians” who “slag off transsexual people,” has been posted throughout social media since the special’s premiere. “They say anything they want, edgy comedians,” Acaster adds in the video. Nobody tells them what they are and are not allowed to say. Also, they appear on stage, sometimes on top of their specials, and spend 10 minutes slamming transsexual people.
“It irritates people on the internet.. ‘Bad luck, that’s my job, I’m a stand-up comedian, I’m there to push people,’ the comic constantly says. Don’t watch my show if you don’t appreciate being challenged. ‘What’s the issue, guys? Too difficult for you?'” He goes on: “Yeah, because you know who’s been waiting for a challenge for a long time?” The transgender community. Also, they’ve let their guard down for far too long, in my opinion. Thanks to you, courageous little cis guy, they’ll all be checking their privilege on the way home.” Acaster later directly mentions Gervais, saying, “I used to identify one of the comedians who was around in that routine. But it was always awkward in the room because, evidently, in 2019, most people are still glad to laugh at trans people but aren’t quite ready to laugh at Ricky Gervais. That’s the deal.”
More details
In a recent interview on The One Show, Gervais justified making “taboo” jokes, claiming that humor is about “getting us over taboo things so they’re no longer terrifying.” “Full disclosure: In real life, of course, I support trans rights,” Gervais says at the close of his Netflix programme. I support all human rights, including transgender rights. “Be the best version of yourself.” Make use of your favorite pronouns. Be the gender you believe you are. But, women, meet me halfway. Get rid of the cock. That’s all I have to say.”
Last year, Dave Chappelle drew backlash for “transphobic” jokes in his Netflix show The Closer. Then, in response to his remarks, several employees at the streaming service staged a virtual walkout. Ted Sarandos, the CEO of Netflix, originally backed Chappelle, but subsequently said he “messed up” in his approach to the matter.
Social Media
As of 2023, James Acaster is active on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. He frequently posts about his upcoming shows, appearances, and projects on his accounts, and also engages with his fans and followers through comments and direct messages. Additionally, he uses his social media presence to promote causes he supports, such as mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ rights. His Twitter account has over 500k followers, while his Instagram account has over 300k followers.
Here are the links to James Acaster’s social media accounts:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesAcaster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesacaster/
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Where does James Acaster live now?
“I thought to myself, ‘You’ve got enough warning shots.'” Acaster is no longer a driver. Aside from the fact that his insurance rates would be prohibitively expensive, he rarely needed to. Also, he resides in Ladbroke Grove and uses public transportation to move about London.
How much is Ricky Gervais worth 2022?
Ricky Gervais has a net worth of $140 million as a British-born actor, comedian, writer, and director. Also, he made the great majority of his fortune as the creator of the TV show The Office.
Who did James Acasters ex leave him for?
They had been dating for two years and shared a house. So, James has now spoken out about the break-up and how he discovered his ex was seeing Mr Bean after the separation. “I got left for Mr Bean,” he explained.
What football team does James Acaster support?
This week’s guest is James Acaster, star of Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie to You, and, more crucially, a former Manchester United supporter, who has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award a record five times.
Who did James Acaster date in 2018?
James, 38, said that after starting a play with Rowan Atkinson, 64, actress Louise Ford, 36, became estranged from him. The comic said he just found out his girlfriend was seeing Rowan after reading about it in The Sun on Sunday.
Did Mr Bean get dumped?
When his partner left him for Rowan Atkinson, James Acaster ‘was dumped for Mr Bean.’ When his lover left him for Rowan Atkinson, comedian James Acaster “was dumped for Mr Bean.” The comedian, 38, said that actress Louise Ford, 36, became distant when she began working on a play with the famed actor.