Comedian Jamali Maddix, 33, was born in Ilford to Jamaican and British-Greek parents. He studied theatre and performance practice at the University of Salford but dropped out to pursue a career in standup. He is a resident panellist on Sky’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Other TV appearances include Taskmaster, regular punditry on Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and Viceland series Hate Thy Neighbour. He’s now hosting a four-part docuseries, Follow the Leader, investigating fringe subcultures. The four films find Maddix travelling the world to embed himself with paedophile hunters, Chicago gangs, gun-toting church leader King Bullethead and “passport bros” – American men who travel overseas to find traditional wives. Maddix tours the UK from next March.
Your new series is made by Louis Theroux’s production company. Are you a fan of his work?
Yes, so I just stole off him. Nah, I’m joking! He and Nick Broomfield were the guys I used to watch religiously. What I took from their docs is how they were always upping the ante. You can’t copy their techniques or mannerisms, you’ve got to have your own shit. Louis’s shtick is a bumbling British guy but that doesn’t work for me because I look like this. Nick Broomfield has got the boom mic as his prop. He jumps in, asks a question, then jumps out again. I had to figure out my own way.
