The rise of the political satirist Nish Kumar baffles many. If you Google ‘Nish Kumar quotes’ you find a list of the ten witticisms most widely shared by his fans.
‘My parents wanted me to be a lawyer.’
‘I have a strange nose: it’s big and weird.’
‘When I am on stage I am often thinking about what I will eat after the show.’
This doesn’t help solve the mystery. Kumar is best known for anchoring ‘The Mash Report’ which the BBC believes is a satire show but which neutral viewers regard as a weekly political seminar that teaches liberals to avoid thinking for themselves.
Kumar’s latest venture, Hello America, is an attempt to position him as the heir to James Corden or John Oliver. The show is filmed twice a week in a studio without an audience – which saves a lot on staff, venue-hire and a warm-up act.
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