Mo Gilligan met with BRIT School pupils to talk about his career path
(Picture: Getty Images)The BRITs host Mo Gilligan has said he wants to use his platform to “shine a light on others”.
Earlier this month the stand-up comedian, 33, announced he was donating his fee for hosting the ceremony to Five X More, a grassroots charity which aims to improve black women’s maternal outcomes in the UK.
Gilligan, who will be the awards’ first black host, told the Standard: “When I found out that black women were five times more likely to die in childbirth, it hit me for six.
“I was like, how is this not public knowledge? This is a time in my life where I’m doing the BRITs and the spotlight is very much on me.
“This is a real situation that’s happening, so if I can use my platform to shine light on others, that’s what I’m going to do.”
The BRIT Awards is being held at the O2 Arena on February 8, with comedian Gilligan taking over from Jack Whitehall as host.
His predecessor divided viewers with some of his controversial jokes aimed at stars, something which Gilligan said he is going to steer clear of.
“A lot of musicians, I know them personally, they are friends. I don’t want to lose any friendships at the expense of a few jokes,” he said.
“I’m excited to be among musicians.
“Hopefully they accept me as one of their own. Because I’m from the world of comedy they might think, ‘Mo’s going to get me!’”
Talking about being picked to host the BRITs, Gilligan said he still has “pinch me moments”.
“It’s been one of those shows that I’ve always watched. And the fact I get to host it, it feels like a massive honour.”
In order to stay calm before big shows, Gilligan said he tends to “find ways I can switch off” and usually watches a documentary or TV series to quell his nerves.
Gilligan made the comments during a visit to The BRIT School for Performing Arts in Croydon, south London on Wednesday.
The star met with 100 students and teachers at the state-funded creative arts school to talk about his career path and inspire the next generation of musicians, actors, producers and entrepreneurs.
The BRIT School, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, offers free education for 1,400 pupils aged between 14 and 19.
Since its inception in 1991, The BRIT School has taught world famous artists including Adele, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis.
It is backed by The BRIT Trust, the music industry’s charity, which aims to give young people from all backgrounds a chance to their musical creativity, something Gilligan said is “extraordinary”.
Talking about the visit, he said: “I feel like I’ve come full circle, because I’ve always wanted to come to The BRIT School. Now I’m getting to come here as a visitor.”
Giving advice to those aspiring to carve out a career in the music industry, he said: “It is a marathon, not a sprint.
“I didn’t know at the time that performing in front of ten people in a small pub would get me to a place like the BRITs, so I would say: ‘Trust the process, keep going’.”
The BRIT Awards is on February 8 at The O2 arena and will be broadcast on ITV and ITV Hub.
