Episode 118: Jonathan Rudge

Jonathan Rudge is a proudly born-and-bred Londoner, comedy writer, and stand-up comedian. After years working in the television industry, he hit the open mic scene in 2023 and quickly made a name for himself with his "relatable and gay-latable" material. He debuted his solo hour at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 and followed it up with a successful run at the Camden Fringe in 2025 with his show By Order of the Peaky Grindrs, which tackles gay dating culture, mental health, and outrageous breakup stories. He is also a contributor to the Evening Standard, where he writes about the realities of being a working comedian in the capital.

On this episode of Public Disservice (formerly known as Borderline Podcast Disorder), I'm joined by Jonathan.

We get into the grit of actually living in London. We compare notes on surviving the big city that raised him and why we haven't fled to the coast yet.

Jonathan also drops a bomb: after 19 years of working as a TV producer, he's quitting the "dream job" to pursue the "dream career" in comedy full time. We talk about the sheer terror and glory of walking away from a pay check to tell jokes to strangers in basements.

It's a raw chat about the nuances of life, the comedy grind, and why saying yes to things is the best way to live your life.

This Week's Guest

• Go follow Jonathan: @jonathangramin on Instagram and @JonathanTikTokin on TikTok.

My Stuff

• Follow me on everything: @comedylevy32 and checkout my website www.levylupu.com, if you wanna reach out to say hello or offer any feedback on the pod either message me or email me at [e-mail].

  
  

  Thanks and stay skilful.