ONE of the nation's biggest comedians will take to the stage at Hexham's Queen's Hall on Wednesday, June 8.

Ed Byrne is touring the UK for his show, 'If I'm Honest', which focuses on acknowledging his personal flaws and coming to terms with those flaws presenting in his own children.

He said he started the tour in September 2019 and it ran until March 2020, when the pandemic forced everything to stop. 

"A bit of rescheduling has taken place and it's been a little bit up and down," he said. "I had been really enjoying the show before we had to shelve it."

He said the time of the pandemic was miserable, but it renewed his appreciation for performing. "It's reinvigorated my love of the job, I'll never take it for granted again."

"There was nothing to write about, it was an absolute period of barren, there's only so many times you can write about emptying the dishwasher.

"I've spoken to a number of comedians who found writing very tricky, you couldn't try material in front of an audience."

Ed explained to collect material for 'If I'm Honest', he obsessed over what he wished he'd said to people, but it was an ongoing process and there was no great scientific method.

"It's an honest look at myself, what traits I want to pass on to my two children," he said. "Nothing will annoy you as much as your own children. I ask the audience about their children and we examine the whole thing and married life, a range of subjects get tackled."

Ed says the biggest revelation he has had since becoming a parent is 'learning your children annoy you through the ways they remind you of yourself.'

"My eldest always has the last word in an argument, he has all of my pedantry, and absolutely focuses on others' mistakes."

When asked if he had discovered if he had any qualities he thought worth passing on, his response was: "Basically no, I'm quite funny and I can tell a story, so I guess I can pass that on." 

To buy tickets, go to https://edbyrne.com/.