Ruby Wax: Comedy, Courage, and the Infamous OJ Simpson Interview – Inside Her Life and Legacy

Quick Read

• Ruby Wax is a contestant on ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ 2025.
• She became renowned for her fearless comedy and documentary-style interviews.
• Her 1998 interview with OJ Simpson remains one of her most controversial moments.
• Wax has openly discussed her struggles with mental health and family life.
• Segments of her OJ Simpson interview appear in a 2021 BBC documentary, but the original is not available to stream.

Ruby Wax in the Jungle: More Than Just Another Celebrity Contestant

This season of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! has brought together a dynamic group of personalities, but few have a story as complex and compelling as Ruby Wax. As she navigates the Australian jungle—facing revolting eating challenges and sharing camp life with the likes of Aitch, Martin Kemp, and Jack Osbourne—viewers are reminded that Wax’s fame isn’t simply the product of reality TV. Her presence in camp is a testament to decades of bold choices, sharp wit, and a refusal to be pigeonholed.

Monday night’s episode saw Ruby Wax and YouTuber Angryginge take on one of the infamous Bushtucker Trials, with Wax’s comedic timing turning the stomach-churning food challenge into a showcase for her legendary humor. Her ability to find levity in the grimmest moments is a defining trait—one that has shaped her career and her public persona.

A Childhood Marked by Complexity

To understand Ruby Wax’s resilience, it’s worth tracing her journey back to Evanston, Illinois. Born to Edward and Berthe Wachs, Austrian Jewish refugees who fled Vienna in 1938, Wax’s early years were anything but ordinary. Her home life was tumultuous: her mother struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder, often filling the refrigerator with mayonnaise and cigars, and wrapping furniture in plastic. In interviews, Wax has described frequent hysteria and screaming at home, with her father turning up the opera radio to drown out the chaos. She has spoken candidly about wishing for siblings—someone to share and make sense of her experiences.

Wax’s academic path began with psychology studies at Berkeley, but she left before completing her degree. It was in the UK, at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, that her talents blossomed. By 1978, she was working with the Royal Shakespeare Company and beginning to forge her own unique voice in British comedy.

Pioneering Comedy and Interviewing Icons

Ruby Wax became a household name in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s, not just for her quick-witted stand-up and acting, but for her groundbreaking documentary-style interviews. The Full Wax and Ruby Wax Meets… featured high-profile subjects from Madonna to Donald Trump, but it was her 1998 interview with OJ Simpson that would become one of her most talked-about encounters.

Wax’s approach was bold and often unfiltered. She pushed boundaries—seeking not just celebrity soundbites, but glimpses of the truth behind public facades. Her work as a script editor for Absolutely Fabulous and her advocacy for mental health added further layers to her career, establishing her as a multi-dimensional figure in British media.

The OJ Simpson Interview: Bizarre, Unsettling, and Unforgettable

In 1998, just two years after OJ Simpson’s criminal acquittal for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, Wax sat down with the former NFL star for the BBC. By then, Simpson had been found liable in civil court and fined millions in damages, his public image irrevocably changed.

Wax described Simpson as “the most complicated character on Earth”—his presence both charismatic and jagged. The interview itself veered into surreal territory: after 17 hours of filming, Simpson played a disturbing prank, knocking on Wax’s door and mimicking a stabbing motion with a banana, complete with Psycho-style screeching. Wax later reflected, “I wasn’t scared, I just thought he was insane. I also immediately thought this was very good television.” (Digital Spy, Grazia Daily).

During dinner the previous night, Simpson recited the infamous poem about Lizzie Borden—another figure acquitted of murder—and seemed to revel in the notoriety that followed him. Wax pressed him repeatedly on the murders; his final answer was a simple “no” to the camera, accompanied by a rueful smile. In a bizarre post-interview phone call, Simpson told Wax, “Hi, it’s OJ. I did it. April fool’s,” before hanging up.

The interview remains unavailable for streaming, but segments were included in Wax’s 2021 BBC documentary, offering a fascinating window into both Simpson’s psychology and Wax’s fearless interviewing style.

Family, Mental Health, and an Unconventional Life

Ruby Wax’s private life has been as unconventional as her public persona. After a brief first marriage, she wed Ed Bye, a TV and film director, in 1988. Together they have three children—Marina, Max, and Madeline. Marina and Maddy have followed in their mother’s comedic footsteps, co-hosting a podcast and appearing in various TV projects.

Wax’s openness about her struggles with depression and her advocacy for mental health have become central to her identity. She’s spoken candidly about her fears of passing on mental health challenges to her children, but says she “got lucky”—her kids have been supportive and nurturing. Her marriage to Bye has weathered long periods apart, but has endured for nearly four decades.

Wax’s journey—from a chaotic childhood, through pioneering comedy, to her present role as a mental health advocate and reality TV contestant—reflects a life lived on her own terms. She has faced public and private challenges with humor and honesty, never shying away from uncomfortable truths.

Legacy: More Than Just Laughs

As Ruby Wax faces the jungle’s challenges, her story resonates far beyond the campfire. She has transformed personal adversity into public insight, pushing boundaries in comedy and media, and tackling mental health stigma head-on. Her infamous encounter with OJ Simpson remains a testament to her willingness to confront the darkest corners of celebrity and fame.

Wax’s enduring appeal lies not just in her comedy, but in her courage to ask the hard questions—of others, and herself. Whether she’s eating jungle critters or probing the psyche of a notorious figure, she’s never just playing for laughs. She’s searching for meaning, truth, and connection in a world that often resists all three.

Ruby Wax’s career is a reminder that the most compelling stories often come from those who refuse to be defined by a single moment, role, or headline. Her legacy is built on resilience, curiosity, and the power of facing discomfort with honesty and wit.