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The Assembly - Season 1 (IE) - Episode 02: Joanne McNally
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00:0134 autistic and neurodivergent adults from all over Ireland have gathered in
00:06Dublin's Docklands for a television program like no other.
00:09Welcome to the assembly.
00:11What's it like having your own TV show?
00:13Why did you decide to get varicose veins removed on your legs?
00:17How do you see yourself in the future?
00:22This location has been specially chosen to suit our cast.
00:26There are no lights, they're free to come and go as they please, and they share this space with the
00:31crew.
00:35What do you think we should be asking?
00:38What brand of tea do you like?
00:39Do you have any secret talents?
00:42Have you ever met your biological parents?
00:46Do you still think Tom Cruise is the perfect man?
00:48I'm aware from reading online that you had an eating disorder.
00:51I'm wondering what you think may have contributed to your difficulties with eating.
00:55There's no script, no rules, no secrets.
01:00This isn't over, you cannot refuse.
01:03The team has been busy researching today's subject.
01:06They are ready for action.
01:08Welcome to the assembly.
01:21I think with being autistic, sometimes I don't quite get certain forms of comedy.
01:28Guys, it's Joanne McNally.
01:29Hello.
01:34Hello.
01:35Hello.
01:35Hello.
01:35How are you?
01:36I don't know.
01:37She is kind of funny because she tells a lot of jokes.
01:41This is Billie Joy.
01:42Oh, thanks, Billie.
01:43You're very welcome.
01:45Oh, that's so sweet.
01:46Yeah.
01:46They're little lights.
01:47Yep.
01:48Ah, thanks, Billie.
01:49Very excited.
01:51Because, you know, like, you know, interviewing someone you is always a great experience.
01:56I love the shirt.
01:57Look at this.
01:58You can't have it.
01:58I can't have it.
02:00You're like my dance partner.
02:01I'd wear that.
02:03I love it.
02:04Jesus, I hope she doesn't drag me onto the stage right now.
02:07And, of course, there's a lot to get out.
02:11Hello and welcome to the assembly.
02:13We are a group of autistic and neurodivergent individuals and we're very happy to have you
02:19here with us today.
02:20Our rules are, well, what rules?
02:22Nothing's off the table.
02:24Please introduce yourselves.
02:27Me?
02:28Oh, sorry.
02:31I thought I was just going to sit and relax and all of you were going to do it.
02:34So, will I stand?
02:35Yeah.
02:35Okay, so my name's Joanne McNally and I'm a stand-up comedian and I'm a little nervous
02:41now because I feel like I am a little vulnerable.
02:45So I would ask you to be gentle but also very much looking forward to your questions.
02:48That's it.
02:50Fabulous.
02:50To start us off today, we have the wonderful Amy.
02:55Hi, Amy.
02:56Hi, Joanne.
02:57How are you?
02:58I am good.
02:58How are you?
02:59Good, thank you.
03:00Good.
03:00Gorgeous dress.
03:02So, do you see yourself having dinner in the Black Forge any time soon?
03:07Oh!
03:09Sorry, you're going to have to inform me.
03:11Where's the Black Forge?
03:13Oh, sugar.
03:14Oh, no.
03:14Is that your local?
03:15Crumlin.
03:16Crum?
03:16Is it a pub?
03:17Conor McGregor's pub.
03:19Oh!
03:20Oh!
03:22Wow!
03:23The spice has arrived to the event.
03:27No, I don't think so.
03:29There's enough pubs.
03:30Woo!
03:31Also, I'm rarely in Crumlin.
03:33Thank you, Amy.
03:34Sean.
03:35Hit me, Sean.
03:36Yeah, hang on.
03:38Let's get this opened.
03:39Hello.
03:40Hello.
03:40My name is Sean and welcome to the assembly.
03:42Thank you very much, Sean.
03:43What school did you go to and did you like school?
03:47I went to Loretto Abbey-Darky up until nine, I think, which I loved because I was boy mad.
03:55Yeah.
03:55And we played a lot of Kiss Chase.
03:57And I loved school.
03:58I loved it, loved it, loved it.
03:59Have you got any questions for me?
04:04Any questions for you?
04:07Who's your favourite actor?
04:09Well, I like Ryan Tuberty.
04:11Ryan Tuberty?
04:12Yeah, he's great.
04:13He's really, really good.
04:14Yeah.
04:14He is good, yeah.
04:15Did you know who I was before we met?
04:18Joanne.
04:19Oh, yeah.
04:23Perfect.
04:24What is your favourite way to travel when back in Ireland?
04:28Favourite way to travel is the dart.
04:30Oh, yeah.
04:32Yeah.
04:32I'm glad I won.
04:33That sounds like I won that question.
04:35The dart or because I, it's a long, boring story, Sean, but I don't have a licence at the moment.
04:41Yeah.
04:41But my mother drives me around a lot, which is nice because we get to catch up in the car,
04:45although I'm not sure she likes it as much as me.
04:46There's an Oasis concert on in Crowe Park tonight.
04:48There is, Sean.
04:49Yeah.
04:50And I'm going.
04:51You're going to it tonight?
04:52Oh, very nice.
04:54Got the Oasis nails.
04:55That's what they're for.
04:56Oh, yeah.
04:57The occasion.
04:57Are you taking the Minutrine to Ducondra?
05:00No, I think I'm going to get a taxi.
05:02Taxi?
05:02I think so.
05:03Yeah, I'm going to go high-end for the night.
05:04Are you going?
05:05Which taxis do you use?
05:06Free now, usually?
05:07I use free now.
05:08Free now.
05:09Yeah.
05:09They're great.
05:10They're great taxis.
05:11They're very efficient, very reliable.
05:12Yep.
05:13Is that what you do?
05:14I don't really use free now.
05:16I use Murphy's and Bray.
05:17Oh, nice.
05:18Where do you live?
05:19Charmwood and Bray.
05:20Oh, great.
05:21You're right near me.
05:21The same end, yeah.
05:22Yeah, I'm like the end of Dublin.
05:24You're the star of Wicklap.
05:24Thank you so much.
05:30Okay.
05:31I'm Una.
05:32Hi, Una.
05:33You seem to have a very close relationship to your mum.
05:36How do you stay so close when you live away?
05:39Well, it's not easy.
05:41We do a lot of FaceTime, but I still, according to my mother, I haven't in contact enough.
05:46I think she would just like to chip me and follow me around.
05:48But yeah, she has a fake Instagram account that she keeps an eye on me through.
05:52Oh, jeez.
05:53Yeah, my mum's got a Finsta.
05:55Which I don't know the name of, but I'm pretty sure it's similar to her own name because she's
05:58not that good at line.
05:59Do you still plan on having a baby?
06:02Would you do it solo if you're not in a relationship?
06:05I would.
06:06I think that's going to be my only option, Una.
06:08I would like a baby, yeah.
06:09What I might do is have one with one of my gay male friends, because then we can just
06:15raise it together without the complications of a relationship.
06:19But I think the relationship side for me, it's a bit late now.
06:24I'm 42, so by the time I meet someone, fall in love with them, and then get pregnant,
06:29it might take a while, because it takes a while to fall in love with people.
06:32Too long, actually.
06:33I don't lose hope.
06:36Yeah.
06:36No, it's an okay way to do it, I think, you know.
06:39The traditional ways of doing things are moving, things are changing and moving forward.
06:43There was a time where if you didn't meet someone, you just couldn't have one.
06:46So I think I'd either have one with one of my gay friends, or I'd adopt one.
06:53Courtney, you're up next.
06:55Do it, Courtney.
06:57Hello.
06:57Hello.
06:58I just have one question.
06:59You said recently that if you were to have a child, you would love to just be able to
07:05birth a five-year-old to skip the hard bits.
07:07So what, for you, is hard about a child under five?
07:12To be honest, Courtney, if I'm being honest, I'd probably skip it to ten.
07:17I think I was being ambitious with five.
07:19I think what I would love about having a child is the companionship of a family.
07:25I mean, I see a lot of my friends raising children, and it does not look easy.
07:30It looks very, very hard.
07:31They're all sleep-deprived.
07:33They're scrapping with their partners.
07:35The kid's crying all the time.
07:37And I'm like, wouldn't it be beautiful in an ideal world if you could just...
07:41I'm being lazy, Courtney.
07:42If you could just skip all that and have this perfectly honed young adult who's just
07:48your best friend, unfortunately, you can't birth ten-year-olds.
07:51I know.
07:51It's not scientifically...
07:52Well, it would be pretty painful.
07:53It would be very painful.
07:55It would take you a long, long time.
08:01Emily.
08:02Hello, Joanne.
08:02Hello.
08:03I'm aware that you had an eating disorder.
08:05I'm wondering what you think may have contributed to your difficulties with eating.
08:09The answer, straight-out answer is, I don't know.
08:12I think it's a very complicated illness.
08:16Like, a lot of factors play a part.
08:18Like, I was kind of a bigger kid.
08:21Like, even this sounds so ridiculous, but, like, obviously, I've been to a lot of therapy about it all.
08:25Like, when we were younger, when we'd play mummies and daddies, I was always the daddy.
08:28I felt I was too big.
08:30I held too much space.
08:32And then I started dieting.
08:34It was diet culture.
08:35It was like the noughties.
08:36That's what everyone was doing, you know?
08:37All our mothers were eating half a grapefruit for breakfast.
08:39It was just what it was.
08:41And then as you lose weight, people start clapping you.
08:45Complimenting you.
08:45Exactly, and say you look great.
08:46So then you're like, okay, I'll go more and more.
08:48And then you just lose all sense of reality, you know?
08:51Then you're very sick.
08:52And then you have to kind of relearn how to eat again and be happy with your body again.
08:57And that takes a lot of time, you know?
08:59I think I was also quite unhappy in my life.
09:02I wasn't doing anything creative, so I wasn't achieving much.
09:06And I think in my brain, I thought being thin was an achievement.
09:10Which, of course, we know it's not.
09:12It's just a size.
09:13It doesn't mean anything.
09:14But to me, it did.
09:15So I decided if I couldn't be happy creatively and professionally, I would just be really, really good at being
09:22really, really thin.
09:24So that was what it was.
09:26But we'll never know.
09:27It's so complicated.
09:29And do you feel you may be neurodivergent?
09:33Maybe.
09:36I mean, I spend a lot of time looking for things.
09:39I don't know if that's a sign.
09:42Losing things, like, it stops being funny after a while.
09:44Now I have to chain my keys to my bike lock to my air files to my, I have to
09:50chip my password.
09:50Like, it's all, you know, there's a lot of, a bit chaotic.
09:55Or, I'm like, I don't know if that makes me neurodivergent, but it does make things a little tricky.
09:59But yeah, I think, I think I'd call it, there's probably a bit of neurodivergent there.
10:04So I've always kind of found comedy, like, quite difficult and hard to understand.
10:09And I'm going to now share with you, if that's okay, a poem that I created myself that expressed about
10:16some of the artistic experience.
10:17Yeah, I'd love it.
10:18Great.
10:19Yes, we are artistic, different, not less.
10:21We deserve all the opportunities to progress.
10:23We are all different in every way.
10:25Our challenges can change from day to day.
10:28With advanced notice, support and acceptance, change can be made less of a struggle.
10:33I wish people knew that for us, clear communication is better than a subtle clue.
10:37Say what you mean and mean what you say comes to mind.
10:40Please try not to believe stereotypes about us when many of our community are super kind.
10:44This opportunity, amazing in every way, not just being told what to do, we are allowed to have a say.
10:50An opportunity previously in our lives we may have never got.
10:54A space to be, a space of inclusion, means a lot.
10:58That's gorgeous.
10:59That's awesome.
11:00Wow.
11:00Okay.
11:02Where did your love of pigs start?
11:04That's such a good question.
11:12Virgin Mobile, proud sponsor of this show.
11:17Virgin Mobile, proud sponsor of this show.
11:26How is everyone feeling?
11:28You all okay?
11:28Yes.
11:29Yes.
11:29So this is Dean.
11:32Hello.
11:33Hiya, how are you?
11:35I'm good.
11:36So I did a bit of research.
11:38Okay, good.
11:39And I found out that you have a love for pigs.
11:41I love pigs.
11:42Yes, that's true.
11:43Yes.
11:44Where did your love of pigs start?
11:46That's such a good question.
11:48Where did my love of pigs start?
11:51I've always liked animals and like I'd love to own a farm one day maybe.
11:56A couple of llamas, things like that.
11:58It's not always cracked up to me.
11:59Do you have a farm?
12:01No, but a load of people that do.
12:02I think what I mean is I'd like to walk around a farm rather than like have to run a
12:07farm.
12:08But pigs were very interesting to me because I read an article once about how intelligent
12:13they are and it always stuck with me.
12:15And apparently pigs have the intelligence like of an average kind of two-year-old toddler
12:19or something like that.
12:20And they're kind of feral and dirty which I also think I like.
12:23And I like the noises that they make.
12:25I do have another question.
12:27Hit me.
12:27If there was anything that you could say to your younger self, what would it be?
12:31It sounds a bit corny, but I would say believe in yourself.
12:35Because I wasn't very good at that when I was younger and I questioned myself a lot.
12:39What would you say to your younger self?
12:41I'd probably say something similar.
12:42I'd have a lot of like self-doubt when I would have been younger.
12:46Yeah.
12:47I think it's a part of the human condition really.
12:49And I think it's important to try and get past it.
12:52So you can do what you want to do without worrying all the time that you're going to fail
12:56or that people are going to think you look stupid.
12:58Because there's always people who are going to think you look stupid no matter what you do.
13:01That's true.
13:02You just have to ignore them.
13:03You know, and live your life yourself and not how other people see you.
13:06Yeah.
13:08Hi.
13:09Hiya.
13:10If you have a superpower, what will it be and why?
13:14I'd like two superpowers if I can.
13:16Okay.
13:17Yeah?
13:17Yeah.
13:18Singing.
13:19Of course.
13:20I genuinely love to be able to sing because singers when they write their albums, they can
13:25tour those albums forever and ever and people will listen back.
13:28Whereas with comedians, you can tell a joke once and then everyone's like, I heard that.
13:32so they could get to just dine out and they're singing forever and ever and I
13:35think it's such a talent to be able to sing and the other thing I'd love to be
13:39able to do because to me it is a superpower because I'm so bad at it is maths
13:44I'd love to just have an eye for numbers to me that's a superpower I'd love to be able to
13:48do it
13:48I think it's so impressive people you can add and subtract like I can't do any
13:53I can't do any of that and for my second questions have you ever met your
13:58biological parents my biological parents I have yes I've met them both
14:04they're from Ireland they're from Roscommon originally and I'm still in
14:08contact with my birth father but not in contact with my birth mother anymore that
14:12didn't really work out yeah that's her story to tell really they just were very
14:16young and they couldn't make it work and that's okay and then they found a family
14:21who were dying to have a kid and I never felt adopted it was just my mom's my mom
14:25you know I think once she said to me she's like it's so weird to me that you
14:28didn't come out of my body because she just sees me as her own child like and I
14:32am her own child and and I don't think even growing up I don't think I even once did
14:37the hell you're not my real mom I don't even think I did that which you'd think
14:41you'd get away with once as a teenager I'm actually adopted as well
14:46go on yeah I look like my mother you look like your mother your adopted mother or your biological
14:52mother my biological mother yeah yeah yeah you're very lucky yeah it's cool isn't it cool yeah when
14:57you see it yeah it gives you a setting for you get you context in a way that you never
15:01have before
15:02yeah that's lovely I never felt rejected or anything I don't know if you ever felt rejected
15:06my mother sold it to me like everyone loved you so much that they wanted to make sure that the
15:11person
15:12loved you the most got you so basically I was like oh my god I'm too lovable that's my problem
15:15do you know what I mean I'm just too lovable which is the same with you
15:19as an adoptee too what would you advise for the adoptee community not just here in Ireland but the
15:27entire world did you say entire world yeah oh my gosh I need more deodorant
15:37the entire world well um I think um sorry this is what I think I think it's really really important
15:45for the human soul to know where you came from and not everyone can or will but I do think
15:50that
15:51can have an impact on you so I think where possible I think people should find out if they
15:55want to and when I went in to the adoption agency and they were trying to make sure that you're
15:59sane
15:59so that you can like go through the process she said why do you want to do this and I
16:03said I just
16:04really like I said it probably sounds really shallow but I'd love to look like somebody I've never looked
16:07like anyone and she said 99% of people who come in that's their reason so that just shows you
16:13like
16:13how important that is to people and but I would also say don't put too much on it it's not
16:20going to
16:20necessarily fix everything I'd be patient with it Kristen are you happy with those answers yes
16:24good I believe you have something you'd like to give I have something for you oh great oh my god
16:35that's gorgeous you didn't sign it you have to sign us you sign it later that's stunning I'll frame that
16:41I have a lot of art in my flat thank you so much Kieron hello hi Kieron so it was
16:49comedy something you
16:50had an interest in pursuing as a child and did you have any comedians you like growing up so no
16:56and no
16:57I didn't have any interest in comedy I wanted to be an actor or a dentist but no I had
17:04no interest in
17:05comedy it was a big happy accident really it's a weird job and I'm lucky I fell into it but
17:11I
17:11definitely fell into it I didn't really pursue it are you a comedy fan yeah yeah you should come to
17:16one of my shows you're invited do you have VIP tickets VIP of course imagine I tried to charge
17:25you now no of course you can come of course you can you can all come now everyone remember you're
17:29all going for free to her gig that's what we've just taken from this Rebecca hi hi Rebecca nice to
17:41meet you no I hate to bring up your driver's license oh gosh go on but you said in an
17:46interview that not
17:47driving is a red flag in men but you don't have your driver's license do you think people see this
17:52as a red flag in you a hundred percent and in the words of our great philosopher Taylor Swift we
17:58love
17:58her it is me hi I'm the problem it's me I hold my hands up to a lot of hypocrisies
18:04and I say it's
18:05because I think I could because I know I can drive that I'm like I've different expectations for men
18:10it's like smoking when I see other people smoking my god it's disgusting if I ever have a cigarette
18:14on the night I'm like oh my god I look Parisian do you know what I mean there's different rules
18:18for me
18:18and different rules for everyone else but you have to hold your hands up and say I'm a bit of
18:22a
18:22hypocrite sometimes okay I like it yeah Rebecca thank you for grilling me that was a grilling you're
18:28so welcome Martin ready to go well done Martin okay Joanne I hear you like dating apps can you give
18:38me any dating tips but first you've got great height Martin and women love women love heights mm-hmm
18:49and I'm not great to give dating tips because I'm still dating which means I'm obviously not that good
18:54at it but I will say the one thing to do is he's yawning he's opening the one thing to
19:00do is you have to be honest
19:03Martin that's the key we can't sometimes I'm like pretending I like outdoor activities that I don't like
19:12I'm like oh I love to kayak no Joanne you don't be honest with this man and make sure he
19:17knows okay
19:18you don't want to kayak so honesty is key and recent photos can't be tricking people finally I work in
19:24the cinema delirio do you like going to the cinema I love the cinema and I used to go to
19:30the cinema delirio all
19:31the time and I friends who works there they used to give us free popcorn it was great so did
19:34I I worked in the IMC yeah
19:35yeah cuz they gave me free popcorn too yeah there you go a great perk of the job I love
19:41the cinema even
19:42in the summer even at the height of summer I'll go to the cinema there's a cinema really close to
19:46my
19:46flat in London and I go there all the time do you do you get to the cinema for free
19:51I think so I think
19:52I got one it was free yeah and I yeah I never seen Space Jam and all that yeah brilliant
19:57great taste
20:03so um why did you decide to get varicose veins removed on your legs when you were 21 years of
20:08age vanity I had terrible varicose veins on my legs and they'd like bubbled up and I hated them and
20:14I
20:14so paranoid about them I was very prone to them like it's very unusual to have to have surgery for
20:19them at 21 like that's unusual so that's how bad they were that I could get that done they were
20:24making me very self-conscious and I wanted to get them done but this was back now the surgery is
20:29different this is back where they have to like like they pulled them all out from I know I know
20:35and they'd like strip them out off your leg it's very dramatic I look like I've been run over by
20:40a
20:40truck that must have been very very painful it was actually it was thank you this was but I was
20:46delighted you know those things you're like I know this is her this is sore now but I'm gonna
20:50be so pleased and I was so pleased I was so pleased I got it done but yeah like it
20:54is vanity but that's
20:55okay you know you want to be happy with yourself would you be conscious of your scarring though no
21:00because the scars are in a private place because they they stick kind of incise you up here and then
21:05rip them out also I love scars I think scars are really cool it's a good icebreaker I would
21:14you want to stay sitting or do you want to get up right so uh I heard she didn't have
21:18a driving
21:19license oh Jack it's the bane of my life really yeah so basically I'm not very I'm a bit um
21:27what
21:27would I say lax on logistics I struggle to kind of complete quick basic tasks and that can kind of
21:33get me into trouble I can let stuff fall by the wayside um and the driving was one of them
21:37when
21:37you do your driving test in Ireland you pass the test and then they give you a piece of paper
21:42and you
21:42have to send it off within two years and then they give your license in return for that and I
21:50didn't send the thing off so then they're like well your license is gone and I've been trying to get
21:54it back ever since it's an absolute pain in the ass Jack but I can drive I'm quite good but
21:59just not
21:59legally yeah and that is an important part of the driving process so so you're illegally
22:06go on no no Jack I didn't say that cut that cut that I'm just saying I'm just saying I'm
22:11just saying
22:12yeah okay got it got it got it I would never drive illegally I would never drive illegally and I
22:19recently just got my provisional back again but I'm driving with my mother which is totally legal
22:24and above words even if sometimes you can't see her she's like underneath the seat I'm going to prison
22:31I thought this is going to be a bit of fun and now I'm going to prison I'm going to
22:34be in the
22:34doca center right just you know thank you up next we have Jamie you gotta come up hi Jamie hello
22:43hello
22:43have a little rap song I'd say oh excellent bear in mind I had a little amount of time to
22:53write this
22:53here we go yeah we're chilling like villains upon television feeling like we're all famous but our
23:00stories are only been written we're here asking questions to Joanne McNally I wonder will she ever
23:05get her driving license how how many theory tests did she get denied from we're here on the assembly
23:11having the chats no question too big no answer too flat hope you have fun and enjoy your day keep
23:18trying to drive we'll see you on the road someday I didn't imagine so much trolling for the driving
23:33license this is great it was a very well crafted heckle really what a long heckle yeah I loved it
23:41well done Jamie thank you so much for that do you find comedians take jokes too fast well
23:48whereas I go out and I joke about being autistic
23:56Virgin Mobile proud sponsor of this show Virgin Mobile proud sponsor of this show
24:10you are going to pass the mic to Adam Adam's right there hello hello Adam do you find that comedy
24:19helps
24:20you deal with difficult times in your life almost like a therapy it sounds terrible to say yes
24:25because the audience are like why are you dragging us into therapy sessions but yes 100% it's a very
24:31lovely position to be in where if something awful does happen to you or someone's mean to you or someone
24:36breaks your heart or something like that that you can turn it into a performance in a way do you
24:42find
24:42comedians take jokes too fast well whereas I go out and I joke about being autistic yeah so you like
24:48that you think that's what yeah but it's it's but it's you're in a position to do it because it's
24:52you it's your joke to tell I'm not a fan of comedians who punch down on people who might be
24:57seen as having less power than them and as a comic I try to be as open-minded as I
25:03can be but I like dark
25:05I like dark stuff so like I'd find that hilarious if you were telling me jokes about being autistic because
25:10I'm like we're laughing together you're not laughing at me I'm not laughing at you like we're laughing
25:14together which I think is the key
25:21Marion hi Marion hello and welcome Joanne you are an open book online I am indeed do you have any
25:29secret talents
25:32I have a party trick if that's any use I have no bone in my nose no cartilage so my
25:40nose goes all
25:41the way down when I press it do you want to press it no mine don't press it I'll show
25:49you hold on
25:50it are you ready yeah it's not that bad so it goes all the way down see the right guys
25:54down
25:54I know that's my secret talent I'm cartilage free in the face and up next we have got Max and
26:05Max is
26:05with his communication regulation partner Anna I did H I E V E R Y O N E A N
26:31D
26:34A A S A V A G N S A V A G and E J O A N
27:02N N E E hello everyone and a savage welcome to Joanne
27:15N O W T H H A T Y O U now that you are famous
27:32what keeps you grounded and sound very good question do you know what I think well it keeps
27:40me grounded I don't know about sound I can't claim sound as they can't really claim yourself to be sound
27:44I think I got into comedy quite late which meant I just had like a regular job regular mates I
27:52didn't
27:52have any celeb friends I wasn't going to like you know award parties it was just very very normal
28:00fun I have a very close group of friends who I think if you developed any notions they'd tell you
28:06quick smart and I also and I could be wrong I could be blowing smoke up my own ass I
28:10don't know if I have
28:11it in me to kind of lose the run of myself completely I said I don't have to work do
28:16you know what I mean
28:16M after M E E T Y O U really nice to meet you oh thank you really nice to
28:33meet you too yeah really nice to meet you Max
28:38Laura welcome Laura so for your stand-up acts when do you know that you've gone too far
28:45yeah no I have got too far for sure yeah and the way you know you've gone too far is
28:49because the audience
28:50will go that's too far oh and then you'll say fair enough so that's what the clubs are for is
28:55to
28:56like by the time it gets to the touring stage you've kind of ironed those issues out you can and
29:02I do
29:02think it's important to be able to push boundaries and you know I like that I like kind of poking
29:08fun
29:08at stuff but yeah sometimes you misread it and you just get it wrong yeah and I won't be repeating
29:14those
29:14here don't worry I'll take it to the grave take it to the grave but that's what I'm mine yes
29:20that's why
29:21I said it love yes very good I was like I recognize that punchline well yes thank you very much
29:28yeah I'm
29:28dying to say that I was like need to find an opportunity yeah well thank you so much thank
29:33you so much I'll be chatting to you too thank you very much thank you very much and I have
29:41two
29:41questions I hope you're doing well I am doing well are you doing well I am yeah that wasn't one
29:46of the
29:46questions okay so and this one is more of a personal question to me right okay you said that relationships
29:56didn't work out for you in the past that's not going where you think it's going okay as someone
30:03who's 21 and ever been in a relationship do you have any advice for overcoming the barriers of asking
30:08someone out like you know that kind of way like I know yeah it's so hard putting yourself out there
30:14and I think it's harder for young guys like you because it's usually men asking women out traditionally
30:21that's always been the way yeah so we're more in a position to say yes or no we don't really
30:26have
30:26to put ourselves on the line like that I actually asked someone out a couple weeks ago so I did
30:31and
30:32basically she was working in the shop that I go to right yeah and we're just kind of friendly and
30:38all
30:38that kind of stuff and then she started following me on social media right so then I was thinking okay
30:42I
30:42have to take my chance and then I went and said oh do you mind meeting up for coffee sometime
30:46she just like her
30:47face just sunk she was like Tio I have a boyfriend and then I was like oh okay fair enough
30:54right I'll
30:54see you next week like you know just being polite obviously do you know that kind of way and then
30:58like
30:58she was there serving the customer and she yelled out the door Tio I'm so sorry yeah well in fairness
31:03do you know but that's so brave of you to be able to do that yeah because I was because
31:07I was like telling
31:08people about and they were like yeah yeah yeah that's great in person I couldn't do that like yeah yeah
31:12I know that's so
31:13impressive I don't I feel I could not remember the last time a man asked me out in person so
31:18fair play to you
31:19and my second question is you said the past experience shaped your comedy I find that when I do comedy
31:25sometimes for my family and friends the school stories are always the funniest can you please tell
31:30me more about this type of comedy and how someone can become better at the comedy there's huge big world
31:36famous comedians who are still telling stories from their school days because they're really funny but I
31:41think if you wanted to develop that more then you need to start maybe like jotting down the stories
31:45so you can remember them yeah I was writing an autobiography actually so great but I didn't pay for
31:52Microsoft Word so what happened was I said it was just full up so I said you've run out of
31:57space now
31:58so it's like fair enough so I have to pay for it but I'm already paying for my car and
32:02credit union and
32:04stuff like that so life is not cheap no it's not cheap I actually have my test now in a
32:10couple of weeks
32:10oh that's exciting but I can't I can't tell you the date because that's bad luck it is yeah don't
32:17tell me
32:17good luck to you I hope you pass thank you and finish the book
32:23hello Joanne just like say greetings hola for jewel and I say oh wow
32:34Oh yeah good journal to you too
32:38thank you so how do you see yourself in the future will you stay in comedy or do you have
32:46other ambitions
32:48oh that's interesting
32:51and I think I'll stay in comedy in one way or the other the nice thing about comedy is there's
32:57loads of different avenues
32:58it's not just you don't like I don't I'm sure when I'm older I won't want to I won't want
33:03to be on the road as much
33:04because it's quite time-consuming to be away from home for that length of time and I'll probably write and
33:13maybe do some TV stuff but I think I will stay like I don't think I'm gonna go back and
33:17do nursing or anything at this point I think that ship has sailed
33:19oh yeah well yeah I see myself in the future I will probably stay in swimming for Special Olympics team
33:26to dock
33:27oh wow oh are you are you and are you an Olympian
33:30uh yep I'm a Libyan I've been there for since I've been there since 2002 for sports club in Navin
33:40and then I'm now in the swimming club in Dundalk every Tuesday
33:43that's very impressive
33:44well I won 30 gold medals
33:47what?
33:4730?
33:48oh my god
33:49very impressive congratulations that's amazing
33:52thank you
33:53thank you so much
33:54where is this research coming from so specific?
34:03I love it
34:04Virgin Mobile, proud sponsor of this show
34:08Virgin Mobile, proud sponsor of this show
34:20we've got disco man, Andrew Emoji is up next
34:24come on Andy
34:25Andrew's the next question
34:27finally Andrew, finally
34:29yeah the name's Andrew, nice to meet you Joanne McNally
34:32nice to meet you
34:34you are a column writer for the Stellar magazine
34:37I was, I was yeah
34:38yeah
34:39you call it Jo, Joanne's world of course
34:41if you had a world of your own what would be your number one law?
34:44law?
34:46that I could drive without a license
34:47I think it would be
34:48I think that would be the law that I would bring in
34:55just get rid of it all, just let me just take to the roads
34:57or maybe put like young bowling alleys where they put those inflatable things along the lines
35:02put them on the roads
35:04drive around and bump into everything
35:06yeah
35:07that's I think what my law would be
35:11hello
35:12hello
35:13so having some obsessive tendencies myself
35:16to say the least
35:17I'm wondering how has this trait manifested in one way or another for you
35:22with me obsessive
35:23well I'd say the eating disorder was definitely something that was
35:26but that, but then I became obsessive about comedy then
35:30so I was like okay if I'm gonna kind of hyper focus on this stuff
35:34I'm so glad it's something productive
35:36so once I realized that I was getting a bit of traction with the comedy
35:40I was like in
35:42like and it just, it was like I took every gig going
35:45I was getting, you know I just did it all
35:47yeah yeah yeah
35:47and I was like this is a more productive way of channeling this obsessive way of thinking
35:54yeah yeah
35:54and it was also the way out of the eating disorder because I saw
35:57I can't do comedy with an eating disorder
36:00it's just not gonna work
36:00you can't, you just can't
36:02if you're that unwell
36:03you can't be touring and stuff
36:04you have to pick
36:04and so I was like I have to fix this now
36:06to do this other thing
36:08that I think I could actually be good at
36:09and I could really enjoy
36:11thank you
36:12hi Aiden
36:13hi Joanne
36:15hi
36:15so what is your favourite food to eat everyday
36:19I don't have a very fancy palette
36:23chicken chicken chicken
36:24glass of white wine
36:26chicken chicken chicken chicken
36:27I love that white wine
36:28last glass of white wine
36:29chicken chicken chicken
36:30do you have another question Aiden?
36:32oh yeah
36:32it's a follow up question
36:33my mom and two sisters
36:35they love to eat chocolate every time and any day
36:39do you love it?
36:41so they eat chocolate?
36:42yeah
36:43and he's saying what's my sweet
36:44do I love chocolate?
36:46yeah
36:46no I don't love chocolate
36:48I wouldn't choose it
36:49I don't have a particularly sweet tooth really
36:51if it was my last supper I wouldn't have chocolate
36:54I'd have chicken crisps and wine
36:55thank you for that
36:56our next person to ask questions is going to be Sythe
37:00hi
37:00hi Sythe
37:02I heard that you went to school in France when you were younger
37:05what was school like there?
37:07very different
37:08so basically what happened was
37:09you know the way a lot of people do these like exchange student things
37:12but my mom
37:13because it was quite expensive
37:14and she was like no no no
37:15if we're spending the money on this
37:16I'm not sending you off with your friends
37:19to speak English in France
37:21you're going on your own
37:23and she just rang up a random skill in Laval in France
37:26and was like will you take my daughter?
37:27I had just done my junior cert
37:29and I'd gotten a C in French
37:31and also I had no French accent
37:33so I would get into trouble when I started
37:34I remember one time I said to a guy
37:36I was saying salou salou
37:39instead of salou salou
37:40and salou is high
37:41and salou is bastard in French
37:43so I was like addressing everyone as bastard
37:46until this guy came up
37:47he said
37:47but qu'est-ce pas de salou
37:48and I was like what?
37:49what's your problem?
37:49and then so there was all these kind of like teething problems
37:52when I got there
37:52but I actually I loved it
37:55it was cool
37:55it kind of like
37:57it was one of those things you do when you're younger
37:59that kind of forms you in a way
38:00and when I went
38:02I was just like
38:03a regular Loretto doggy girl
38:04and when I came back
38:05I was wearing this floor length leather coat
38:07and I was smoking rollies
38:08and I was listening to French rap and everything
38:11and all the girls were like
38:12what is going on?
38:13but yeah I loved it
38:14Saif, is there something you wanted to give to Joanne?
38:16yes, I have a present
38:18oh!
38:19oh my god
38:19is that me here?
38:21yeah
38:21Saif that's gorgeous
38:22can I see it?
38:24stunning
38:25you need to sign that for me now
38:27I've signed it
38:28well done
38:29thank you so much
38:30I love it
38:31no problem
38:31god such great art
38:33I'd love to be able to draw
38:34I think it's such a talent
38:36thanks Saif
38:38it is Kevin
38:41what do you feel about the societal expectations
38:44to meet certain milestones by a certain age
38:47like for example
38:47getting your driver's licence
38:49and moving out of home by the young age
38:52well I didn't hit any of them
38:55I now think the later the better
38:56because
38:58you get to make more informed decisions about things
39:00do you know
39:01like maybe if I was younger
39:02and I'd been able to buy a house
39:03maybe I would have lost a lot of money on the house
39:05maybe I would have married the wrong person
39:06because I was in a rush
39:07or you know
39:08you kind of have to let things
39:09roll out naturally
39:11instead of rushing into them
39:12and I do think those expectations are shifting now
39:15I think they were very
39:17in our parents generation
39:19there was no getting away from them really
39:20if you didn't hit those milestones
39:22you were looked at as a bit odd
39:25whereas I don't think it's the same
39:26and I count up a lot with neurodivergent people too
39:28having delayed milestones
39:30yeah exactly
39:31like there's nothing wrong with it
39:32because you'll either get
39:33you'll either hit those milestones if you want to
39:35or you won't
39:36because you didn't want to
39:37and that's fine too
39:39and I do think everyone has different ideas
39:41about what those milestones look like now
39:43what age are you?
39:4534
39:4534?
39:47you're a baby
39:48aww
39:49yeah you are
39:49you've loads of time to do anything you want
39:51there's no rush
39:53so last question
39:55what are some of your favourite products from Boots?
39:58oh
39:58I've read that you enjoy shopping at the flagship store
40:01in Half Moon Street Cork
40:02I work at the
40:05where is this research coming from?
40:06it's so specific
40:08I work in the smaller sisters store in Cork City
40:12and was just curious
40:14some of your recommendations might help give me an edge
40:17on figuring what would be the best products to sell
40:19well I'm a big skincare junkie
40:21anything that'll take a line off
40:23I'm all about it
40:24so for you I would recommend
40:27and especially for men
40:28because men when you're bearding
40:29you're always like pulling at your face
40:31like it's quite harsh on your
40:32so what you need is a nice kind of like
40:33hyaluronic serum or something
40:35for your neck there
40:37and don't forget always
40:38the tip for moisturising
40:39top to tits
40:40do your whole body
40:41including your decolletage
40:42don't leave out your neck
40:43it ages faster than all the other areas of your body
40:46neck and hands
40:47that's the key
40:48does that answer your question?
40:50does indeed
40:51thank you very much
40:53I love your shirt too
40:54I love your shirt too
40:56thank you
40:57it reminds you of meatloaf
40:59this shirt?
41:00yeah
41:00it's good isn't it?
41:01thank you Kevin
41:02moisturise that face
41:04keep those baby features okay?
41:06and we're going to the final grill of the day
41:10Orla
41:11oh yeah
41:11thank you David Orla
41:13hello
41:14hello Joanne
41:15hello
41:16so
41:17did you have any Prosecco
41:19while you were on the Prosecco Express?
41:26orla I had so much Prosecco
41:28I'm surprised there's any Prosecco left in Ireland
41:31because I drank most of it
41:34buckets and buckets and buckets of the stuff
41:36because that was the name of the show
41:38people would send me bottles of Prosecco as well
41:41I was like drowning under all the Prosecco
41:44yeah but I still love it
41:46I have to say
41:46I still haven't lost a taste for it
41:48thank you so much
41:49yay
41:50fine
41:50but right now
41:51to say goodbye
41:52from the Assembly
41:53I would like to invite
41:54Emily
41:55thank you
41:56thank you
41:58I'd like to thank you very much Joanne
42:00for coming here today
42:01to be part of one of our episodes
42:03thanks Emily
42:05how have you found the experience?
42:07I was a little nervous
42:10because I didn't know what to expect
42:11yeah
42:12but
42:1330 seconds in
42:14to the first question
42:15I was like this is
42:16going to be fantastic
42:17and I've really enjoyed it
42:18and the questions are so well taught
42:20and considered
42:21and it's been really lovely
42:22yeah it's been really really nice
42:23thank you so much
42:24I hope you've enjoyed having me here as well
42:26love it
42:26love it
42:26can we give you a hug?
42:29yay
42:31so lovely
42:32now
42:32I'm going to invite Courtney
42:34David and Connor
42:35if you can just go over
42:36and take your spaces
42:38for this lovely performance
42:39okay okay
42:43I have fallen down
42:46so many times
42:48probably the funniest comedian I've spouted
42:50and I don't speak to many comedians
42:52so
42:53don't care less it's all
42:56so many
42:57I'd say she was nervous
42:58but I think thankfully
43:00we're a pretty friendly crowd
43:01I have travelled through
43:04so many times
43:09don't know why
43:11don't know where
43:12don't care less it's all
43:14say
43:19how can I protect you in this
43:21I found a lot of the stuff
43:23that she was saying
43:23about being adopted relatable
43:25because like you know
43:27I was fostered when I was very young
43:30so that kind of coincided with me a bit I suppose
43:38can you hear the sound of nothing
43:43I loved her outfit
43:44I loved the ruffles on the shirt
43:46and the big boots
43:47I need to get some boots like those
43:49it's all the same
43:50no no no really
43:52they're adding a combination of the Spice Girls
43:55with a
43:56with something from the Shakespearean and Tudor side
43:59let us not roll
44:01for what we have find
44:02let old Joanne
44:04McDowell
44:05have her
44:06come forth
44:07in such style and adequate
44:10how can I protect you in this crazy world
44:19it's alright
44:21yeah
44:23it's alright
44:23I just loved it
44:24I just really loved the fact that I'm here
44:27and that I was one of the people chosen to do it
44:30it's a huge confidence boost
44:31how can I protect you in this crazy world
44:40it's alright
44:43yeah
44:44it's alright
44:48ok so is that all?
44:50ok good
44:50thank you
44:51thank you for your time
44:54thank you
45:14thank you
45:23thank you
45:30thank you
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