“I’m not allowed to ring Noel Fielding’s mum!”: In conversation with entertainment’s headteacher, Greg Davies
Here’s a fun fact: if you’ve ever noticed a round of applause during a panel or chat show that seems oddly timed, it’s likely been added in post-production for continuity. When producers and editors need to cut mid-sentence or smooth out an awkward transition, TV magic is used to insert applause to make the flow of the conversation seem more natural. With that in mind, you’re ready to enjoy the latest episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, where Courtney Love takes the captain’s seat, and applause provides a brief reprieve from the ensuing chaos.
“What am I supposed to do with that as a host? With that sort of energy?” said Greg Davies, reflecting on trying to keep a handle on the episode that was largely dominated by an untameable Hole frontwoman. “The last thing Courtney said before she left the studio was, ‘Oh god, I hope they can get something out of that in the edit’ […] The producers, I don’t know if they’re wilfully destructive or geniuses.”
Greg Davies continues to make a career out of managing difficult personalities. From the classroom to TV screens, the comic has made a name for himself by keeping the untameable on some kind of leash, adding structure to what would appear to onlookers as structureless. But even comedic behemoths like Greg Davies have their limits, and it turns out his is Courtney Love.
“Most of the guest captains did their role quite well, but her and Beth Ditto, I don’t think – and I don’t think this is a slam – that those people are ideally suited to manage a team on a light entertainment show,” laughs Davies during our conversation, “There, I’ve said it. They’ve got undeniable skills, and I admire them greatly, but in that regard, I’m not sure they’re tailor-made.”
After 18 series of Taskmaster and now four series of a successful resurgence of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Davies is cementing himself as one of the best hosts in modern entertainment. It’s surprising to hear that he never intended to assume such a role when he initially started out in comedy, especially when you consider the parallels between that and his job before, teaching.
“It wasn’t on my ambition list at all,” he confesses, “I think there was a slight inevitability to it. I was a teacher for so long, and that sort of faux authority that that job brings with it sort of lends itself to attempting to steer a rowdy ship. So, I think it was inevitable. I avoided it for a long time but then Alex asked me to do Taskmaster and, of course, I’m such a huge admirer of him, he’s such a forever funny man that it was a difficult one to turn down. It wasn’t part of the masterplan, but when that show came along, I went, ‘Oh god, yeah, I’ve gotta do this, haven’t I?’”
Davies continued, “And then when Buzzcocks came along, I was such a big fan of Buzzcocks, and I’m such a big music fan. It was on a different channel, and I thought, ‘Oh no, I’ve gotta do this as well now, haven’t I?’ I’ve not regretted either of them, really.”
Despite having big shoes to fill, Davies seems ideally suited for these hosting roles. Faux authority, sure, but there is also a childlike glee in everything he does. Jokes are met with giggles and flailing hands, guests are made to feel at ease, and the shift from the classroom to the TV screen is seamless.
“I think you just do what you do when you get asked to do a job,“ he said, “You have your way of doing things, and if I was to try and be a bit more provocative and try to wind people up, it just wouldn’t sit right.”
He continued, “We’ve just done it and this is how it’s come out. I don’t think it’s better or worse than any other incarnation; it’s just our incarnation of it. I’ve not had many complaints from die-hard fans of the show; I think some people might miss the small confrontational elements of it, but no one’s told me. That’s all I ask, if you think it’s shit, keep it to yourself.”
Regardless of the program, Davies says the DNA of what makes something funny remains the same. While regulars change, sets are different, and the public’s perception of both comedians and musicians has altered, the black-and-white of panel shows stays similar.
“[It] provides the same function that it always did, which is taking people with a well-honed shtick and putting them out of their comfort zone,” said Davies, “People get almost forced into revealing a side of themselves that they normally wouldn’t. And musicians are very good at crafting an image, a persona, you know, and it’s pretty hard to keep that up when you’re forced to play preposterous parlour games with a load of comedians.”
When Davies talks about a panel show’s DNA, an episode of Buzzcocks that immediately comes to mind is one from a previous series that focused on James Bay and his persistent wearing of hats. The musician had revealed to a researcher he was planning on ditching the headwear, so Davies prepared material to make light of Bay’s new look. This massively backfired when he turned up to the show.
“That was genuine, you know? I’d been in the writer’s room, and we’d written this whole fucking section about him trying to lose the hat,” recalls Davies, “That’s what we’d been told by the researchers, that James Bay was reinventing his image and losing the hat. Then he came in, and he was wearing the fucking hat! The rage I displayed on screen was genuine.”
Davies’s role as a host was inevitable because of his years of teaching, and there is no denying that the comedian was made for such a position. While Taskmaster is unquestionably funny, there will always be an element of trust there, as comedians are working with other comedians that they are familiar with. If John Kearns goes off on a tangent, it’s easy for those around him to simply let him speak, as they know he’ll be going somewhere funny with it. I’ve interviewed enough musicians to know that while tangents are common, humour doesn’t often follow closely behind, yet Davies and his fellow regulars on Buzzcocks do a great job of bringing the best out in their guests and keeping the laughs coming.
“Taskmaster is a tight structure. It has a hierarchy, and I’m at the top. That’s the way it works, and if people want to do well on the show, they have to bend to my will, whether they like it or not,” said Davies, discussing the difference between the two shows, “I imagine it’s easier to be an authoritarian when you’re despotic—all power. On Buzzcocks, I’m not all-powerful. The regulars don’t respect me and have no interest in winning, and the musicians are an unknown, unpredictable force.”
Circling back, “If you look at the Courtney Love episode, it’s just fucking carnage. I’m supposed to be the person holding it together, and what you see is a tired, irritable teacher on that episode who is trying to control Courtney Love. You can’t control Courtney Love! You can’t say, ‘Now, now, Courtney, be quiet, we’re trying to play a game’. It won’t work. But I think that’s the joy of the show. It was always a little bit of chaos within the beautifully curated world of television, and I hope it remains so.”
From the classroom to TV screens across the country, Greg Davies has become the headteacher of light entertainment. This raises one final question: With the power of hindsight, what’s easier to manage, a classroom full of children or a panel show full of musicians and comics?
“I would be specific to Buzzcocks and say being in charge of the specific comics I know on that show and a group of musicians is, by far, much harder than dealing with a classroom of kids,” Davies laughs, “You’ve got punitive measures with children. I’m not allowed to ring Noel Fielding’s mum and dad. Although, I’ve often thought about doing so.”
