🎙️ Welcome to another episode of The Comedian's Paradise!

In this episode, we sit down with Barcelona-based stand-up comedian Mariah Girouard to look behind the scenes of her fearless Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, 'Trauma Made Me Hot'.

Mariah shares her fascinating journey of moving from Massachusetts to Spain, and how she managed to turn an incredibly dark, real-life survival story—a true crime tale of a man who tried to kill her—into a hilarious, tightly crafted comedy show. We dive into the fine line between true comedic structure and "trauma dumping", the differences between quick-fire American jokes and vulnerable British storytelling, and why shows like 'Fleabag' handle tragedy so perfectly.

✨ Watch/listen now to explore how a comedian transforms real-life horror into award-worthy stage material.

If you would like to know more on Mariah, you can go on her Linktree at https://linktr.ee/mariahbgirouard. You can follow this podcast on Youtube at https://bit.ly/41LWDAq, Spotify at https://spoti.fi/3oLrmyU,Apple podcasts at https://apple.co/3LEkr3E and you can support the pod on:https://www.patreon.com/thecomediansparadise.

In this episode, we talk to West Yorkshire comic Liam Tully, who recently made headlines in Edinburgh Live after joking that playing to an empty room for four days in a row "must be a record". Liam opens up about the brutal reality of the festival circuit, what happens when nobody turns up to your venue at the Rotunda Theatre, and how a single self-deprecating TikTok video flipped his fortune overnight.

In a hilarious twist of fate, Liam's empty-room dilemma perfectly mirrored the exact theme of his 2026 Fringe show, "Adult-ish"—a stand-up hour exploring what happens when life's expectations don't quite match up with reality.From dealing with fierce internet trolls (including a memorable run-in with a user calling themselves "Scottish Beyonce") to being secretly photographed by critics in the pub, Liam shares a bittersweet, unfiltered look at surviving a month on stage. We delve into the strange psychology of online antagonism, the overwhelming solidarity found within the comedy community, and the heartwarming moment a fan from Germany came seeking life advice after a show.

Yash Bhardwaj is an Indian stand-up comedian, actor, and producer who was based in the UAE before returning to India following a high-profile detention. Here is an overview of what we discussed:

[[04:25]] Live Audience Interaction: Fans Join the Podcast [[05:42]]

[[05:42]] The Dubai Arrest: How It All Began [[06:30]]

[[08:20]] The Viral Instagram Reel That Sparked a National Security Threat [[10:26]]

[[10:26]] Confrontation: When the Dubai Police Called [[12:00]]

[[14:42]] Debunking Prison Myths and Unspoken Rules [[17:43]]

[[17:43]] Psychological Survival: Keeping Your Cool Behind Bars [[21:00]]

[[21:00]] The Grim Reality: Who the Real Enemies Are in a Dubai Prison [[24:41]]

[[24:41]] Prison Survival Test: Would Tony Robbins or Jay Shetty Last? [[27:07]]

[[27:07]] Freedom in Sight: My Final Moments in Detention [[29:00]]

[[29:00]] Mentorship Inside: Training New Detainees to Cope [[35:00]]

[[36:33]] Crowd Work Consequences: Roasting a Teenager and the School's Complaint [[39:00]]

[[40:55]] Making Friends in Prison: Why I Don't Keep in Touch with Them [[44:40]]

If you would like to know more on Yash, you can go on his website at https://yashbcomedy.com/ or you can follow him on Tiktok or Instagram at yash_hour.

You can follow this podcast on Youtube at https://bit.ly/41LWDAq, Spotify at https://spoti.fi/3oLrmyU,Apple podcasts at https://apple.co/3LEkr3E and you can support the pod on:https://www.patreon.com/thecomediansparadise.