It’s a long way to the top. And on the way up most actors, musicians and comedians will tell you that they have had to hold down some less than glamorous jobs to make ends meet.
Comedian Zoe Lyons is no exception and endured waiting tables, telesales, banana picking in Queensland as a young backpacker- even a stint on legendary reality program Survivor before making it in the field she loves.
‘I did surprisingly well considering I was utterly shit at most things,’ Lyons said of her time on the first season of Survivor UK.
‘I think the gift of the gab got me out of a lot of situations and I was quite good at fishing, so that’s the two things I learned about life – if you can put food on the table and talk your way out of a bad situation, you’ll be alright.’
Although she made it to the final six contestants, Lyons did not take out the crown.
Who would have imagined that seven years later she would be named by The Independent as one of the 101 most influential gay and lesbian people in Britain?
‘Last year I was the 81st most influential gay in Britain- only six points behind Elton John so I was quite pleased about that,’ said Lyons, with a comedian’s playful sarcasm.
‘I’m practically gay royalty.’
And Perth will be blessed with a little touch of gay royalty when Lyons appears as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow this month.
Audiences can expect a mixed-bag of topics from gay penguins to celebrity perfumes and much more in between.
‘I’m quite a physical performer,’ said Lyons.
‘I’m a bit of a giant toddler basically, so it’s never that high-brow, but it is quite a lot of fun.’
Zoe Lyons is performing as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow at His Majesty’s Theatre from June 8 – June 13. Tickets available through BOCS.
Amy Henderson
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