I come from a vibrant family, and having a sense of humour has always been central to our survival. Even though no-one in my family is a performer by trade, they’re all really spirited story-tellers and I feel very connected to them in the joy I get from performing. 

My parents migrated to London in the 90s and met whilst working at a Turkish restaurant, during a real culinary shift in the UK around ‘Middle Eastern food’ being something beyond grills and kebabs. Whenever we went to Turkish restaurants my dad would always disappear into the kitchen for ages just to chat to his chef mates. He taught me a lot about hospitality and giving your guests a great experience which somehow turned into one of my main inspirations for Laz Lightning. 

Laz Lightning is a real optimist, and does every job under the sun. He works hard and says yes to everything that comes his way. He truly believes he can do anything, and can fool an audience into believing him. The only thing he loves more than his Harem of Noone family, is Princess Diana.

(Fun fact: The ‘Lightning’ is a direct translation of my surname, ‘Şimşek’, which means lightning in Turkish)