Brendan Burns Interview - "The joker who went wild"

In 2005, Australian comedian Brendon Burns went clinically insane and nearly killed himself. This year he won the top award at the Edinburgh Festival. Dan Rookwood asks him how he went from funny peculiar to funny ha ha. Brendon Burns. In fact, he’s never been hotter. After 11 years of getting warmer, this August he finally won the IF.comedy award (formerly the Perrier) at the Edinburgh Fringe with his clever and controversial show entitled ‘So I suppose this is offensive now’. It was, and that was the point.

Brendon Burns – as anyone who has sat in the front row of one of his fiery shows might bear singed testament. Never afraid to say the unsayable, he has a reputation for going crazy on stage. His relentless ranting didn’t go down too well in his native Australia. Which is why he left for the UK 10 years ago.

Brendon Burns – and he’s got the scars to prove it. Addictions to drugs, alcohol and sex nearly killed him. He ended up in so much shit – quite literally – that he was certified insane. This is the story about he rose up like phoenix from the flames.