Wiltshire


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/2.jpg" alt="Zoe Lyons smiling during a photoshoot" class="wp-image-40527" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/2-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Good news for Wiltshire comedy fans: stand-up comedian <a href="https://zoelyons.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zoe Lyons</a> is coming to town. A familiar face from QI, <em>Mock the Week</em> and <em>SAS: Who Dares Wins</em>, she’s heading to the county for not one but two stand-up shows, bringing her sharp humour with her.</p>



<p>Off-stage, Zoe has also just launched a new running podcast with fellow comedian Esther Manito. Brilliantly named<em> <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-running-joke-with-esther-manito-zoe-lyons/id1872085998" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Running Joke</a></em>, it’s for runners, joggers, walkers and plodders&#8230; basically anyone who has a pair of trainers. We caught up with Zoe ahead of her Wiltshire comedy dates to talk Green Room gossip, tackling the Bath Half in March and the slightly surreal experience of skiing with Eddie the Eagle.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/Alan-Davies-Zoe-Lyons-Sandi-Toksvig-Chris-McCausland-Ed-Byrne-credit-BBCFremantlemedia-Ltd-and-QI--1000x667.jpg" alt="Alan Davies, Zoe Lyons, Sandi Toksvig, Chris McCausland, Ed Byrne credit BBC:Fremantlemedia Ltd and QI" class="wp-image-40630" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/Alan-Davies-Zoe-Lyons-Sandi-Toksvig-Chris-McCausland-Ed-Byrne-credit-BBCFremantlemedia-Ltd-and-QI--1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/Alan-Davies-Zoe-Lyons-Sandi-Toksvig-Chris-McCausland-Ed-Byrne-credit-BBCFremantlemedia-Ltd-and-QI--800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/Alan-Davies-Zoe-Lyons-Sandi-Toksvig-Chris-McCausland-Ed-Byrne-credit-BBCFremantlemedia-Ltd-and-QI--768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/Alan-Davies-Zoe-Lyons-Sandi-Toksvig-Chris-McCausland-Ed-Byrne-credit-BBCFremantlemedia-Ltd-and-QI-.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">See Zoe on QI, on BBC iPlayer. Image: BBC:Fremantlemedia Ltd and QI</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-we-hear-you-re-on-stage-in-wiltshire-soon-nbsp"><strong>We hear you’re on stage in Wiltshire soon&#8230; &nbsp;</strong></h2>



<p>Yes, I’m in Trowbridge Civic on Thursday (12<sup>th</sup> Feb), with Jack Dee. I’ve done various bits with him in the past, but I haven’t seen him for a few years. I&#8217;ve got lots of friends on the circuit, so it&#8217;s always a delight when you turn up to a mixed gig and you find somebody you’re pals with. The Green Room chats are the best part of it, and you miss that when you’re touring. I finished my stand-up tour in May last year and it was great, but it can get a bit lonely being on your own.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-you-performed-in-wiltshire-before"><strong>Have you performed in Wiltshire before?</strong></h2>



<p>Yes, many times. I’ve toured in a few places in Wiltshire, and I have friends who live near Bath. It’s a stunning part of the country, particularly when spring comes along. Fellow comedian Esther Manito and I are doing the Bath Half in March, and she’s suggested we do the Rome Half in October too. I hope it’s not too hot, anything over 10 degrees and I’m awful. At least there’ll be pretty buildings to look at though. I’m not a natural athlete. I’ve done those ultra, off-road marathons which are about 30 miles and I’ve been overtaken by blokes walking fast. But I&#8217;m still doing it, and that&#8217;s all that matters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-your-podcast-the-running-joke"><strong>Tell us about your podcast, <em>The Running Joke</em></strong>&#8230;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/1.jpg" alt="Zoe Lyons and Esther Manito " class="wp-image-40529" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/1-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/02/1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>So, it&#8217;s me and Esther, who I’ve gigged with many times. She’s done quite a few full road marathons, while I’m a committed plodder, and I’ve done a few shabby half marathons. We ended up talking about running quite a bit, so we decided to start a podcast. Each episode is 35 minutes, so it’s perfect to have in your lugholes when you’re doing a slow 5K.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-ve-had-some-fab-guests"><strong>You’ve had some fab guests&#8230;</strong></h2>



<p>Yes, it turns out that as well as being a comedian and a brilliant runner, Esther is really good at getting guests on our podcast. We’ve had Greg Whyte, who trained Sara Cox for her five marathons for Children in Need. She also got Professor Alice Roberts, who has shows on Sky, Channel Four and Channel Five. Alice is just getting back into running after an ankle injury and we asked her to describe the perfect running body, because she&#8217;s an anthropologist. It’s basically an ostrich &#8211; you&#8217;ve got to have massive, massive quads and tiny calves, apparently. We’re hoping to get more coaches and trainers on the podcast, and comedians who run.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-comedians-are-big-runners"><strong>Which comedians are big runners?</strong></h2>



<p>My mate [and Celebrity Traitors star] Joe Wilkinson is a runner. He lives around the corner from me in Brighton, and we’ve done a half marathon in the past. We didn&#8217;t actually stick together, but we were in the same run. Romesh Ranganathan runs, Joe Dommett does the marathon most years and we&#8217;ve got Ivo Graham coming on, he’s an amazing runner. He did a sub three the last time he did a marathon, which is just incredible.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-you-push-through-if-you-re-struggling-to-run"><strong>How do you push through if you’re struggling to run?</strong></h2>



<p>It&#8217;s really basic, but it really helps me to count to five repeatedly. Every time I run, I count 1234512345, and in the end, it becomes such a mantra, you forget your lungs hurt and your legs are sore. It’s quite meditative. I also trick myself that I’ll just do five more strides, then I do another five, and another five. It does work. I&#8217;ve described myself as like an old boiler. It probably does need replacing, it makes noises and it’s not very efficient, but it will keep going.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge.jpg" alt="Comedy Zoe Lyons Jack Dee near me Wiltshire" class="wp-image-40346" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2026/01/Zoe-Lyons-comedy-Wiltshire-Trowbridge-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ever-had-any-awkward-moments-on-stage"><strong>Ever had any awkward moments on stage?</strong></h2>



<p>I&#8217;ve had several moments when my mind has gone completely and utterly blank. It looks like you&#8217;re having a sort of controlled pause on stage, but it’s not – you can’t remember the next gag. It&#8217;s absolutely terrible.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-do-if-you-get-an-attack-of-nerves"><strong>What do you do if you get an attack of nerves?</strong></h2>



<p>I have a very silly technique, but it works for me. If I get really nervous, I think about my feet. All the tension goes up into your chest and head, so I find that if you think about the soles of your feet, it really helps. It kind of grounds you, you’re literally connecting with the earth.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-highs-of-life-as-a-comedian"><strong>What are the highs of life as a comedian?</strong></h2>



<p>Stand ups are a lucky bunch, because I could decide to sit down tomorrow, write a show and tour it. You have the ability to create stuff yourself, and it’s quite a free life. You also get little opportunities you wouldn’t get in other jobs – I once met [British Olympic legend] Eddie the Eagle, at a comedy festival in Austria. We got to ski with him and it was one of the best afternoons I’ve ever had, he was a really lovely guy.</p>



<p>I do enjoy the TV side of things too, I’m currently working on a BBC pilot and I’ve been lucky to do some quite peculiar things. <em>SAS: Who Dares Wins</em> was a weird one, it was awesome but my feet were destroyed. They were tattered like a wind sock, it was just awful.</p>



<p><strong>Zoe Lyons stars at Trowbridge Civic on 12<sup>th</sup> Feb 2026 and Melksham Assembly Hall on 25<sup>th</sup> September. Listen to <em>The Running Joke</em> on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-running-joke-with-esther-manito-zoe-lyons/id1872085998" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2Hd4lR0ynIlEcSvMRNGrPv?si=dca12243c1d940f4&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=b51e591b122e4edd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a>.</strong></p>


Muddy meets comedian and presenter Zoe Lyons

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