Comedian Suzi Ruffell has recalled the moment she met her childhood idol Mel C, admitting she was so starstruck that Alan Carr had to intervene. The 38-year-old, who grew up in Portsmouth, was a huge Spice Girls fan and had a particular fondness for Mel C, who was among her early crushes alongside Kate Winslet and Jennifer Aniston.
Ruffell, who began her standup career in 2008 after training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, said she discovered her comedic talent at a youth amateur dramatic society. 'I was playing a posh lady with a silly voice one time, and people laughed,' she recalled. 'I knew I wasn't the romantic lead as I was never someone the boys fancied. Instead, the comic relief was a role I could throw myself into.'
The comedian, who hosts the podcast Out With Suzi Ruffell and co-hosts Like Minded Friends with Tom Allen, said she struggled with anxiety and obsessive behaviour as a child. 'I was terrified my family would die. Essentially, I found the whole experience of living very chaotic and unpredictable. I needed to set rules for myself so I could control something, so I could cope,' she explained.
Ruffell came out at 20 and said humour helped her navigate her sexuality and self-esteem issues. 'I realised the currency of humour and thought: “If I can be funny, maybe I’ll be OK,”' she said. Her memoir, Am I Having Fun Now? Anxiety, Applause and Life’s Big Questions, Answered, became a bestseller, and she is currently touring her show The Juggle until September.
