In an in-depth interview with Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Michael McIntyre has admitted to being surprised at the 'hostility' shown towards him by some comedians.
Interviewer Kirsty Young observed: "The success you've had generates a lot of attention, it also generates a lot of envy, and sometimes derision. Some people are very rude about your comedy. Stewart Lee said that he felt that you were 'spoon feeding your audience warm diarrhea'."
Asked about what he thought about such comments, McIntyre responded: "I think it comes with the territory. I'm sure it does, actually. Of course, I can't say it is water off a duck's back and I'm so thick skinned I could just say that - I can say it now because I'm getting used to it, but it did come as a shock at the beginning, I can't deny that. It was confusing because my big break came - certainly at the beginning - with an amazing amount of hostility."
He went on to say: "I would never be rude about someone else in my profession, because we're all doing the same thing - trying to make people laugh. I have my audience and other people have their audience."
"I went to The British Comedy Awards and quite a few people were making jokes at my expense and it just made me feel awful. I was there with my wife and she had gone out and bought a new dress, and it was my big night and I won... and the over-riding experience was that of nastiness. For what reason I don't know. What I was doing was just making people laugh."
