“It’s nice to have a communal experience where everyone gets together and has a laugh. You can’t beat that.”
Jack Carroll will be going on tour next year(Image: Andy Hollingworth)
Corrie star Jack Carroll has revealed what working on one of the biggest UK soaps was like as he looks set to go on tour next year.
The 27-year-old actor and comedian was known for his role in Coronation Street as Bobby Crawford, the nephew of Weatherfield favourite Carla Connor.
At the time, Bobby was revealed as the son of Carla’s brother Rob Donovan, who was serving life in prison for the murder of Tina McIntyre.
Although he found a home with Carla, Bobby brought some problems onto the cobbles when he helped Rob go on the run – leading to an almighty explosion of drama.
He was last seen on the cobbles when he made a decision to head off to Majorca to visit Simon Barlow, who left Weatherfield last year to go sailing with dad, Peter.
Before his Corrie debut, Jack was first seen on our screens in Britain’s Got Talent in 2013. At just 14 years old, he impressed judges and the public with his sharp stand-up comedy, finishing second in the competition.
Now, Jack will be going on tour staring on February 13 in Bradford. He’ll also be making a stop nearby as he’ll be performing at The Lowry in Salford on March 1.
Jack sat down with the Manchester Evening News to discuss his upcoming tour and what it was like being a part of the iconic ITV soap.
Telling us about the tour, Jack shared: “It’s called The Fall Guy and there’ll be jokes about disability and if anyone’s seen me before on Britain’s Got Talent or at the Apollo, it’s not a huge departure from that.
“I last toured about three years ago so certain things have happened. I think there’s been enough time for different things to have happened, including Coronation Street which I talk about a little bit.”
He made his Coronation Street debut in 2023(Image: ITV)
When asked if his role in Coronation Street has impacted his stand-up, Jack answered: “It kind of opens you up to a new audience as well. You’ve maybe not seen me do stand up on other things, so then you’ve got a new bunch of people discovering other things that you’ve done.
“The writers on the show did a really good job of distilling the essence of what I do in comedy into quite a lot of the early iterations of Bobby on Corrie.”
He continued: “Coronation Street, that feeling never really left that you’re stepping into history and something so iconic in British culture. You’re walking past Roy’s Rolls and it’s there, but also there’s been a lot of times that you watch on the monitors and you’re doing the scene.
“You know, Ken Barlow and Roy Cropper are talking, and you’re like ‘oh I’ve got Corrie on the TV’ and then you go, ‘wait a minute, that’s my cue, I need to go and say my lines!’
“That in terms of pinch-me moments is up there.”
He added: “I don’t feel we’ve seen the last of Bobby, so hopefully there’ll be something going on there in the future.”
Fans can watch him perform across the UK(Image: Andy Hollingworth)
Touching on winning a BAFTA in 2024 for short film, Mobility, Jack admitted: “It was definitely up there as well. It’s voted for by people who are also in the business, so they know how hard it is to get anything anyway, let alone something that’s halfway decent.”
When asked what he hopes people will take home from the tour, the comedian added: “We live in a world of generative AI and everyone’s on their phones. It’s nice to have a communal experience where everyone gets together and has a laugh. You can’t beat that, really.
“I want people to come and have a right laugh with their friends and family and go on feeling that they’ve had a show and they’ve had their money’s worth.”
Speaking about his support system, he continued: “I’ve been very lucky in that respect. From people within the industry or friends and family, they’ve been really supportive.
“That is what keeps you going at the end of the day, is that encouragement. My mum and dad have been hugely supportive, like driving me to gigs in the early days, which I couldn’t have done without them.”
For Jack, he said he has “no grand plan” of what’s next as he focuses on The Fall Guy tour, but did tease: “I’ve done a little bit more writing and we’ll see how that goes.
“It’s nice to get back to doing stand up and put my attention into that. It does become a bit of an all-consuming thing, you’re travelling three or four days a week. It’ll be nice to get into that routine. And then, I mean, who knows?”
