Transcript

Paul Chowdhury (0:00)

You made it with. You made it with. You made it with.

Pete Holmes (0:04)

Oh yeah, you made it with.

Paul Chowdhury (0:08)

Yes you did.

Pete Holmes (0:12)

You made it weird with Pete Holmes. What's happening, weirdos? This is Paul Chowdhury who I had the pleasure of spending about an hour and a half, two hours. It was awesome. It was such a privilege. He's so funny. Charming. I'll say charming. Well dressed and he's a sensation. You, you, you need to check him out. Paul Chowdhury. C H O W d h r y.com if you're not familiar, you can find all four of his specials there, you can find his tour dates there and you're about to spend a good amount of time laughing with me and Paul. So I'm so glad you are here. He is British. We cover a lot of British stuff. It's a lot of fun. I have a couple things to plug up top as well. My new special silly silly fun boy is going to be available on YouTube. It's a website on March 24th YouTube.com you can also pre watch it. If you don't want to wait until March 24th, you can go to 800 pound gorilla's website and pay. I think you choose what you want to pay and then you can watch it ahead of time. Like Radiohead radio, remember in rainbows style where you name your price. A lot of people compare me to radiohead but 800 pound gorilla, their website has it. Or you can wait until March 24th and watch it on YouTube.com also. My children's book spells to cast on your parents, which I'm really, really proud of. My daughter loves it, I made it for her and she, I would read her this like mock up of the book and we loved it so much we, we made a real one. It spells. So the kids are encouraged to read like it's kind of sleeper teaching them to read, but it's also just like encouraging the parents and the kids to have like a very silly, fun, goofy, playful time where the kid is in charge. But within reason because I'm a parent too, it's not like I want to do anything too nuts, but I want the kid laughing and that's. And I'm very proud of it. So it's called spells to cast on your parents pre orders they tell me really help. So if you're thinking you might get it when it comes out in a couple months, few months, order it now. It would really help me out on whatever, whatever shopping website you use. I don't know, I use a lot of ones A lot of different ones, but spells to cast on your parents and petehomes.com for all my tour dates. I'm not even gonna list them, so all my tour dates, they're all on there. This hour is great. That's too much of an intro. This is too much intro for me. So glad you're here. Paul Choudhary. Get into it. You Made It Weird is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you out when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.

Summary

You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes — Paul Chowdhry (March 18, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this fast-paced, laughter-filled episode, Pete Holmes welcomes acclaimed British stand-up comedian Paul Chowdhry for a riff-heavy, cross-cultural chat. The two delve into comedy’s weirdness, British versus American styles, performing in massive venues, cancel culture, language quirks, and more, peppered with inside-baseball comedy anecdotes and playful roast-style banter. Whether they’re exchanging stories about colonoscopies, the realities of touring, or riffing on UK vs. US slang, the rapport is warm and sharp-witted. Both grapple with boundaries in comedy today and offer sincere, funny reflections on what it means to be an international performer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Getting Comfortable

[04:00]

Paul is surprised to learn the recording has already started, appreciating the casual, organic vibe.
Pete and Paul riff about podcast logistics, pranks, and in-studio habits.
Pete: “I like the way you move the pillows. It tells.”
Discussion of phone etiquette, referencing Jaleel White (“Family Matters”).

2. Age, Presence, Heritage, and British-American Differences

[06:28]

Paul reveals he’s 51 and jokes about “bruv” slang, British aging, and compliments Pete’s youthful look.
They share playful banter about being tall in the UK, vegetarianism/veganism, and cultural expectations.
“Brown doesn’t frown” — a failed attempt at coining a version of ‘Black don’t crack’.
Pete: “You’re like a paperweight because you’re a man of confidence.”

3. On Faith, Upbringing, and Sikh Roots

[10:42]

Discussion of religious backgrounds, with Paul noting he was born into a Sikh family but that “nobody’s born a religion.”
Playful misunderstandings about Sikh symbols (knife vs. sword).
Transition into London’s “knife crime epidemic” [12:12], discussing UK’s lack of guns resulting in knife-related crimes, "shank you up, bruv,” and criminal lingo.

4. Words, Slang & Cross-Cultural Comedy

[15:01]

Exploration of UK/US slang: “queue” vs. “line,” “council estate” vs. “projects,” “crisps” vs. “chips,” etc.
Discussion on navigating idioms, especially for international touring.
Pete shares that certain British-isms are fine in LA; audiences enjoy “queue,” “torch,” “lorry,” etc., but warns about more obscure references.

5. Comedy Industry Backstage: Bookings, Headliner Customs, Diversity

[22:34]

Paul recounts performing at LA clubs in the 2000s, the open mic system, “Chocolate Sundays,” and how comics were categorized by clubs (“can’t have two women…”).
Pete observes: “Comedy clubs are like show business at the time of Sherlock Holmes… somehow 1902” [22:55].
They discuss the tradition of British headliners performing first and American multi-opener lineups.
Paul: “I’ll go first, have an intermission, and then I’ll go next. There’s nobody else there. It’s just me. Two hours.” [25:11]

6. British Comedy: Teeth, Class, and National Attitudes

[28:06]

Myth of British “bad teeth” explored humorously, tying in The Beatles and pop culture stereotypes.
“Once you have a certain amount of money, you’re not British. You’re rich.” [29:27]

7. Making Puns and Niche References Work

[30:24]

Discussion of British fondness for puns vs. American aversion (“Americans want to seem smart — a pun is for everybody.”)
Paul notes: “Black crowds, they don’t like puns. They like Big Pun.” [31:40]

8. Cancel Culture, Scandal, and Comedy Careers

[42:00 & beyond]

They riff on comedians who are “canceled” and yet perform in massive venues.
Pete: “I’ll be in a town happy to sell 350 seats, then drive past the international palace of superstardomanity… someone scandalizing and still grooming, and they’ll be in a 22,000 seat theater.” [43:41]
Discussion on etiquette of removing episodes with controversial guests.

9. Large Venue Stand-Up — Glamor vs. Quality

[74:07]

Honest talk about playing to thousands (“10,000 people... not very good though, is it?”)
Paul: “You say something and a couple seconds later it hits the back of the room and the laugh comes back to you.”
Both agree arenas dilute the intimacy and connection of stand-up.

10. Social Boundaries, Slurs, and Working Across Cultures

[67:41]

Discussion of slurs specific to UK and US, racial and ethnic sensitivities, and reclaiming derogatory language.
Pete and Paul explore how some slurs don’t cross the Atlantic, and the different dynamics of multicultural comedy audiences.

11. Royal Family, Colonialism, and UK Social Structure

[92:06]

Jokes about the royal family, “The Crown,” colonization, class system, and the British legacy.
Paul offers a pointed joke about “council house” family murder: “Do you know what the show’s called? The Crown.” [92:50]
Conversation on post-colonial tensions, partition, and inherited British-Indian identity.

12. Advice on Touring and Final Reflections

[97:09]

Pete asks Paul for advice on performing in London.
Paul: “You have to be rougher with them… show them you don’t give a fuck. Somebody’s gonna yell, ‘Oi! Your shit, mate!’” [99:01]
Cultural translation: “Holiday” vs. “vacation,” “fanny pack” vs. “minge,” and words that have vastly different meanings in US/UK English.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Comedy and Touring

Pete: “Standup is this wonderful attunement between the audience and the performer.” [76:46]
Paul: “If it’s funny, it’s money.” [48:01]
Pete: “Once you have a certain amount of money, you’re not British anymore. You’re rich.” [29:29]

On Cancel Culture

Pete: “No one was cancelled. That’s not entirely true. Some were.” [96:29]
Paul: “[Cancellation is] very good for your career.” [42:08]

On Cross-Cultural Success

Pete: “You don’t realize how much of a star you are in England.” [18:21]
Paul: “I’d become your promoter. I’ll take 35%.”

Riffing on Language & Slang

Pete: “What are you sneaking, a landline?” — on phone bits in stand-up. [05:00]
Paul: “Brown doesn’t frown. That’s the closest I could get.” [09:02]
On “queue”: “If I said, ‘Form a queue,’ everybody would know.” [20:11]
Cockney rhyming slang: Pete riffs on “Britney Spears” = beers, “Pete Holmes” = go home.

Reflecting on Britishness & Class

Pete: “Holmes is an English name that means owned a home. That’s how cool it was to own a home.” [71:48]
Paul: “We have middle classes. How quaint.” [101:50]

Jokes About Notoriety and Scandal

Pete: “What a scam if I made you do the podcast first and then got you arrested.” [96:43]
Paul: “If you say cunt, just know you just dropped Thor’s hammer.” [67:05]
On Michael Jackson: Pete: “Michael Jackson’s pronouns were he, he.” [50:24]

Timestamps for Key Segments

Starting the show, riffs on podcasting — [04:00]
Age, presence, British slanguage — [06:28]
Faith and Sikh upbringing — [10:42]
Knife crime and London gangs — [12:12]
British vs. American comedy, club systems — [22:34]
Large venue vs. intimate standup — [74:07]
Cancel culture, scandal, comedians — [42:00], [43:41]
Class, the Royal family, colonialism — [92:06]
Advice for American comics in the UK — [97:09]
End riff, language quirks (“holiday,” “fanny pack,” “minge”) — [99:47]

Memorable Closing Exchange

Pete: “We have the guests say ‘keep it crispy’ to end. It’s not a trap.”
Paul (in American accent): “Keep it crispy.”
“You’ve got big dick energy.” [105:34]

Tone & Style

The tone is irreverent, witty, and conversationally intimate, with both comics riffing freely and satirizing themselves and their respective cultures.
Paul is dry and understated; Pete is playful and enthusiastic. They blend sincere insider talk about comedy with plenty of meta-commentary about riffing, cancel culture, and the changing landscape of comedy across the Atlantic.

Takeaways for New Listeners

Expect quick back-and-forth, constant riffing on words, culture, and self-awareness about comedy’s limits and potential.
The episode is both a comedic diagnostics session on cross-cultural performance and a masterclass in how to stay funny while talking about what’s “cancelable”—with humility, openness, and heaps of mutual respect.
Beneath the laughs are genuine reflections on what makes stand-up endure, even as the world (and its language) shifts beneath comedians’ feet.

If you love comedy shop talk, British/American contrasts, and meta-riffing about life on stage, this is a must-listen episode.