Nish Kumar (Photo by Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images) Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment British comic and podcast host Nish Kumar knows the value of Netflix specials for A-listers like Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. But he sees emerging comedians like himself with slow-burn careers often getting their biggest boost globally from YouTube after years playing clubs big and small back home. "I'm primarily known in North America because of a British show called Taskmaster, which people outside the UK watch on YouTube," Kumar told The Hollywood Reporter while performing at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. Related Stories Movies 'In the Land of Arto': Camille Cottin, Zar Amir Ebrahimi Journey Into Armenia and Its Past (Exclusive Clips) TV Why Stand-up Legend George Wallace Can't Get Off the Stage After 49 Years in Comedy: "I'm Living My Dream" Re-runs of Taskmaster, a British comedy panel game show that included Kumar, have been viewed on YouTube as creator-driven online platforms increasingly disrupt the traditional media landscape, and podcasts like Crooked Media's Pod Save the UK, which Kumar co-hosts with cultural journalist Coco Khan, transform the audio space. The podcast gig followed Kumar appearing on stage at a live London comedy show produced by Crooked Media, which was followed by that proverbial chance call from Hollywood. Soon after he walked off stage, he got a call from Los Angeles asking if he could be at a meeting in London in 20 minutes. "And I was like, I'm already there. I'm literally in the audience. So I got pulled out of the crowd like Courteney Cox in the "Dancing in the Dark" video," Kumar recalled. Later, Crooked Media asked if he'd be interested in launching and hosting a British show, which he did. Kumar's Pod Save the UK offers a weekly fix on U.K. politics. That means Kumar and co-host Khan got to cover the downfall of British prime minister Boris Johnson over his rule-breaking parties in No. 10 during the COVID-19 pandemic. "In terms of historic failures of leadership, I think Johnson's conduct in the pandemic is one of those things that people will study for years," Kumar says. But while the U.K.'s Conservative Party sent Johnson packing, Kumar has a take on why Donald Trump, also judged by many as a political buffoon whose erratic style endears him to followers, was restored to the White House for a second term. "Trump has killed the broad church in the Republican Party. It's no longer a political party. It's a delivery system for a single man and that's a huge problem," he insists. As Nigel Farage, a protégé of Trump, challenges Britain's current Labor government in the polls, Kumar doesn't look forward to his Reform UK party coming to power to reinvigorate his political comedy. "The thing with (Farage) and Trump is there is a shamelessness. It actually makes it harder to make fun of them. Politicians in theory are supposed to conduct themselves with a level of dignity that means there's something to prick for principles. Farage and Trump are congenitally shameless men," Kumar said. The Just For Laughs comedy festival continues through Sunday. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Heat Vision David Dastmalchian Unveils New Horror Comic 'The Accessories' (Exclusive) Will Smith Chris Rock's "Brilliant" Laugh Factory Set Covered Divorce, 'Love Island,' Halle Berry and Yes, the Slap Ryan Reynolds Ryan Reynolds Zings Rob Mac at Just for Laughs Awards Podcasts Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Podcast to Honor Him With Virtual Event After Death Montreal New Just For Laughs Fest Owner Tells Ticket Buyers: Laugh or Get a Refund music GloRilla Arrested on Felony Drug Possession Charges in Georgia Following Burglary Investigation at Her Home Heat Vision David Dastmalchian Unveils New Horror Comic 'The Accessories' (Exclusive) Will Smith Chris Rock's "Brilliant" Laugh Factory Set Covered Divorce, 'Love Island,' Halle Berry and Yes, the Slap Ryan Reynolds Ryan Reynolds Zings Rob Mac at Just for Laughs Awards Podcasts Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Podcast to Honor Him With Virtual Event After Death Montreal New Just For Laughs Fest Owner Tells Ticket Buyers: Laugh or Get a Refund music GloRilla Arrested on Felony Drug Possession Charges in Georgia Following Burglary Investigation at Her Home