FAQ
Questions about Phil
The quick answers: who he is, where to see him, what he has written, and why some people call him El Chapo.
Questions and answers
Who is Phil Chapman?
Phil Chapman is a British stand-up comedian, host and comedy writer. He has been performing since 2006, is a regular host at Hot Water Comedy Club (opens in a new tab) in Liverpool, and has writing contributions to BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz and Radio 4 Extra’s Newsjack.
Where can I see Phil Chapman live?
Mostly at Hot Water Comedy Club, Blackstock Market, Liverpool, where he is on the bill several times a week. Every confirmed date, with a ticket link to the venue, is on the Live page.
Is Phil Chapman the host at Hot Water Comedy Club?
He is one of its regular hosts. The club’s profile calls him “a regular host at the world famous Hot Water Comedy Club”, and its 3 Minutes Of Fame listings name him as one of the resident MCs. He does not own or run the club; it was founded in 2010 by two brothers, Paul and Binty.
His next nights there, clips filmed at the club and more are on Phil at Hot Water.
Where is Phil Chapman’s accent from?
A bit of everywhere. As Phil told the Liverpool Echo (opens in a new tab) in 2025: “I was born in the North East; I moved down South, then to America for a while. And I’ve always lived around Irish people.” He calls the result “a mishmash”, and he knows it is what people most want to ask him: “If you type my name in on Google, I bet the accent question comes up before ‘tour tickets’, because people would rather know where I’m from than where I’m going to be.”
How long has Phil Chapman been doing comedy?
Since 2006. He started in the North of England, spending his first couple of years on open mic nights before moving on to club bills, hosting, festivals and solo shows of his own.
What has Phil Chapman written?
- BBC radio: writing contributions to Newsjack (2013 and 2015) and additional material for The News Quiz (2014).
- Online sketches: The Wokest Link, Deputy Speaker goes on cheap comedy course, and How the Daily Mail thinks the BBC will teach kids (all 2021).
- Comedy songs: Slogans (as DJ Hans Face Space) and Elf on yo Shelf (2020), and a song about a Japanese toilet seat (2025).
Details and links are on the About page.
What are Enthusiast and Figures?
Two of Phil’s solo shows: Enthusiast (Hull in 2023, then Leeds in 2024) and Figures (2025, at Leeds, Belfast, Edinburgh, Bolton Comedy Festival and Manchester). An earlier solo hour, The Man With The Spatula, played Leicester in 2018. All three runs have finished; new dates appear on the Live page as soon as venues confirm them.
Has Phil Chapman released a comedy special?
Yes: Artist Cynhesu (Warm Up Artist), filmed live at Theatr Clwyd in Mold in October 2022, with Phil warming up the crowd in his own style. It is a paid download, sold through Comedy Merch (opens in a new tab). His free clips are on the Watch page.
Why is Phil Chapman called El Chapo?
It is a play on his surname. Listings for his show Figures invited audiences to “come spend an hour with El Chapo”, and Phil describes himself as “the one they call El Chapo”. That is the full extent of the resemblance.
Did Phil Chapman get Paul Smith back into comedy?
That is how Paul Smith tells it. In a 2026 interview with the Liverpool Echo, Paul said he had quit stand-up for a year when a chance encounter with Phil told him about Hot Water Comedy Club, and Phil got him booked on a gig there and then. “If I hadn’t bumped into Phil that day, I might have never done stand-up again.” The full story.
Is Phil Chapman really a Neighbours fan?
Very much so. In 2018 the Liverpool Echo reported that he had made a 16-bit, video-game-style animation of Scott and Charlene’s 1987 wedding, and that he had not missed an episode since September 2001. Neighbours turns up in a lot of his online videos.
Where can I watch Phil Chapman’s stand-up?
On his YouTube channel, @PhilChapmanComedy (opens in a new tab), on Hot Water Comedy Club’s channel (opens in a new tab), and gathered together on this site’s Watch page, with the newest uploads in date order on Latest videos.
Has Phil Chapman been on podcasts?
Plenty, including Hot Water’s Green Room (several times), The Paul Smith Podcast, Dead Men Talking (once stepping in as co-host), Have A Word, All Made Up and Peaking into Success. The episodes are on the Watch page.
What festivals has Phil Chapman played?
He has compèred and performed at Kendal Calling, The Farmyard Party and Tribfest, and appeared at the Leicester Comedy Festival (2024), Bolton Comedy Festival (2025), Liverpool Comedy Festival (2026) and DEADMEET (2026).
Can I book Phil Chapman?
Yes: for comedy clubs, hosting and compèring, festivals, corporate and private events, presenting and voice-over. Send an enquiry from the Contact page.