Rosie Jones made an outstanding Edinburgh Fringe debut last year with Fifteen Minutes, a beautifully crafted and hilarious show about her cerebral palsy which she brings to London this month. Aged 28, she has also been single for 28 years, and fellow queer comedian Anneka Harry is bored of waiting for someone to cotton on to Rosie’s awesomeness. Desperate to get her a girlfriend and fast running out of ideas, Anneka has decided they need to do something drastic. Date My Mate is that something. What better way to date than in podcast form and with your BFF at your side? Sam Bennett got in touch with the pair to find out more.
Rosie, Fifteen Minutes was one of the best shows I saw at Fringe 2018. In it you describe yourself as so gay you want to kill Ryan Gosling – would you be good enough to explain this statement?
RJ: Oh thank you, you are very kind. Well, I have a major crush on Eva Mendes, so much so that I fantasise about killing her husband, Ryan Gosling. She’s spectacular, isn’t she?
You’re 28, and you’ve been single for 28 years – why do you think that is?
RJ: My personality? I don’t know, to be honest with you. I do think it’s difficult to find somebody when you’re a comedian. I’m never in the same place for too long, so it’s hard to meet a girl. But I’m ready, and on a mission to find somebody.
Anneka, you’re going to try and find Rosie a date via the Acast podcast Date My Mate – how is it going to work?
AH: Over ten episodes, I am going to introduce Rosie to ten different women and play the third wheel/support for her on all the dates. The hope is that, as her BFF, I can keep Rosie in check and help her negotiate all the awkward silences and any cringe moments. For me, it’s win-win because I get to find my friend a girlfriend and eat three-course dinners.
What kind of girl would you like Rosie to find?
AH: With Rosie’s wishlist comprising women like Eva, Cate Blanchett, Jodie Comer and Gillian Anderson, she’s really not made things easy for me. If I don’t manage to twist any of their arms, I hope I can find someone funny, first and foremost. You need a decent sense of humour to date a comedian anyway, but Rosie’s comedy is next level.
Rosie, who are you hoping for?
RJ: A cracking sense of humour is a big must, and I need someone who can keep me on my feet, and can keep up with my crazy lifestyle. But if I’m being honest, I’m just hoping to meet somebody with a good heart who doesn’t take life too seriously, like me.
What kind of person do you really not want to walk through the door?
RJ: A man. Apart from that, I don’t have any ‘no-goes’. I get judged a lot before people get to know me, so I make sure I don’t judge anyone until I get to know them.
Anneka, are you looking to date anybody at the moment?
AH: I’d probably need to run that past my fiancée first. (Ohhh yeeeah, that’s right, I dropped the F-bomb.) I’ve been with my partner for eight years but we still try to organise our own regular date nights to ensure the romance doesn’t end up on a life support machine. And it’s always nice to have a change of scene – why stare at our phones in silence together on our sofa when we could do it in public?
What’s your ideal Valentine’s Day?
RJ: I’d say I’ve got a pretty good Valentine’s Day planned this year. I’m performing my hour show at Soho Theatre (am I plugging my show as well as my podcast? Yes, yes I am). Making a roomful of people listen to me all evening sounds pretty romantic to me, no? But seriously, you can’t beat a load of food and a snuggle on the sofa, can you? Shut out the February cold.
AH: It’s like Christmas, isn’t it? We know there’s no need to go nuts but too many of us get sucked in. Money might not buy love but if my partner hasn’t booked a champagne-soaked, luxury superyacht tour around the Caribbean this year, I’m going to kick off.
I’ve been single for well over a year – what should someone like me do on Valentine’s Day to feel a bit more chipper?
RJ: Come and see me at Soho Theatre. I’ll play live Tinder and find you a partner right then and there.
AH: If you’re happily single, I’d suggest celebrating it with wine. If you’re unhappily single, I’d suggest celebrating it with wine.
Would you like to date Rosie? Email datemymatepod@gmail.com with a photo and a few words about yourself.
@DateMyMatePod
Rosie Jones: Fifteen Minutes plays Soho Theatre 14-16 February.
