“I didn’t expect to enjoy the process as much as I am enjoying it. It’s nice when you realise you really like your job!” Joanne McNally, the comedian, writer and co-host of My Therapist Ghosted Me, is gearing up to take her witty, laugh-out-loud stories out on the road in her new tour, Pinotphile. 

The name alone is sheer brilliance: McNally tells me that she was inspired by a Peloton clip that went viral a few years ago where one of the instructors was reading out the names on the leader board and she suddenly became angry and kicked someone out of the class.

“I was, of course, fascinated to know what the name was, so I did a bit of a deep dive and went on Reddit. It turned out the name was ‘pedalphile’ – because it was a cycling class. And I obviously thought that was hilarious and wanted to do something similar for my show.”

McNally’s previous show, The Prosecco Express, was a huge hit with audiences both here in the UK and around the world. She was on the road for over two years but took some time off to work on new projects, including a new show. For a while, McNally stopped doing gigs and began to dread writing a new show.

“When the show is written, performing is fantastic fun. But putting a show together was hard work, and I procrastinated for a while. Once I went back into the clubs, though, I found that love for it again. I forgot the absolute craic involved in just doodling thoughts and stories during the day and then going on stage in the evening and seeing if it works with audiences.”

But where do these funny stories come from? Well, for McNally, she has so many funny friends that she’ll often mash their stories into her own. “For example, I love talking about men and dating; I’m kind of obsessed. But there are only so many dates I can go on, only so many men I can meet.” 

We asked McNally for some of her favourite and funniest moments from 2024 to start the new year on a light and joyful note.

All Fours By Miranda July – I’ve just finished reading All Fours, and it is the perfect amount of weird and funny, mixed with terrifying information about menopause. The character in it has a sexual awakening at 45. I could not put it down, and it made me feel good to know that I potentially have a hormone-induced affair in my future. Joyful news.

Psychopedia – I listen to a lot of the Psychopedia Podcast, which is technically a true crime podcast rather than a comedy podcast, but there’s something about the dynamic between the two hosts, Tank Sinatra and Investigator Slater, which has me in stitches. Tank is a comic, and Slater is just a smart woman who works in crime and reprimands Tank. They tell some of the darkest crimes known to humankind but somehow make the world feel OK, which, now that I think of it, is utterly bizarre.

Grace Campbell’s Late To The Party – Grace’s podcast is fantastically funny. I was a guest on it myself, and we laughed together so hard I left a tiny stain on her couch, which is something she has since asked me about, and I, of course, have denied, but even the most kegel-happy woman cannot control herself around Grace.

Red Richardson’s internet characters – He’s a fantastic stand-up comedian with an almost cult-like following, and he has created this hilarious character who runs around England giving us toxic advice. It’s a highlight of the web for me.

Literally anything by David Sedaris – He could read me my own eulogy when I’m dead and I’d be laughing my ass off as they started to shovel mud onto my coffin. An incredibly funny man.

Moo Deng, obviously – The fat baby hippo, just for a quick spiritual lift.

Tickets for Joanne McNally’s new tour, Pinotphile, are available to buy now

Image: @shotby_farheenxo