Phil Ellis: ‘I got a hair transplant after seeing myself on Taskmaster’

The comedian has a new show at Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Picture: Avalon Productions)

‘No, thank you for talking to me,’ says a beaming Phil Ellis. 

It’s impossible not to match Phil’s bounce in our interview, with his contagious grins and chortles. This energy – not to mention his natural funny bones – is what’s sailed him through 20 years of being the ultimate comedian’s comedian. 

He’s won the awards, critical acclaim, and a stellar reputation as one of the nicest guys in comedy. It was only last year, backstage at a particularly laborious gig, that he got a call which changed his career forever. 

Phil, 44, was gigging at a festival, where the audience was just a 1...