Pierre Novellie

Last updated

Pierre Novellie
Pierrenovellie.jpg
Pierre Novellie backstage at the Garrick Theatre, 2019
Born (1991-01-31) 31 January 1991 (age 34)
Johannesburg, South Africa
Alma mater Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Comedy career
MediumStand-up, television, radio
Website www.pierrenovellie.com

Pierre Novellie (born 31 January 1991) is a South African-born British stand-up comedian, writer and podcaster, known for his analytical style of observational comedy. [1] [2]

Contents

Novellie has released a number of stand-up specials and is the author of Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?: A Comedian's Guide to Autism (2024). [3] [4]

Early life and education

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Novellie grew up in Port Soderick on the Isle of Man. He attended King William's College near Castletown, where he first developed an interest in performing. [5] [6] [7]

In 2009, he began a degree in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. [8] At Cambridge he became involved with the Footlights, first as a member and later as vice president. [9] [10] It was at a Cambridge Footlights open-mic night that Novellie performed stand-up for the first time and met long-time comedy partner Phil Wang. [8] [9] [11]

Career

Stand-Up Comedy

Novellie first became interested in stand-up as a teenager and has named Eddie Izzard, Dave Chappelle, Stephen Colbert and John Oliver as early influences. [1] [12] He first began performing regularly while at Cambridge and at this time developed an hour-long show titled Nonsense. [8] [13] In the following years, he combined Footlights sketch and revue work with stand-up sets, appearing on joint-bill shows at the Edinburgh Fringe alongside comedians such as Fern Brady . [11] [14] [15] [16]

Novellie has supported Frank Skinner, Hal Cruttenden and Gary Delaney on tour and has performed with Dylan Moran. [17] [18] His stand-up has been described as "intellectual observational comedy". [19]

Edinburgh Shows

  • Pierre Novellie is Mighty Peter (2014) [18]
  • Pierre Novellie isAnxious Peter (2015) [20]
  • Pierre Novellie isCool Peter (2016) [21]
  • Pierre Novellie (2017) [22]
  • See Novellie, Hear Novellie, Speak Novellie (2018) [23]
  • You're Expected to Care (2019) [24]
  • The South African Variant (Work In Progress) (2021) [25]
  • Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? (2022) [26]
  • Why Are You Laughing (2023) [27]
  • Must We? (2024) [28]
  • You Sit There, I’ll Stand Here (2025) [29]

Specials

  • Quiet Ones (2022)
  • Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things? (2024)

Television

Novellie has been a recurring contributor to political and topical satire shows such as Mock the Week, [30] ITV's Newzoids, [31] The Mash Report [32] and the revival of Spitting Image . [33]

His television writing credits also include Adam Buxton's Shed of Christmas (2014), [34] Chris Ramsey's Stand Up Central, [35] and additional material for sitcom Outsiders (2016) and the panel-show The Island (2022). [36]

Novellie's TV appearances include The Mash Report, BBC Three's Edinburgh Comedy Fest Live [37] , All4/4OD Comedy Blaps series Taxi Gags [17] and the sitcom Outsiders. [38] He also appeared in the pilot of BBC Two's the Joke Thieves opposite Marcus Brigstocke.

In 2023, Novellie appeared on Dave's World's Most Dangerous Roads alongside fellow comedian and Cambridge graduate Phil Wang . [39]

Radio

Novellie co-hosted the Frank Skinner Radio Show on Absolute Radio until its cancellation in 2024. He was also Skinner's guest when he hosted BBC Radio 4's The Rest is History. [40] . He has written for The Now Show . [41]

In September 2025, the BBC announced that Novellie will host his own four-part series on BBC Radio 4, titled Why In The Name Of Pierre Novellie. Described as a comedic-essay show, it will use “masterful erudite bafflement” to explore topics ranging from history to sociology and everyday life. [42] [43]

Podcasts

Novellie co-hosted Frank Skinner's radio show spin-off podcast Frank Off the Radio with Frank Skinner until announcing his departure in December 2025. He co-hosts the podcasts Glue Factory alongside Milo Edwards, Olga Koch and Riley Quinn, and BudPod with Glenn Moore, the latter of whom took over from Phil Wang in 2025. [44] Since July 2025, he also hosts Button Boys together with Glenn Moore and Sarah Keyworth. [45]

From 2016 to 2018, he hosted a regular podcast called My Favourite Podcast. [46] [47]

He has also appeared as a guest on podcasts including Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, [48] Evil Genius with Russell Kane, [49] and What Most People Think with Geoff Norcott.

Awards

Novellie won the Amused Moose Laugh Off in 2013 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. [50] In 2014 he was nominated for industry website Chortle's Best Newcomer award [17] and in 2016 was nominated for Best Club Comic at the Chortle Awards. [17]

Personal life

In 2020, Novellie was heckled by an audience member who said "You sound like me", clarifying, "I have Asperger's - I think you have Asperger's." [51] After taking online autism tests, he was formally diagnosed in 2022. [51]

Since then, Novellie has spoken openly about how autism has shaped his writing, citing it as the source of his "sensitive, finicky observational routines". [1] [52] He has also critiqued how popular media deprives autistic people of meaningful representation by portraying “autistic‑coded” characters rather than explicitly acknowledging neurodivergence. [53]

Novellie's experience with a late autism diagnosis motivated him to write a book, Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? - subtitled A Comedian’s Guide to Autism - which was published in 2024. [54]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pape, Liam; Pape, Interview by Liam (22 May 2023). "Pierre Novellie: 'A heckler diagnosed my Asperger's so fair play to him'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "Pierre Novellie". Pierre Novellie. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  3. ↑ "Spotify – Web Player". Spotify. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?". The Guardian Bookshop. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "TNT meets rising comedy star Pierre Novellie". TNT Magazine. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "King William's Students Celebrate Results". Isle of Man. 20 August 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Douglas, Ian C (23 September 2024). "Comedian Pierre Novellie talks about autism, the Isle of Man and his dislike of mouth noises". Leftlion.
  8. 1 2 3 "From ASNC to stand-up: Meet Corpus alumnus Pierre Novellie | Corpus Christi College University of Cambridge". www.corpus.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  9. 1 2 "5 Minutes With Pierre Novellie". University of Cambridge. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "comedy cv - the UK's largest collection of comedians biogs and photos". www.comedycv.co.uk.
  11. 1 2 Guide, British Comedy (18 April 2017). "Pierre Novellie - First Gig, Worst Gig". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  12. ↑ Inniss, Tom (26 July 2016). "Interview With Pierre Novellie". Voicemag.
  13. ↑ "Comedy: Nonsense". Varsity Online. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Comedy: Footlights Tour Show: Perfect Strangers". Varsity Online. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  15. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Standing Up For Something". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  16. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "The Lunchtime Special". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Pierre Novellie in Scotland at Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance That 2017". BroadwayWorld.com.
  18. 1 2 "Pierre Novellie is Mighty Peter 5*****". One4Review. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  19. ↑ Simpson, Douglas (28 August 2022). "REVIEW- Pierre Novellie- Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?". Deadline News. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  20. ↑ "Broadway Baby: Pierre Novellie is Anxious Peter". Broadway Baby. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  21. ↑ Editorial, ThreeWeeks (10 August 2016). "Pierre Novellie Is Cool Peter (CKP) – ThreeWeeks Edinburgh" . Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  22. ↑ "Pierre Novellie : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  23. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Pierre Novellie: See Novellie, Hear Novellie, Speak Novellie". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  24. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Pierre Novellie: You're Expected to Care". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  25. ↑ "Pierre Novellie: The South African Variant (Work In Progress) : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  26. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Pierre Novellie: Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  27. ↑ "Pierre Novellie: Why Are You Laughing? : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  28. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Pierre Novellie: Must We?". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  29. ↑ "Pierre Novellie returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with 'You Sit There, I'll Stand Here'". Edinburgh News. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  30. ↑ McEachern, Megan (8 July 2018). "INTERVIEW: Mock the Week writer Pierre Novellie ahead of his long awaited Fringe run". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  31. ↑ "Pierre Novellie | Shakespeare's Globe". Shakespeare's Globe. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  32. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "The Mash Report: Series 1, Episode 5". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  33. ↑ "Pierre Novellie & Marise Gaughan". Komedia Brighton. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  34. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "Adam Buxton's Shed Of Christmas cast and crew credits". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  35. ↑ "Changing Your Accent To Suit Situations | Pierre Novellie | Chris Ramsey's Stand Up Central". 26 October 2017 – via www.youtube.com.
  36. ↑ Guide, British Comedy. "The Island: Series 1, Episode 7". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  37. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Comedy Club Interviews - Available now". BBC.
  38. ↑ "Pierre Novellie - British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide.
  39. ↑ "BBC Two - World's Most Dangerous Roads, Series 4, Episode 3". BBC. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  40. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Rest is History, Series 2, Episode 1". BBC.
  41. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Now Show, Series 55, Episode 5". BBC.
  42. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 announces new comedy from Omid Djalili, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Alistair Green, Slim, Ayoade Bamgboye and Pierre Novellie". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  43. ↑ Guide, British Comedy (22 May 2025). "Why In The Name Of Pierre Novellie coming to Radio 4". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  44. ↑ "BudPod with Phil Wang & Pierre Novellie on acast". acast.
  45. ↑ "Button Boys". YouTube. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  46. ↑ "My Favourite Podcast on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts.
  47. ↑ "My Favourite Podcast". SoundCloud.
  48. ↑ Retro RHLSTP 117 - Pierre Novellie | RHLSTP with Richard Herring. 6 October 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025– via shows.acast.com.
  49. ↑ "Johnny Cash". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  50. ↑ "AmusedMoose | Comedy Awards | Stand-up Comedy Soho Kings Cross Awards Courses". www.amusedmoose.com.
  51. 1 2 Aroesti, Rachel (15 March 2024). "'Maybe everybody feels socially awkward': the standups turning being autistic into a comedy superpower". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  52. ↑ "I was as ignorant as any neurotypical, despite being autistic". www.autism.org.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  53. ↑ "Undiagnosed entertainment: how Hollywood awkwardly dodges autism". The Guardian. 31 March 2025. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  54. ↑ "Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things?". Bonnier Books. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.