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Becoming Johnny Vegas

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About this listen

‘My name is Michael Pennington, and I am not a comic character. I’m often mistaken for one though. You might know him by another name. Johnny Vegas.’

From BBC Dickens adaptations to Benidorm and Ideal to the PG Tips ads, Johnny Vegas has become one of Britain's best-loved comic actors.

But before he'd ever drunk tea with a knitted monkey or made himself the exception that proves the rule in terms of the predictability of TV panel game regulars, Johnny Vegas was perhaps the most fearlessly confessional stand-up comedian this country has ever produced.

How did an eleven-year-old Catholic trainee priest from St Helens grow up to become the North West of England’s answer to Lenny Bruce? That’s just one of the many questions answered by this eye-poppingly frank memoir.

Becoming Johnny Vegas establishes its author as the poet laureate of the Pimblett's pie.

Once you've finished this darkly hilarious tale of family, faith and the creative application of alcohol dependency, you'll never look at a copy of the Catholic men's society newsletter the same way again.

 Entertainment & Celebrities Performing Arts Celebrity Comedy Funny Witty Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

‘…book’s fabulous, buy it!’ Paul O’Grady

‘Extraordinary. A truly unusual showbiz memoir.’ Mark Lawson, Front Row, BBC Radio 4

‘A compelling tale of self-loathing, bristling with anger and bitterness, it still manages to be very funny and hold out hope of redemption.’ Daily Telegraph

'It's funny and a bit horrifying – with, at its best in the early sections, an almost Alan Bennettish feel for bathos.' The Best Memoirs of 2013, The Guardian

‘A characteristically in-yer-face narrative of how Michael Pennington became Johnny Vegas.’ The Independent

‘Michael Pennington – his real name – proves there’s more to Mr Vegas than meets the eye in this frank memoir.’ 100 Best Books For Christmas, The Telegraph

‘Altogether unique… as elegantly constructed as the finest literary novel.’ Catholic Herald

‘Reads like a novel.’ The Guardian

‘Eloquent, witty and perceptive, a fascinating study of creative catharsis.’ Metro

‘Rare is the celebrity memoir that’s as honest, insightful, revelatory and compelling as Becoming Johnny Vegas.’ Chortle
All stars
Most relevant

Where does Becoming Johnny Vegas rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As an autobiography one of the best written I have read in a long time (other than toast) so it would come in the top three of my autobiography list

What did you like best about this story?

When I first started to listen I was thinking "oh here we go this is a book giving excuses for the appalling behavior of the author". It is not at all. It is an incredible perceptive honest and very real account/ insight into an alter ego who was enabled to go wild. I had not really been exposed to Johnny Vegus as a stand up comic and know him for more of his serious acting and directing. It was fascinating and terrifying to get an insight into how Johnny came about and how two very different personalities could co exist and co depend. Mr Pennington is a clever ingenuous writer and manages to put this memoir together with huge skill.

What does Johnny Vegas bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

If I had read the book the true natures of both Johnny and Micheal may not have have been so succinct. Listening to the author tell his own story's and often switching to a different person made me understand just were he was coming from.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

Having not known Johnny Vegus as a stand up this book did make me realize just how bloody funny and amazing he was.

This is a good book- This Guy can write

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What an inspiration it is to hear a heartfelt, honest reading by the author instead of the bland, soulless voice overs we're treated to most of the time. No weird rising inflection or strange emphasis -- just a wonderfully performed, funny and touching listen. Thank you Michael Pennington aka Johnny Vegas.

Brilliant and brave

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Once you start listening you won't be able to stop. Michael really lays himself open in breathtaking honesty.

Stunningly honest, beautiful and tragic.

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This is a weird book. The majority is centred around Michael's early life and his various misadventures. If you wanted a book about his time on the comedy scene this really isn't it.

While much of the book isn't about his time in comedy I'm not sure what he could have cut as all of the various factors contributed to him becoming Johnny Vegas. His time in the seminary, for example, was tragic but brutally honest and probably improved the book for its inclusion.

Overall, though some of the book is longer than you might hope I think it all deserves to be read and you'll come away from it with powerful feelings one way or the other.

Fair warning: Chapter 2 is an hour-full of short 1-2 sentence anecdotes about his childhood. Clearly nostalgic for the author but incredibly boring. Chapter 27-28 is where his begins to appear on the comedy scene.

The most honest autobiography I've ever read.

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it was truly well read. with great feeling and sorry emotion. top northern lad awsome

a beautiful insight to the life Vegas, tremdous

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