'People hear my accent and ask where I'm from but then don't like the answer' - Liverpool Echo

'People hear my accent and ask where I'm from but then don't like the answer'Phil Chapman said his accent makes him stand out but sometimes results in people 'arguing' with himCommentsWhat's

OnDan Cushnie04:00, 04 Jun 2025Updated 15:33, 04 Jun 2025Comedian Phil Chapman. Photo: Hot Water Comedy Club A Liverpool comedian said his unusual accent has caused 'arguments' after his

shows when audience members ask where he is from. Phil Chapman, 40, will be the MC for a number of upcoming comedy nights at Liverpool's Hot Water Comedy Club.

Phil, from Walton, spends most of his stage time getting to know individual crowd members - but audience members often approach Phil after his shows with their own questions about his life.

However, Phil told the ECHO that they aren't always happy with the answers.

‌ He said: "“Everybody wants to know where I’m from, because I’ve got a weird accent. I always tell people that your environment, not your accent, determines where you’re from. I was born in

the North East; I moved down South, then to America for a while. And I’ve always lived around Irish people.

‌ “That’s the best explanation I can give you for my accent. It’s a mishmash. People have argued with me about it after shows. I give the same explanation, and they say, ‘No, no, that’s not

what I’m hearing'. If you type my name in on Google, I bet the accent question comes up before 'tour tickets', because people would rather know where I’m from than where I’m going to be.”

Comedian Phil Chapman. Photo: Hot Water Comedy Club He added: "It’s a blessing and a curse - it makes me stand out. I like to be a bit of a mystery. An international man of mystery, that’s

me.”

Article continues below Phil first got into comedy after being encouraged by his girlfriend, who stumbled upon some of his jokes in a book.

He said: “My girlfriend found the joke book I’d been writing, and said it was really funny. There’s a lot about me in that book.

"She told me I should do stand-up, and I did.”

‌Comedian Phil Chapman. Photo: Hot Water Comedy Club The Hot Water Comedy Club has reached national attention on social media thanks to their videos of funny moments of crowd interaction.

Speaking to the ECHO about his on-stage conversations with audience members, Phil said: "“I know if somebody’s going to be fun to speak to within the first five or six seconds. Some people

are perfect for it, and others try to top all your jokes.

‌ “I don’t ask intimate questions. Sometimes people say the questions are basic, asking for their name, their job and how long they’ve been with their partner. But people struggle to answer

anything deeper in front of a crowd.

“I’ll come up with a joke that has an angle they’re not expecting, based on their three answers, because the element of surprise is what makes a joke funny."

Comedian Phil Chapman. Photo: Hot Water Comedy ClubArticle continues below Ahead of his upcoming shows, Phil praised Hot Water Comedy Club in Liverpool. He said: “All the comics at Hot Water

are great to work with. Especially in the green room, everyone gets along.

"The happy and friendly vibe of every comic there has made them all successful.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad show at Hot Water. There might be the odd moody audience member, but ultimately, you’re going to see some world-class comedians, and me.”