Get used to seeing Joel Creasey’s face this Mardi Gras

Get used to seeing Joel Creasey’s face this Mardi Gras

PREPARE yourself – you’ll be seeing Joel Creasey鈥檚 face a lot this Mardi Gras.

The Perth-born funnyman is set to host SBS鈥 broadcast of the parade, and will also co-host GAYmes night with his self-proclaimed 鈥榝renemy鈥 Rhys Nicholson as part of the Mardi Gras Comedy Festival.

You might also see the blond hunk on a different mission during the festivities – scouting for a husband.

鈥淚鈥檝e never actually been to the parade which is crazy considering I鈥檓 hosting it, and I鈥檝e only ever been to Mardi Gras one other time,鈥 he tells 17c起草社区.

鈥淏ecause I missed the parade I went straight to the after party which is where I met my ex-boyfriend so Mardi Gras is hopefully an opportunity to meet a husband.鈥

While Creasey has been building a profile for himself on the comedy circuit since 2010, it wasn鈥檛 until his appearance on the first season of I鈥檓 A Celebrity鈥. Get Me Out of Here in 2015 that he became a household name.

But does fame make it easier to find a date – especially as a young gay man in the age of Grindr?

鈥淚t does make it more difficult and you never know what someone鈥檚 intentions are for catching up, but it doesn鈥檛 stop me,鈥 he says.

鈥淚 was on Grindr recently. Some idiot screenshotted it and was like, 鈥榦h my god, Joel is on Grindr!鈥 How is that crazy? I鈥檓 just a 20-something-year-old gay man.鈥

Like most working comedians, Creasey says his touring schedule can make it difficult to maintain a relationship. Though he admits it also doesn鈥檛 help that he tells it like it is.

鈥淚鈥檓 single and the last relationship I was in I was dumped,鈥 he says with a laugh.

鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 like being spoken about on stage which is weird – I see it as a compliment but some people are a bit anti-that.

鈥淭he travelling thing is difficult, I鈥檓 never around and I鈥檓 always on the road. But I鈥檓 also annoying. That鈥檚 what I always tell guys – you wouldn鈥檛 want me here all the time, trust me.鈥

And it鈥檚 not just his Grindr dates he has to watch out for. When his best friend was staying with him, he invited a guy from Grindr over – who quickly worked out it was Creasey鈥檚 apartment.

鈥淭he guy came running into my room, I was asleep. He ran in and jumped on my bed,鈥 he says.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥榞et off my bed鈥.鈥

Over Creasey鈥檚 seven-year-long career as a comedian, he has had a glass thrown at him in Perth, was chased out of a town, and fell off stage into an old lady in the front row. He jokingly describes a night out with him as 鈥渢aking your life in your own hands鈥

Like most celebrities, he also faces things like social media abuse (鈥淲hen I鈥檓 not getting abused I鈥檓 upset because I feel like I鈥檓 not doing my job properly鈥) and the odd made up story in the tabloids.

鈥淟ast year there was this big story published in a trashy magazine that said Chrissie Swan was pregnant with my baby and it spread everywhere,鈥 he says.

鈥淧eople were stopping me on the street and congratulating me. I was like 鈥榰m, no I鈥檓 not having a baby with Chrissie Swan, who has a partner and three kids by the way.鈥

There was also a rumour that he was hooking up with Richard Wilkins鈥 son Christian, who he describes as gorgeous 鈥渂ut no鈥.

鈥淧eople thought we hooked up at a party but we said hello for thirty seconds,鈥 he adds.

But despite all the pitfalls of the job and fame, Creasey admits he will always keep coming back to stand up even if his career expands to other avenues like acting.

鈥淚t鈥檚 addictive, I don鈥檛 know anything else – I love it. Having an audience full of people laughing at you,鈥 he says, with a pause.

鈥淥r with you, I should say.鈥

So what can audiences expect from his new shows? Creasey promises all new material and a lot of new dirt.

鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to change anyone鈥檚 political views, or challenge anything too much,鈥 he says.

鈥淚鈥檒l tell you some dirty celebrity stories and what鈥檚 happened to me in the past year.

鈥淚鈥檓 a storyteller, I have to tell the ridiculous things that happen to me – like last year, for example I slept with some Trump supporters without realising until about halfway. It鈥檚 like therapy.鈥

When it comes to telling celebrity stories, Creasey does not pull any punches. He is brutally honest – especially when it comes to people he was looking forward to meeting.

鈥淐hristophe Waltz was an absolute tool. Chevy Chase, Howie Mandel鈥 all the guys were real dicks,鈥 he says.

鈥淏ut then people like Joan Rivers, who could have got away with acting like a dick because she was 81鈥 when I worked with her she was actually really lovely.鈥

鈥淢ost comedians change names to protect people they鈥檙e talking about but I鈥檓 all about throwing people under the bus.鈥

One world-famous celebrity that Creasey has bonded with is his I鈥檓 A Celebrity co-star, The Brady Bunch鈥檚 Maureen McCormick, who he still keeps in touch with.

鈥淚 sent her an email last year cause Florence Henderson, her mum from the Brady Bunch, passed away and I knew they were really close,鈥 he says.

鈥淎nd I catch her up with her every time I go to LA. She is one of the most divine, kooky humans ever and I can鈥檛 imagine going to the jungle without her. She鈥檚 my jungle pal.鈥

But when they both signed on the dotted line to join the first season鈥檚 cast, neither had any idea how successful the show would be.

鈥淲e were in the jungle starving going 鈥榩lease tell us someone is watching this to make it all worthwhile鈥. Thank God I did that,鈥 he says.

鈥淚t was a real risk but now the celebrities want to go on it cause it rates so well.鈥

While it might seem like Creasey has it made, living the high-rolling celebrity life – he says most nights are spent on his couch ordering off MenuLog and watching Downton Abbey.

鈥淧eople think I鈥檓 this wild party animal,鈥 he adds.

鈥淣o, if you don鈥檛 physically lay eyes on me at a club, there鈥檚 a fair chance I鈥檓 at home in bed.鈥

However, he does admit he took a secret 鈥榙ebauched鈥 party trip to Amsterdam in December, during which he met a Dutch boy and had a mad, passionate but brief affair.

鈥淭he trip was one of those things…. I was like I鈥檓 not posting any pictures from this trip,鈥 Creasey says.

鈥淚 went away with a few British mates and I had a wild four nights in Amsterdam. It was crazy.

鈥淚 was so upset and hungover after four days of partying I literally cried the entire flight home. The flight attendant was like 鈥榓re you ok?鈥 and I said 鈥榦h it鈥檚 just the movie making me cry鈥. Then they looked at the movie and it was like…. one of the Bourne films.鈥

Creasey came out to his parents at 16. But he describes it as 鈥渟uch a boring coming out鈥.

鈥淢y parents were like so cool. I was like, 鈥榗ome on, what am I supposed to tell Oprah? I鈥檓 supposed to run away for two weeks,鈥 he says.

鈥淚 think I always knew from a young age, I had a girlfriend for like a week in grade nine but then I dumped her via text on my Nokia 3315.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such a sign of the times, I was out in high school and everyone was cool with it. I think the teachers had more of a problem with it than the students. It鈥檚 not the younger generation who are homophobic, it鈥檚 the older generation which is heartening because they鈥檙e going to die before us.鈥

Growing up in Perth meant he experienced a bit of a culture shock when he came to the east coast and encountered the LGBTI community in Sydney and Melbourne.

鈥淚 used to go with my mate Danielle and we鈥檇 book in to see every musical in town. Then we鈥檇 go to Stonewall,鈥 he remembers.

He will return to Sydney for Mardi Gras, where he will co-host the SBS parade, and host a Mardi Gras Comedy Festival show with Rhys Nicholson.

鈥淕aymes Night is on the night before the parade – you don鈥檛 want to go out and have a big night,鈥 Creasey says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of a pre-parade lubrication.

鈥淚鈥檓 really pumped, Rhys and I have never done a show together. We like to call each other frenemies so it鈥檒l be really fun. He鈥檚 doing so well so I have to keep my eye on him.鈥

The live stream of the Mardi Gras parade will be available on Saturday March 4 from 7pm on SBS On Demand, and will air on SBS at 8.30pm Sunday March 5. Gaymes Night will be on February March 3 from 7.30pm at the York Theatre in Sydney. Tickets are $39.90.

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