Weekend with Guz Khan: ‘I’ll take the hit on life if I can have fun with food’
The comedian on staying up late with his kids, his favourite chicken shop, and the final season of Man Like Mobeen
Guz Khan, 39, is a comedian and actor from Coventry. Khan worked as a secondary school teacher until he began uploading comedy videos to Facebook in 2014. That same year, he had his first stand-up gig at the Birmingham Rep theatre.
Khan is the star and creator of the Bafta-nominated BBC series Man Like Mobeen, a comedy drama about a reformed drug dealer from Small Heath, Birmingham, trying to raise his younger sister and steer clear of trouble. The fifth and final season was released in May.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What does a Saturday morning look like in your house?
Saturday morning depends on how late Friday night finishes. If I get in at 3am from a gig or filming, I wake the kids up and we’ll be up for four hours just mucking around. All the while I’m getting cussed out by my wife, she’s saying, “Why did I marry you?”, “I should never have married you”, “You’re a khota (Urdu for donkey), an idiot”, “Why did I make this mistake?”.
Just to be clear, you wake your kids up at 3am?
Obviously I’m trying to be a present father. You’ve got to get time in with the kids when you can. My sisters put this habit into me when I was little of always staying up late, so I’m a real night owl. It just so turns out the career I’ve ended up in is good for that.
Who’s in charge of breakfast on Saturday morning?
It depends if we are trying to be healthy because someone’s had a recent test that shows their blood sugar is high. I see a lot of people say you can add another seven years to your life by avoiding all fried foods and sugar. I’m like, let me die. I’ll take the hit on life if I can have fun with food.
But if we’re trying to be sensible then my son Yahya does a really good date and blueberry yoghurt bowl. If we’re not being sensible, we’ll get food from the bakery around the corner.
The rest of the day?
Saturday is family. It’s my mum, sisters, nieces, nephews and mates in the garden playing cricket, arguing, fighting. Every weekend there’s usually around 15 people in my house.
Favourite place to eat in Coventry?
The Farmhouse. Big up Sunny and Vic. Special platters on tap. Turn up there at 12 in the morning, they say: “Sit down motu (fat man) and eat all the food you need.”
Do they really call you motu?
Of course. That’s how you know it’s love.
What about chicken shops?
Dixy is a staple. If you want a solidly fried piece of chicken in a soft bun, peri peri chips and Algerian sauce, that’s your number one pick.
What’s your current weekend binge?
Louis Theroux’s latest documentary, The Settlers. We watched it with our eldest three children, who are 14, 12 and 11. Usually everyone’s fidgeting and moving around, but it impacted them really heavily. I think it’s because injustice will jolt anybody, it doesn’t matter what age you are.
Name a comedian everyone in the UK should try to see at least once
There’s a lot of really talented people. Joe Lycett, who is such a naturally funny guy, Josh Pugh, and Judi Love, who is one of the most charismatic people in this country.
What’s your texting style, blunt or full of emojis?
Horrendous at replying on time.
Does your wife not get mad at you?
She does, but it’s too late. Five kids in, what are we going to do?
Your favourite date-night spot?
Have you heard of somewhere called the living room? With five kids, date night is me saying: “Are you sure you still want to carry on with our marriage?” And she says: “For now mate, but behave yourself and we’ll see.”
You recently released the final season of Man like Mobeen. How are you feeling?
Despite the fact I have said 457 times that this is the last season of Man Like Mobeen, when I go to Asda, or Lidl or a Dixy Chicken — or anywhere where I’m trying to eat and get fat — people harass me. This is not good, I can’t live my life bro. I haven’t used a public toilet in six years because people will be following me, asking me ajeeb (weird) questions about Mobeen. It’s not good.
I was going to ask if you will miss Mobeen, but it seems like Mobeen isn’t going anywhere?
Legally I can’t kill him, otherwise I would have shot him in the head.
Any last words?
I would encourage everyone to watch Man Like Mobeen and tell people to watch it. All the people involved are fantastic and talented — support them too.
The freedom of the Palestinians and peace is core to all of us in this cast.
Man Like Mobeen is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
