Comedian Tom Allen on his “normal” upbringing and how he felt during his recent brush with royalty
JULIE ANNE TRAINOR
Mischievous Tom Allen went down a treat when he appeared with Jo Brand on Bake Off’s Extra Sliceuntil 2022.
Now he’s entertaining viewers with his hilarious quips on The Apprentice’s comedy companion show, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, in which he interviews fired candidates after they make their boardroom exit.
Tom, 40, who lives with his partner, actor Alfie Garston, tells new about his memorable encounter with the Prince and Princess of Wales at December’s Royal Variety Performance and proudly says that Prince William “wiped away a tear” at his joke.
The well-spoken comic, who is from Bromley, also reveals that his posh accent is not the result of his down-to-earth upbringing, and that taking part in The Apprentice is harder than it looks on the small screen.
Tom, we’re loving you on The Apprentice: You’re Fired. Would you consider doing the celebrity version in America?
Oh, I’d love to. I think it’s one of those things that from the outside always looks so easy, but when you’re actually doing it, you could easily fall apart. It’s very intense, but I’d love to do it. I always have this thing where I’m sure I’d be launching Lord Sugar’s favourite idea and he’d really like it. But I think in truth, if I got it a bit wrong, he’d be quite keen to let me know!
What would your business be?
Oh, probably wigs.
Why wigs, Tom?
I don’t know. I just think I’m the man to lead that.
You’re very well spoken, but is it true that you didn’t have a privileged upbringing?
Oh yes. My parents are both from south London. My dad was a coach driver, so they have this son who has a posh voice and they don’t know where he got it from. I don’t know, I was just obviously grand. I had grand aspirations and thought I could do it.
So you didn’t attend a private school?
No, I went to a comprehensive. Do I seem as posh as that? I am just very normal actually, and I went to the same school as [fellow comedian] Rob Beckett.
I think Rob probably had a posher upbringing than I did.
What did you do when you left school?
I went to work. I didn’t go to university or anything. I knew I wanted to work in showbusiness, but I didn’t know how I’d do it, so I just found my way really.
Where did you work when you left school?
I worked anywhere I could, really. I worked at various places like bars and restaurants and temped at offic
