Jamali Maddix | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 April 1991 |
| Occupation | Comedian |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Known for | Never Mind the Buzzcocks , Taskmaster |
Jamali Maddix (born 8 April 1991) [1] is an English comedian. [2] Maddix has appeared as a regular panellist on the reboot of Never Mind the Buzzcocks since 2021 and in 2020 appeared on series 11 of Taskmaster .
Maddix's career in comedy started unexpectedly when took leave from his university course when he contracted a blood infection from a tattoo on his left arm, ultimately dropping out to pursue a career in comedy. [3] [4] According to Maddix, the day he came out of hospital was the same day a comedy competition was taking place, so he had enough time off of University to take part in, and rehearse for the finals of the ceremony; [5] the competition was the 2014 Chortle Student Comedian of the Year award, which Maddix won. [5] [6]
Maddix hosted a documentary series on extremism titled Hate Thy Neighbor [7] in partnership with Vice in 2016. In the series, Maddix interviews extremists from around the world to understand how they think. [8] They included members of hate groups such as the National Socialist Movement, Azov Battalion, Nordic Resistance Movement, and the English Defence League.
From September 2021, Maddix has been a regular panellist on the revived panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks , hosted by Greg Davies. [9] In July 2022, Maddix's podcast Spooky Shit won the title of Best Comedy Podcast at the British Podcast Awards. [10] Maddix appeared on series 11 of Taskmaster , which was broadcast from April to May 2021, alongside Charlotte Ritchie, Lee Mack, Mike Wozniak and Sarah Kendall; he came in fourth place with 137 points. [11] [12]
Maddix was born in Ilford, East London [13] and later attended the University of Salford. [14] His father is Jamaican and his maternal grandfather is Greek, although for many years he had believed him to be Italian. In an episode of Big Zuu's Big Eats , recorded 12 December 2019, he said "My dad is Jamaican, my mum didn't know her pops and she always told me he was Italian, for some reason. I don't know, she said he's Italian, that's all she'll say, 'Ah, he's Italian.' And I remember, I was talking to mum one day and she goes, 'Ah no, he was Greek.' So, now I'm a quarter Greek, but I never knew I was a quarter Greek until now". [15] His uncle is former footballer Danny Maddix. [5]
Maddix is dyslexic and dyspraxic. [16] Jamali has stated on numerous occasions during his stand-up performances and TV appearances that he considers himself to be a Buddhist. As of 2016, he still lived in Ilford with his mother, and in 2024 was living in East London. [17] [18] [19] Maddix paid to become an Ordained minister online as a joke when he was younger. [20] Maddix has mentioned in interviews that if he weren't a comedian, he would likely be unemployed. [21]
