Balance January 2020 - 71

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series when the fella from Sky came
in and asked, "What about a second
series?" I was like, "But we don't know
if anyone likes it." Basically, we got the
go ahead for the second series and I
don't think there needs to be another
one after that. Sometimes it's nice to say,
"That's enough." I kind of like the way it
ends this time.

GETTING NEW
PEOPLE TO GIVE
SICK OF IT
A GO HAS BEEN
DIFFICULT

"A PART OF ME WANTS
SOMETHING TO HAVE AN
ARGUMENT ABOUT"
Karl Pilkington shot to fame via Ricky Gervais
and Stephen Merchant - now he's back with the second
series of his hit sitcom Sick Of It

WORDS James Gill

BALANCE: In Sick Of It the lead character interacts with
the voice inside his head. What inspired this superb idea?
Most telly is about relationships and loads of different people,
as if we all have lots of friends. But that isn't always the case.
A lot of people have to work stuff out on their own: "Is this
the right thing? Am I gonna p*ss people off?" People can
relate to that. Fundamentally, you've got to do what you want
to do - I could have quite easily kept on doing radio, travel
or podcasts. There comes a point, though, when you're done with
something. You've got to know when to say, "Enough is enough."
BALANCE: And it's all about the comfort zone?
It works because of what was going on in my head on those
journeys - I wasn't comfortable. You get used to it. There must
have been a point where Bear Grylls [on his own travels] went:
"I don't know about drinking my own p*ss..." Now he loves it!
BALANCE: What has been the biggest challenge for you?
Getting new people to give Sick Of It a go has been difficult. I

can't bullsh*t or sell it as something that
it's not. People don't give things much of
a chance these days. If they don't like a
programme in the first five minutes, they
go off and do something else, because
there are so many other things they could
be doing.

BALANCE: How did you feel when you
were asked to do the second series?
At the end of series one I remember
thinking, "That was hard. I don't want
to do any more." I always do that. I get
ready for people to slag it off and think,
"I'm not good enough. I shouldn't be
doing it." And then time passed and I
looked at it and went, "There's not much
I'd change." We were still editing the first

BALANCE: Are you enjoying having
a successful career?
Actually, a part of me sometimes wants
a bit of a slagging... something to have
an argument about, so I can fight my
corner and know that what I'm trying
to do is right. I don't do much on social
media, but I do have a Facebook page. I'll
sit on the toilet and have a quick read.
People can slag off something I've done
as long as I read it and go, "They've got
a point there." Some people say, "I love
everything you do." You can't!
BALANCE: Would you get back
together with Ricky and Stephen?
I just wonder if things have changed.
One of the things people liked was that
they were on the up; they'd just done
The Office. And there was me playing
the adverts. People liked that dynamic.
I'm not sure we could go back to it - I've
grown up. People would feel, "It's good
to know they're not dead, but it's ruined
what I liked about it." I don't think
everything can come back. You watch
Top Of The Pops on BBC Four and go, "It's
1988!" And then you go, "What a sh*t
year for music that was!" But at the time
it was good.
Sick Of It is on Sky One. We chatted
with Karl for the BALANCE podcast -
available everywhere you get podcasts
(and this episode is comedy gold)

71
Balance January 2020

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