Stand up comedian Miles Jupp is perhaps best known for his appearances on TV panel shows, his three series hosting Radio Four’s News Quiz, and four series as Archie the Inventor in Balamory. In July, Miles will be performing at Humble By Nature’s Big Day Out, a festival organised by Kate Humble and husband Ludo Graham at the community farm they run in the Wye Valley.
So could you tell us a bit about Humble By Nature’s Big Day Out?
The festival is a sort of jolly, rustic, pastoral, bucolic shindig that Kate and Ludo, who’re friends of mine, are putting on. And they’re trying out some different things, so it’s some comedy this year. I’ll be performing with Justin Edwards, Lucy Porter and Ivo Graham.
What’re you looking forward to about the festival?
Well I’ve never performed comedy in a lambing shed before. I’m hoping it’ll be quite gentle. I might be able to do some camping that’s not too wild. But I suppose I’m just hoping it’ll be a chance to piss about with some neighbours, if that’s not too ignoble an ambition!
Do you agree it’s ironic that Kate Humble naming the festival after herself is kind of the opposite of “humble”?
Well, yes I dare say! Maybe it should just be called “Humble By Name”. Although, I don’t know, a festival, it’s less arrogant than naming a religion after yourself.
That is true, but maybe this is just the start of that slippery slope?
Maybe! Maybe next year it’ll be investigated and there will be a whole cult. That would be quite a good rumour to spread just from a press angle.
So are you from an agricultural background?
By no means! I weeded the garden path the other day and that was very satisfying, so I can only imagine what it’s like on a big scale. But I don’t think it’s a fully agricultural festival. They run a lot of workshops that are about farming and things of an ecological bent but it’s very open.
Do you at least listen to The Archers?
My mum listens to The Archers but for me it’s just enough to hear ten seconds of the theme tune, then I’m relaxed about changing stations.
Who was it that said it isn’t so much a theme tune as an early warning system?
I don’t know, but a very sensible person.
So you’re into your third series presenting The News Quiz on Radio Four, how’re you finding it?
Yeah fine, third series just getting my feet under the desk. I suppose what’s fun is getting to work with people I have a great admiration for. When it’s difficult is when the news is really gloomy and you’ve got to cover the big stories in the news and if they happen to be unpleasant you have to do them anyway. But the regulars on the show are people that I can rely on a great deal, so you can throw a difficult question their way in the knowledge that they’ll handle it ok.
What do you think you bring to the host role?
Well, I’m quite good at reading out loud. But I tell you what, I’m a very big laugher. So I’m quite a good sounding board for that role. But I suppose there’s a danger when you’re doing a big job. Like I was doing a job in Chicago recently, and it was really exciting and what I wanted to say was,
“why have you given me this job?” But I didn’t want to say that in case they said,
“Yeah, why have we given you this job?”
At that point one just keeps quiet. When they offered me the job I didn’t say, “why? Doesn’t it matter that I mumble?” So I guess you don’t really think about your strengths, you just desperately try to conceal your weaknesses. But with anything you do, half of the job is looking like you’re meant to be there, or in this instance, sounding like you’re meant to be there.
Fri 1 Jul / 3 Jul. Tickets: £90. Info: here
words MARCUS HUGHES