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I'm Alex Brooker, probably the 10th most famous disabled person in the UK, ask me anything!
** Update ** Thanks for all your great questions, that's all the time we've got. You can carry on the conversation over on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alex_brooker/ and find out more about the Scope campaign: http://www.scope.org.uk/awkward
Hi, I'm a presenter and comedian from The Last Leg on Channel 4.
I was born with hand and arm disabilities, and I've also got a prosthetic leg. I first appeared on TV in 2012, and at the Paralympics Opening Ceremony I interviewed Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister in front of a TV audience of 11 million people.
Proof: https://twitter.com/alex_brooker/status/464361715069886464
I'm currently fronting a campaign by Scope using comedy to shine a light on the awkwardness that many people feel about disability, as over two-thirds of the British public admit that they feel uncomfortable talking to disabled people:
http://www.scope.org.uk/awkward http://metro.co.uk/2014/05/08/two-thirds-of-britons-are-uncomfortable-around-disabled-people-its-time-to-end-the-awkward-4720862/
Ask me anything!
AlexBrooker14 karma
He beat me as a child. Haha just kidding of course. My dad is called Gordon. Solid name.
johnnynoname1211 karma
do you secretly wish that the 9 disabled people in the UK who are more famous than you get bumped off?
AlexBrooker13 karma
Haha the 10th most famous disabled was an estimate. Certainly I'd put Adam Hills way ahead of me and I love that man so no way would I want him bumped off. I reckon Hawking is top, this could be a good debate!!!
AlexBrooker24 karma
I've had some pretty fruity questions on twitter since I been on TV. Err the weirdest I've had in public is someone who asked if my hand disabilities had come about from an animal attack or something. I'm there thinking "we live in Kent, what sort of animal would there be to do this. And given my hands are both similar, what animal would do one then go back and even the other up".
AlexBrooker20 karma
Nah he was bang on with me. It was my first big interview, I was crapping myself. We had a little chat before where I pretty much tried to say: "Look mate, this is my first interview. I'm gonna ask you three easy questions, you're gonna give me three lovely answers and we will both come out of this looking good."
Wizzer745 karma
What's the best or worst assumption someone has made about you based on the way that you look?
AlexBrooker10 karma
The best assumption is that Louis Walsh thought I was the lead singer from Mumford & Sons when I did Chatty Man. That was based on my face, I doubt he'd seen my hands at that point! The worst is when people assume I can't play FIFA on my PS4 because they think I can't hold the controller. It's an understandable assumption but I'm bang on and think I'm bloody good at it.
janderson12345 karma
Do you think attitudes towards disabled people have got better or worse in the last few years?
AlexBrooker9 karma
I think they're getting better to be honest. Obviously thats from my own personal experience, but I think they are. I think a lot of people saw the Paralympics and almost became de-sensitised to disability and saw what great things disabled can achieve in a sporting arena. But there's still a long way to go.
Rhinne5 karma
Hey Alex!
Thanks for stopping in to do this. I think the campaign is a fantastic idea.
My wife and I love watching The Last Leg.
Which of the crazy things you have done on The Last Leg did you enjoy the most and were most embarrassed by?
AlexBrooker11 karma
Thankyou mate.
I don't regret anything we've done on Last Leg. There have been a few dark moments. Sitting on top of a wrecking ball holding onto dear life while half-naked was a bit of a low. Kissing Josh Widdicombe another.
But the audience loved it so it was all worthwhile.
OJ895 karma
Did you find Davina annoying on 'The Jump' and at any point did you feel like just pushing her aside and going solo? Honest answer please.
AlexBrooker7 karma
Absolutely unequivocably not. That is my genuine honest answer.
I loved working with her and she was great with me right from the very first day. It's difficult to get a chemistry with someone new that you work with and I think we got on well and it showed.
I can't speak highly enough of her.
QuinRah4 karma
Have you had any awkward guests on your show? What's been the most awkward moment?
AlexBrooker10 karma
I couldn't possibly comment on that haha. My most awkward moment personally was when we had Jason Smyth, a visually impaired sprinter, on the show during the Paralympics. I was told that his impairement meant the flashbulbs put him off as he got near finish line. I asked him this and live on air he went: "I can't see them, I'm blind." I looked a massive tit and I've genuinely never seen Josh laugh as much as he did after the show.
AlexBrooker7 karma
Absolutely not!! Obviously I shouldn't judge someone on how they look but.................nah.
AlexBrooker7 karma
It's hard to give exact examples but I believe the humour has to come from a good place. I like to think on the Last Leg that our humour doesn't come from a place of trying to be nasty.
duw133 karma
Were you friends with Adam Hills and Josh Widdecombe before starting The Last Leg? If so, is that because every comedian on the bloody planet knows each other personally?
AlexBrooker9 karma
I'd met Adam a couple of times before the show but never met Josh before. It's just a sheer stroke of luck really that the three of us mix as well as we do. I must say that I count both of them as good friends now. I actually love the pair of them.
davoloid3 karma
When you were in school / college, what careers advice were you given and how did this square with what you wanted to do?
AlexBrooker5 karma
When I was at school I always wanted to be a football journalist. Pretty much right from the age of 11 I didn't think about being anything else. So the teachers told me to work hard at my English (obvious advice haha).
pdiddy1812 karma
You are probably a big hit with the ladies. Is there any awkwardness about your disability when you are being chatted up?
AlexBrooker13 karma
I wouldn't say I was a big hit haha. Who you been talking to?! But I've been lucky with awkwardness, most women aren't shallow. It's always a bit awkward when you get down to the mince and onions and you have to broach the subject of removing a limb though.
AlexBrooker2 karma
I wouldn't say I've met anyone awkward. There's obviously people who I wouldn't choose to hang around with in real life though. And no I'm not telling you who they are haha.
AlexBrooker9 karma
I was going to be a football reporter at the Paralympics and the producer of Last Leg, a guy called Pete Thomas, wanted me to do a couple of bits as a reporter on the show. I was never really meant to be on the show all the time but after the first one, a meeting was had and they decided to keep me on the sofa. The rest is history. But I always say I owe Pete my career.
yank_gooner2 karma
Should Arsene extend his contract? Also, favorite goal of the season besides Wilshere's worldy v Norwich?
AlexBrooker3 karma
I'm not a militant Arsene out man, but I think change is needed somewhere. There has to be a transfer strategy and I've not seen it for ages. Hopefully this summer there will be because we aren't too far off being proper title contenders. And we were unlucky with injuries this year.
olitheblog2 karma
Whats your next aim or big goal you've set yourself? Do you have any big TV projects coming up you can speak of?
AlexBrooker6 karma
I've got another series of Last Leg to come this year which I can't wait for and I also enjoy doing panel shows. I loved doing Celebrity Juice. That was huge for me. It's a show I watched before I did TV so to be on it myself was amazing.
I've got a couple of ideas I'm working on with production companies which are at the development stage. I'd love to do another documentary like my weight loss one I did last year. I feel like I need to do something else as well as Last Leg at the moment. Agree or not, I took the criticism I got for The Jump very personally. I've developed a thick skin since but I really wanted to do something that proves that those people were talking complete crap. I enjoy proving people wrong.
If you get a chance I encourage you all to look at the review of the Last Leg that was written by a guy on Sabotage Times after the Paralympics. It's incredible reading it now. Not every reviewer is necessarily right!
ck303blue1 karma
Was it fun filming these adverts? What was the most awkward thing that happened on the shoot?
AlexBrooker5 karma
It was fun. I've not really acted before so to do two days of pretty much just that was a big ask. It did my head in repeating the same lines over and over again. If there's a line that you think it's funny, by the time you've said it 25 times in four hours, you don't think it's funny anymore. But I understand why it works that way and I love the adverts.
Look_Alive1 karma
How did you get the job at the Paralympics? If you don't mind me saying, I'd never even heard of you before that, so would you call that your big break?
Alongside this, do you feel attitudes to disabilities have changed since the Paralympics?
AlexBrooker2 karma
I was employed by C4 to be a reporter mainly. I auditioned in 2010 when I saw their advert looking for disabled on-screen talent. But absolutely it was my big break at London 2012. I never could've dreamed I would have done the things I have in the last two years. I'm extremely lucky.
I think they have and I think they're getting better. I hope shows like Last Leg help that.
janderson12341 karma
You're a football fan (well, an Arsenal supporter!) A recent report said many Premier League stadiums are inaccessible for disabled people. Why do you think this is, and what can they do to change this?
AlexBrooker1 karma
Arsenal's ground is amazing because it's new so there's great disabled access. I think that with a lot of older grounds it's difficult with infrastructure but I think we're way ahead of most of europe.
nick901 karma
How long do you think you'll cry for if Arsenal managed to fuck up the FA Cup final and go a ninth season without a trophy?
AlexBrooker2 karma
I don't think I will cry but I will be massively pissed off. Ironically enough I just got my cup final tickets confirmed today. I can't wait!!
philwright411 karma
Did you ever fear your disabilities would get in the way of your journalism dreams?
AlexBrooker1 karma
Not really. I was worried the fact I had no interest in sports other than football would. And I was proved right in many ways.
ochaudhuri-1 karma
Have your parents or friends ever felt awkwardness when asked about you/introducing you?
AlexBrooker4 karma
I hope not! My parents have always been great and honest with me and other people. They're the reason I am as comfortable as I am. The same for my other family and friends. I'm very lucky.
The one that does my head in now though is when my mate goes up to women and goes "this is my mate off the TV". And if they recognise me I look arrogant and if they don't I look a tit. Either way it's not good!
jennifersaurus14 karma
What is it like having Charlie Brooker as a dad?
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