Irish comedian Joanne McNally finds herself regularly immersed in deep conversations with complete strangers through her social media direct messages, often catching herself mid-chat. "I will be in my DMs chatting away . . . and then I remember: 'Joanne, you don't know these people!'" she reveals with laughter. "And I'm like: 'He did what?! And then what happened? What a prick!' We're having a proper dialogue like you would with your mates. Sometimes I have to remind myself I should probably have more boundaries. But I love chatting to them."
The Podcast Phenomenon
This openness to connection explains why McNally's private messages overflow with strangers sharing their most personal stories. As co-host of the massively successful podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, McNally's effortless banter with best friend Vogue Williams creates an intimate atmosphere where listeners feel included in their fast-paced discussions about dating, relationships, drinking culture, mental health, and occasional celebrity gossip.
"We're so in sync with each other," McNally explains. "With the podcast I used to be so nervous going in because I treated each episode like a little stand-up gig that I would be writing jokes for. Now we've found our groove with each other way more."
Two Perspectives, One Dynamic
McNally believes their contrasting life experiences contribute significantly to the podcast's appeal. "We represent two female experiences, and there is way more than just two, but she is married with kids and I am single with no kids. I'm a bit chaotic and lose three iPhones a year. She's very organised and vacuum packs her clothes. So we bang off each other, there is a bit of a yin and yang there."
Since its 2021 launch, McNally and Williams' podcast has cultivated a devoted following of nearly three million monthly listeners while accumulating multiple awards. The show has propelled McNally to become one of Ireland's most successful comedy exports internationally. She regularly sells out arenas across the UK and Ireland while maintaining an active international touring schedule.
Irish Reluctance and Global Success
Despite this impressive trajectory, McNally remains characteristically reluctant to discuss her achievements. "It's this very Irish thing, I can't! You can't talk yourself up too much," she deflects when questioned about her stand-up success. "It's literally not in my nature. It makes me want to gag."
McNally spoke from her UK home via Zoom, cigarette in one hand and gin and tonic in the other—a fittingly authentic presentation. The conversation focused on her upcoming Australian stand-up comedy tour, a regular destination that continues to draw her back across the globe.
The Irish-Australian Connection
McNally acknowledges that her audiences worldwide share a particular characteristic. "I'm very lucky that the Irish travel so well and so far, that it means that I get to travel for my job," she observes. "I don't know if anyone travels like the Irish people, to be honest. There's so many of us, we're very enthusiastic, and we support each other massively. But I do think there is a similarity in the Australian and the Irish sense of humour. It's the same. We kind of get it from the same wavelength."
New Material and Evolving Perspectives
McNally's new show, titled Pinotfile, will explore life, love, and singlehood in her forties. "The last tour was about being single and having no kids. I assumed that when I wrote a new show, I would be married. So I was like, 'I have nothing to say!'" she jokes. "But, of course, you always have something to say in the end if you just think about it hard enough."
"I'm in my 40s now. I'm living alone. I'm basically a product of my generation, because there are more and more single women than ever before, and it feels like that's the trend. I feel like marriage and kids is gonna be like a tramp stamp. People are saying, 'We understand why you got it originally, but when will you get it removed?'"
Australian Evolution
One significant benefit of regular Australian touring involves experiencing different aspects of the country compared to her twenties, when she visited on a working holiday visa and worked in a call centre. While McNally appreciates the Irish expatriates who fill her shows, she hopes developing a local Australian audience will provide ongoing reasons to return.
"I'm slowly building up an audience in Australia, which is great to see, because it means I can keep doing this. Especially when you travel far . . . you get such a warm welcome when you walk out because you've basically taken a long-haul flight. They're like, 'Cheers! Sound.' You don't get that in Dublin."
Joanne McNally's Pinotfile show will appear at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco on April 22 and 23, offering Australian audiences another opportunity to experience her unique blend of Irish humour and personal storytelling.
