Commonwealth Games champion Jack Hunter-Spivey is finding the funny in everything these days.

The para table tennis athlete turned professional comedian has always had a knack for comedy, referencing his Scouse upbringing and brother Chris as clear points of entry.

But Hunter-Spivey, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, is now urging comedians to respect the line between what's comedy and what's offensive when it comes to disability.

"For me, the be all and end all of a joke is, is it funny and can I relate to it," he said.

"I might be able to get away with jokes about disability but I wouldn't joke about a disability I don't have because I don't know what that's like.

"You find a lot of comedians making cheap jokes about disabilities they don't have and I think it's just not my remit to do that.

"There's a fine line between offensive and funny. You can be self-deprecating about yourself sure but comedy is very subjective in the end of the day.

"I think some comics for go shock value rather than making it funny."

Hunter-Spivey took his first comedy gig after winning bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, searching for the thrill of performing outside of sport.

In his eyes, the art of comedy is all about quick thinking and placing your jokes in context to guarantee a laugh, something he does when joking about his own experiences.

"I was very conscious when I started out that I didn't want to be a comedian that only joked about disability," he said. "I want a range of content, of course.

"But a massive part of my life is that I'm disabled and in a wheelchair so I find the comedy in that as well.


"My audiences don't get offended when I talk about disability but they can be shocked that I'm joking about it.

"Sometimes they feel like they can't laugh so as a comedian I need to address that.

"It's about reading the audience and if one joke hasn't landed well, you change your next joke or do some crowd work.

"You don't see many comedians in wheelchairs so often when I go on stage you can feel a difference in the audience so I usually just make a small joke to break the tension.

"That first laugh is just vital in comedy."

Hunter-Spivey beat Nigeria's Nasiru Sule 3-1 to clinch gold in Birmingham but joked that the highs of golden glory fell a little too quickly after a gig just a couple of weeks later.


He said: "I remember winning the Commonwealth Games and two weeks later I was gigging in a pub in Sheffield in front of seven people and dying on my arse.

"Comedy definitely keeps me grounded and humble."

But navigating the difficult world of comedy is what lifts Hunter-Spivey out of the dark times and helps him connect with others.

So much so, the table tennis player now hopes to show others that a little bit of laughter is always the best medicine.

"Comedy is synonymous with everybody in the whole world, no matter your background everyone like to laugh and feels good when you do," he said.

"I've had some really dark times in my life in which comedy helped me and hopefully one day I can be that comedian someone can turn to in dark times.

"Laughter is infectious and I love the feeling of making someone's day through a joke.

"It's changed my outlook on the world. I'm always thinking about things in a funny way to see whether I could use it on stage.

"I'm not thinking 'I can't walk today', or 'I can't do this', instead I'm finding different ways to put a spin on it and that's been great mentally for me."