Axel Blake won Britain’s Got Talent this year (Picture: Vianney Le Caer/Shutterstock)
Britain’s Got Talent champion Axel Blake is preparing for the 2022 Royal Variety Performance and he’ll be hoping for better than this.
33-year-old comedian earned his spot on the show – and a £250,000 prize – when he was crowned winner of this year’s ITV competition, beating singer Tom Ball and ventriloquist Jamie Leahey.
Now, his big moment has came as he looks to stage to the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall to deliver a special show, and he’s used the opportunity to reflect on his early career.
Even the best have their bad nights, and Axel remembered one in particular when he pitched his material all wrong but wasn’t able to shift things to fit the audience.
Asked about his worst ever show, he recalled: ‘I was booked to do this show and I was in my early twenties.
‘The crowd was an older audience so my material was about phones and university, so not really material which they could really relate too, it needed to be more about marriage and mortgages but of course at the time I couldn’t relate to that.’
Axel earned his spot at the Royal Variety Performance (Picture: Dymond/Thames/Shutterstock)
He admitted the audience weren’t with him ‘at all’, and someone in the crowd got a much bigger laugh simply by loudly reminiscing about the venue.
‘So, I came on with my material and it just did not hit at all. The audience was just not with me and at one point there was a guy who must have been thinking about other stuff and said out loud “I remember there used to be a pool table there,”‘ Axel said.
‘He was just in his own world and he wasn’t even listening to my jokes. He said it so loud all the audience started laughing, so I ended on that bit. They always say, end on a big laugh and even though it wasn’t my joke it was a good way to end that show. I’ll never forget that.’
He’s excited to meet Lee Mack, who is hosting the show (Picture: PA)
For Tuesday night’s show, Axel has taken to his ‘usual technique’ to shape his set and make sure everything flows in the right way.
‘I put jokes on boxes and move the boxes around until it creates a certain order and works,’ he said of his prepration. ‘Also, I’ve performed at shows as an anonymous performer and tried out my stuff on the crowd.’
The BGT winner is ‘excited’ to find out how his act goes down with the audience, and he’s also looking forward to meeting Not Going Out star Lee Mack, who is hosting this year’s event.
‘I’m excited to see how the audience will take to me. I always have a lot of energy and I always like to see how people respond to me. I’m excited also to be part of the Royal Variety Performance,’ he added.
‘I can’t wait to see all the performers but I do like Lee Mack, I like his wittiness and his jokes and I’ve never met him so I’m looking forward to that.’
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MORE : Britain’s Got Talent champion Axel Blake celebrates with a drink after stunning win
The comedian will grace the stage at the Royal Variety Performance.
