In Conversation with Max Fosh on wacky ideas and viral videos

By Sofia Webster, Co-Deputy Editor

Max Fosh is an ideas man who always follows through. From writing ‘Welcome to Luton’ for passengers as they landed at Gatwick Airport to cooking a meal in an active volcano, Fosh is like a medieval jester with a camera Epigram recently spoke with the comedian ahead of his 'Loophole' show in the Bristol Hippodrome to find out more about what goes on in his weird, wonderful mind.

Fosh is most widely known for his Street Smart interview series, where a video of him mistaking a pomegranate for a grapefruit went viral. Since then, Fosh has grown a global audience of over 4 million YouTube subscribers.

Fosh is no stranger to performing in Bristol, having previously done so on his ‘Zocial Butterfly’ Tour (2022), stopping at the Hen & Chicken in Southville as one of the performances. Some of Fosh’s most popular content involves pulling off the most wacky and creative stunts, often involving working out a kind of loophole. Max speaks of how this new tour originated from an idea he had 6 months ago which was a loophole bigger than anything he has ever done before. This concept was ultimately turned into an international tour – the largest of his career thus far.

Despite our conversation about his upcoming tour, it would truly be a wasted opportunity without mentioning his timeless ‘I don’t know my fruits’ video, which has garnered millions of views on TikTok and counting. Speaking on his viral video success, Fosh shared that it came about on a night where he and his producer were not having much luck finding people that wanted to be filmed, by chance he saw Eleanor, a sister of a friend of his, who agreed to be a part of the video and the rest is history.

A few months later, TikTok arranged for them to reunite for another video, giving them an opportunity to reflect on their brush with virality. We joked about a false conspiracy theory claiming they had dated, but he was insistent this wasn’t true.

Max Fosh is an example of a comedian that has crafted an immensely successful career with the help of the Internet to make world-class video comedic content, that has coincidently reached viewers and fans from all over the world.

Some of his wackiest ideas, namely cooking a frozen chicken korma in an active volcano in Iceland, have also been some of his favourites. Executing this idea took years to do but would have made the reward of it being achieved so much sweeter.

“Right now is the best time to make content since you have access to the world in your pocket”

Speaking of any advice he had for those aspiring to follow his footsteps, Fosh stressed that “right now is the best time to make content since you have access to the world in your pocket.” Fosh’s niche was not something he had intricately planned, “it is a challenge, finding out what works.” The process of developing an online niche means giving the audience so much power. It is therefore a journey of figuring out what works best for you and your audience and evolving with that, and that ultimately for any aspiring comedians, the best time to start is right now.

Street Smart was a series Fosh started during his final year at Newcastle University. The series has played an enormous role in building a loyal fanbase at such a young age and essentially acting as a catalyst that made Max widely known to the online community.

Adapting from a career focused on video content to additionally performing live on stage will undoubtedly come with challenges, as it involves adapting to a different medium and means “there is no hiding, you are always receiving immediate feedback from your audience”.

Chatting with Max about his new tour, he radiated confidence and excitement about what this new tour could unlock for him moving forward. His effortless charm and quirky comedic style make him one to watch as he climbs to new heights - starting with his Loophole tour this autumn.

Images courtesy of Matt Crockett

Max Fosh arrives at the Bristol Hippodrome for his highly anticipated new tour Loophole on Sunday 22 September, you can buy tickets here.