White Male Stand-Up

by Alan Davies

Following Just Ignore Him, the bestselling memoir of his traumatic childhood, White Male Stand-Up is what happened next to Alan Davies.

It's the story of how he threw himself into the joyous and idealistic world of stand-up comedy, leading to a television career, but how echoes from the past, and the thought that everyone might prefer it if he disappeared, saw him repeatedly dismantle everything around him.

With a cast of well-known comedians, actors, agents and producers, Alan awkwardly navigates his life from the camaraderie of the comedy circuit via life-changing fame as TV's Jonathan Creek, to the unwelcome realisation that most people know him from a bank advert and think he's had a perm.

Written thoughtfully and with brutal honesty, it's a story of uplifting highs and painful lows, of success and excess, and the dangers of both. How Alan Davies survived it - and very nearly didn't - is the compelling story of White Male Stand Up.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Audiobook, Comedy, Biography, Humor

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2025

About the author

Alan Davies is an English stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He has played the title role in the BBC mystery drama series Jonathan Creek since 1997, and has been the only permanent panellist on the BBC panel show QI since 2003.

Reviews

[Zoe Badcock]

A good use of a structure between now - discovering bladder cancer - to weaving together his therapy and tales of life in the last approximately 40 years. It's a very sad story discovering how repressed abuse impacts behaviour and relationships.

[Nigeyb]

I was quite taken aback by Alan Davies’ previous memoir Just Ignore Him (2020) (review here), which detailed the years of sexual abuse he’d endured at the hands of his father, and some of the many resultant consequences

White Male Stand-Up (2025) continues Alan’s life story from leaving home to the present day and further explores how his abuse has affected his life.

The title acknowledges his success during an era dominated by a specific comedic archetype, and traces his journey through numerous late night gigs, green room politics, and the relentless machinery of touring. All interesting enough but this is at its most compelling when it explores the duality of comedy: how laughter can be both art and an armour against unresolved grief and trauma.

The shadows of his 2020 memoir inevitably informs this work, and by referring to therapy sessions, the self-destructive inner “angry boy” who regularly sabotages his friendships and career, a cancer diagnosis, heavy drinking, and the highs and lows of life, all results in another rich and brutally honest book.

Some of the career details may be a little too detailed and tedious but overall this is well worth a read and, like its predecessor, if it helps other abuse victims to tell their stories it’s going to have added value and significance.

One minor piece of trivia that blew my mind is just how much celebrities got paid for TV adverts and voice overs in the 80s and 90s. Hundreds of thousands of pounds for ludicrously short amounts of work. Needless to say Alan feels simultaneously a sell-out and unable to refuse such gargantuan sums of money.

4/5

[Stephen]

This book was funny in parts in the latest in his memoir series from Alan Davies. he also expands on his childhood too. overall felt the book was okay

[Mary]

Interesting and really quite sad, but not at all funny.

[Mikayla]

A brilliantly funny, honest and surprisingly moving look at Alan Davies’ life and career. Alongside the laughs, Davies opens up about the serious downs as well as the ups he’s experienced, both professionally and personally. It adds a real depth to the celebrity we think we know and makes this feel like much more than a typical celebrity memoir. Warm, self deprecating and full of great stories, White Male Stand Up feels like sitting down with a very funny friend who isn’t afraid to be honest. A fantastic read and an easy recommendation for fans of Alan Davies and comedy memoirs.

[Cleopatra Pullen]

Alan Davies delivers a powerful memoir that balances humour with heartbreak in White Male Stand-Up. This is the follow-up to Just Ignore Him which I have previously having listened to, have never forgotten. There is something even more moving as the narration is candid and compelling, drawing listeners into the chaotic, idealistic world of stand-up comedy while never shying away from the darker undercurrents of his personal life.

What makes this audiobook truly stand out is the way Alan Davies explores the long shadow cast by his father’s abuse. With insight and emotional clarity, he reflects on how those early experiences shaped his relationships and sense of self. This is such an important message, the trauma of his mother's death and the abuse can not be erased. It’s not just a story of survival this is the author coming to terms with the impact, told with wit, vulnerability, and a surprising tenderness.

I laughed and I cried, and I came away with a deeper respect for the resilience behind the performer. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates memoirs that don’t flinch from the truth.

[Gareth Johnstone]

Davies is honest and transparent in the second volume of autobiography. Interwoven with the story of his career and his showbusiness friends, is more about the parental sexual abuse he endured and, unknown to me, his experience of cancer and snippets of dialogue from years of therapy. The writing is straightforward, even conversational, and Davies has an authentic tone throughout.

[Justin Berry]

A further offering following on from his first book,which was also incredibly honest.

This was more of the same really, but as always filled with interesting stories and situations that Alan has found himself having to deal with.

Alan just has one of those voices that is so easy to listen to, and for me this meant the audio version bought the story to life and was well worth the listen.

[Rachael Howells]

An excellent follow along from 'Just Ignore Him'. Does a great job of referring back to the previous installment without just rehashing large portions of it. It is however, a little bit harder to empathise with someone who's problems become a bit more 'celebrity' based, which is the only reason I've given it one less star than the previous book. Still funny, still traumatising.

[Rachel]

Great memoir, deserves to be on the shelf with all the good ones not the ghost written love island ones. Especially good if you saw his most recent stand up, some cool parallels in structure, flow, and a few hints of stories told in one then expanded in the other.

[Ben Swanson]

Another incredibly honest book from one of my comedy heroes

[Vicki Duncan]

After reading Just Ignore Him, I knew this would be a must read. This memoir flits between Alan’s cancer diagnosis and his attempts to process and move on from the abuse suffered as a child at the hands of his father.

Alan doesn’t hold back at the effect this has had on him as adult. We see excessive drinking, anger and at times a very difficult man to deal with.

It’s also interesting seeing how Alan navigates his career, trying to pursue stand up along side acting and writing.

I audiobooked this which I would recommend!

[Deity World]

A good emotional read slightly preferred the first book but huge fan of Jonathon Creek

[Keith Oliver]

An interesting continuation of his story from the earlier book. True not full of laughs but strong on insight and his genuine personality. I enjoyed it and found it a real page turner. Read it at a time when I met Alan and saw how authentic he is.

[Thomas Row]

(Sorry long one)

Much like Just Ignore Him, Davies tows the line between laughs and a mixture of sadness/shame. Perhaps a laundry list of thoughts to write down and remember this book by:

- Throughout the book he does seem to list a lot of random comedian/actor names quite regularly? Like kinda name dropping? Being an Aussie reader, I found this difficult to stay interested in. But I'm am glad I persevered.

- I find it difficult to empathise with Davies' stories of acting out throughout his adult life, or what he calls when 'the angry boy' comes out, but perhaps that's the point? Some of his stories of getting into fights at the pub seem incredibly juvenile (obviously) and I sit here and think 'just pull your head in.' I think the more I read through it, the more the book challenged my perception of the choices and lives abuse victims make and have. Upon reflection, I'm grateful for Davies' honesty and recollections, regardless of how unrelatable they felt in the first instance (and maybe a little still but again perhaps my sheltered/privileged perspective to topics of abuse). Thoughts aside, similar to Just Ignore Him, it shows a tonne of courage to be that open/vulnerable.

- "The truth is out there" was a beautiful quote in the final chapters. It's giving 'the truth will set you free' and I really vibed with that.

Thanks Alan for sharing 🙏🙌

I would recommend to anyone.

[Sue]

Having read Alan's first memoir, Just Ignore Him, I was keen to see what else he had to say and I bought this after seeing him perform in Melbourne late in 2025. This memoir, along with the first, are probably the best I have ever read in the genre. Alan's unflinching honesty about his damaged past and what that has meant for the trajectory of his life is compelling. The reader is placed in the position of seeing what an asshole he has been to so many people, but also understanding how that situation eventuated. How Alan has survived is a testament to the people around him - his chosen "family" of fellow comedians (especially Jo Brand who probably saved his life by urging him to speak to a therapist) and his steadfast and remarkably tolerant partner, Katie.
I am filled with admiration for Alan and his resolute determination in the face of a terrible childhood trauma, to move forward and become the better man he always wanted to be.
I loved this and I urge you, the reader of this review, to read both.

[Felicity]

I had to buy this when I had discovered Alan Davies had written another book about his life. I have always been a fan of him since Jonathan Creek started but my respect for him increased after reading his last book "Just ignore him."

In this book, Davies oscillates between 2024 when he discovers he has bladder cancer and his earlier life starting from the late 1980s. It made me nostalgic for a time before mobile phones etc but also glad for the smoking ban!! I loved reading about his early gigs and some hilarious anecdotes but was also moved about the turmoil he was in. He really reflects on how abuse/trauma can effect you and how avoiding the issue only makes it worse over time. I really felt for him and it is amazing he became so successful. But of course fame isn't everything. I enjoyed reading about him meeting his wife and of course anecdotes from Jonathan Creek filming.

An excellent book capturing the 90s but quite intense at times. Still, I managed to race through it despite having a cold!

[Sarah O'Riordan | travelseatsreads]

I’d previously read & really enjoyed Alan’s first memoir, Just Ignore Him, but felt there was quite a lot left unsaid. So, I was very eager to read his follow up, White Male Stand-Up, in hope of filling in those gaps.

WMSU is another honest & more in depth look at Alan’s childhood, what happened to him & the lasting impact it has had on his life and his relationships. He quite often refers to the ‘The Angry Boy’ & gives readers an insight into the darker side of his personality that he has learned to live with & eventually control after many years in therapy.

This book also follows Alan as he faces into questioning his own mortality & longing for life after he receives his cancer diagnosis. Alan details his journey eloquently with plenty of moments that will give the reader moments for pause.

The only reason that I didn’t rate it 5 stars, was that there were times when I zoned out when he was name dropping fellow comedians and their anecdotes, but I know that will probably be a highlight for other readers with an interest in that scene and his earlier career.

White Male Stand-Up is a powerful & poignant memoir based on Alan’s many lived experiences, enriched with some well executed research. While it discusses many dark moments there is almost a feeling of lightness due to his candid humility & overflowing sense of humour. Overall, a very enjoyable and insightful read.

If you enjoyed this review come follow me on Instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more

[Graeme Williams]

White Male Stand-Up is a raw, sharply funny, and deeply affecting continuation of Alan Davies’ life story, picking up after the revelations of Just Ignore Him and tracing the complicated aftermath of success, survival, and self doubt. This memoir balances humor and heartbreak with remarkable control, showing how laughter can coexist with lingering trauma.

Davies offers an unvarnished look at the stand up comedy circuit, early ambition, and sudden fame, capturing both the exhilaration of public success and the private instinct to self sabotage. His reflections on belonging, impostor syndrome, and the fear of disappearance give the book emotional weight beyond celebrity memoir conventions. The comedy world is rendered vividly, populated with recognizable figures, but the narrative always circles back to the internal cost of performing onstage and off.

What makes White Male Stand Up so compelling is its honesty. Davies neither romanticizes his career nor shields himself from uncomfortable truths. The humor is sharp and self aware, but it is the vulnerability beneath the jokes that lingers. This is a memoir about success, excess, and endurance, and about how survival is rarely neat or triumphant.

Thoughtful, entertaining, and quietly devastating in places, White Male Stand Up will resonate with readers who appreciate memoirs that confront fame, mental health, and identity with wit and emotional precision.

[Rebecca Watts]

I'd just finished reading Davies' Just Ignore Him and wondered if he'd written anything else. Since I'm an American, and none of my local libraries had it, I chose to order a copy from a used book seller in the U.K. Hooray for used book sellers.

I found this book a little hard to read because of the gazillion names mentioned. Many I was familiar with and many I wasn't. And some I wondered if I'd recognize them if I saw their faces, so that resulted in me putting the bookmark in to look them up on the internet. It would have been nice if there'd been an index. I could have flipped to the back of the book to see how many times a person's name came up before I decided whether I felt the need to look them up. How many pages would it have required to give everyone named a 1X2 headshot? (Many, I'm thinking.)

There were some stories that I wished he'd gone into more deeply. Specifically, his time on Whites, which was probably the first that I'd been aware of his acting. The bit on this show got not quite two pages. I loved that show and was disappointed that there was only ever the one series. However, Alan Davies has had a long career by now, and varied as well. So, it was probably hard for him to choose what to go into more deeply.

Still a fan.

[Lizzie Sabin]

I really enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as I loved 'Just Ignore Him'. In 'White Male Stand-Up', my favourite parts were hearing about his recent medical journey (bladder cancer), the conversations between him and his therapist, and his investigations into how his childhood trauma has impacted his adult self. These parts are extremely poignant and display, as in 'Just Ignore Him', a stunning level of honesty.

I felt (I hate to say it, but it's true) mildly bored at some of his detailed explanations of his past work. But this isn't true of all his career history. I loved hearing his stories of early stand-up, his friendship with Jo Brand, and his filming of 'Bob and Rose' (which I might go as far as to buy a DVD of, as it's not easily available elsewhere).

[Mike Bromell]

I bought this book thinking it was going to be non stop laughs, how wrong I was. Whilst there were plenty of laughs and funny anecdotes, the book was raw, really raw about Alan and his upbringing. I was shocked and impressed at the information that poured onto the page, especially with how open and honest Alan is with the reader, so much so that a book that would normally take me about a week to read was read in 3 days. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the high points and the low points as well.

[Bobby]

A great follow up to Alan's first book, following his stand up and acting career through the 90's and 2000's. It was delightful to hear some of the backstories of well loved characters from The Tuesday Club Arsenal podcast and how they influenced Alan's life, eventually became brothers to him. Davies shows tender introspection, recounting times where his anger got the better of him and harmed those around him. He deserved credit for the work he's put in to recovering from the trauma of his childhood and to make sure his own children are given the best start they can get.

[A.M. Swink]

A poignant and quite brutally honest memoir where Alan doesn’t shy away from recounting his worst, most asinine moments. Some moments of levity abound, but the book is far more an emotional look at the notion of family and Alan’s quest to find one that he doesn’t destroy. His encounter with bladder cancer provides quite a compelling parallel story to his remembrances. I breezed through this read as I found it quite hard to put down!

[Mrs E]

After Just Ignore Him I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong.

At times I felt like I was just reading a list of other work colleagues and comedians at others I was getting a real insight into Alans struggles, then and now!

I did find it difficult to read to the end and almost abandond at the 3/4 mark because it just felt so same-y but persevered.

Not sure I would pick up another of his bios were he to write another, but then again.....

[GG]

a terribly sad story and an interesting look at the repercussions abuse has on both its victim and those around them. i applaud davies’ vulnerability here, and his resilience before and after he revealed his father’s abuse in his 50s.

this novel was (albeit understandably) less funny than i’d anticipated, but it was enjoyable hearing stories from the comedy scene, in particular jo brand’s wise counselling. i would like to read the precursor to this book, “just ignore him” too.

[Adam]

3.8 stars for this honest and wryly humorous biography. Having seen Alan in conversation at Hay Festival this year I thought I'd give this a go. It jumps around a bit and the name drops reach epic proportions so I gave up trying to remember who is who quite early on. It ends with a satisfying reference back to his old therapist, the death of his dad on a day that 'didn't exist' and the resolution of his feelings about his own family. A rewarding read.

[Joseph Tomkins]

Purchased after seeing Alan on his tour last year, it’s been sat waiting to be read for months and I’m glad I’ve finally gotten around to it. It’s a heartfelt, sometimes horribly honest look at some of the events of his life, but still manages to bring out his wonderful sense of humour even in the darker subject areas.

[Ann Baxter]

This is another excellent book from Alan Davies - his honesty in his previous books is admirable and I think hes praiseworthy for dealing with the harshest of situations. Worth reading and I hope he writes another

[Andrew Bradley]

Only know Alan from what you see on the telly, this was a intriguing insight into the man himself. I think he seems to be little hard on himself but I wish him all the best in his life. Funny in parts, sad in others, well wrote and definitely worth reading. Hope he does more