Daniel Sloss

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Daniel Sloss on how sadness from loss of sister led to career in comedy
Rick Fulton
dailyrecord.co.uk
Jan 21 2012

Rising Scots comic Daniel Sloss wants to marry Lorraine Kelly’s daughter because he’s smitten by the breakfast telly queen. The 21-year-old claims Lorraine, 52, is the “perfect woman”. However, as she is already taken, he would happily tie the knot with her 17-year-old daughter Rosie instead. Daniel, who despite his youth is about to record his first stand-up DVD, said: “I am beyond in love with Lorraine. She is perfect. She’s incredible. She’s such a gorgeous, lovely woman. I met her very briefly and she said she found me really funny. She’s got this gorgeous Scottish accent. I’ve got a crap one. She’s married, and the age gap is a bit big, so I’m going to marry her daughter – daughters grow up to be their mothers.”

Daniel is Britain’s fastest rising young comic. Incredibly, he’s already been doing stand-up for four-and-a-half years after his mum met Frankie Boyle at a corporate gig and told him about her funny son. Boyle agreed to see the teenager and Daniel went on to write material for him. After getting his break, he went on to star in his own BBC3 show The Adventures of Daniel and last year enjoyed a 50-date British tour. In March, he will record his first stand-up DVD for the 2012 Christmas market. It took fellow Scot Kevin Bridges six years to make his first DVD.

With his own flat near Murrayfield in Edinburgh, a car and a career making people laugh, it’s no wonder Daniel, from Kirkcaldy, can’t quite believe his luck. He said: “When I started this four-and-a-half years ago I don’t think anyone ever thought it would go this well. I think I’ve fluked out and cheated life.”

Daniel moved out of his parents’ Fife home in October and knows only too well how other 20-somethings are struggling. He said: “My best mate doesn’t have a job and he’s really looking. He is way more qualified than me and smarter. I’ve not thought about qualifications. I was like, ‘I’ll find something’ and stumbled on the best job in the world. I don’t believe in karma any more as I’m going to get so kicked when I’m older. I don’t know what’s going to happen when I’m 35, but it’s going to be bad.”

For the time being though, Daniel is having the time of his life. The only thing missing is a girlfriend. Daniel, who split with his last girlfriend after two-and-a half-years, said: “I’m dreadful with women. I have no charm. Put me in a room in front of 3000 people and tell me to make them laugh for an hour I won’t bat an eyelid. Put me in front of a girl I’ve never met before and tell me to say ‘hi’ and I’ll go to pieces. I have had girls come on to me after gigs, apparently, and I’ve assumed they are being nice.” But he has a plan. He laughed: “I would love to be Russell Brand sleeping with all these woman, so if he’s after a wing man, choose me.”

Daniel did his first Edinburgh Fringe show in 2009, aged just 19. His early comedy was about being young, the exhilaration of having sex or how he hates music festivals. He certainly isn’t an edgy comic – more Michael McIntyre than Frankie Boyle. But there are underlying reasons for this. When he was nine, he lost his seven-year-old sister, who had cerebral palsy.

Grief at the loss made him want to make his parents and younger brothers laugh and his humour is less about demeaning others than being self-deprecating. He said: “Even now I can’t handle sadness. It was awful but it happened. I can’t imagine what it was like for my mum and dad. I was nine. It’s difficult to comprehend. To be left with me must have been a really short straw.” Daniel is doing what comics do best, making light of something dark.

Although not on a traditional career path, he has the backing of his parents. His dad Martyn, who works in IT, gave his son a first taste of stand-up watching videos of Eddie Izzard and Phill Jupitus. His mum Lesley, who has a PhD in chemistry, then got Daniel his big break. When he was 14, she was at a corporate gig featuring Frankie Boyle. Afterwards Lesley told Frankie that Daniel was funny and he gave her his email address. Frankie then offered him work experience and Daniel sent him jokes that ended up on Mock The Week. He said: “I can’t remember the jokes but I’ve got the cheque for £300 on my wall. I owe Frankie a lot of my career. I haven’t kept in touch with him because I don’t want to bother him. I am incredibly grateful for what he did and don’t want to overstep the boundaries.”

Since making his stand-up debut at 16 at the Laughing Horse Club in Edinburgh, things have taken off for Daniel. In August 2008, when he was 17, he became one of the youngest finalists in the So You Think You’re Funny? comedy competition at the Edinburgh Fringe. At 19, after his Fringe debut, he made his first TV appearance on Paul O’Grady’s show. His gig at London’s Soho Theatre made him the youngest stand-up to perform solo at the theatre and also in the West End.

The BBC came calling, filming a pilot called The Adventures of Daniel. It wasn’t taken up by the channel despite a good response and viewing figures but Daniel has shrugged off the setback and is keen on doing comedy acting in the future. Last year, his Fringe show The Joker sold out its month-long run at the 400-seat Assembly Venue. He also won Best New Comedian at the Scottish Variety Awards 2011 and has just returned from a tour of South-East Asia. Next Wednesday, he’ll be at The Stand in Edinburgh for a Burns Night Special. He’s doing several warm-up shows for the DVD around the country and will be at the Stirling Tolbooth Arts Centre on March 15.