Des Bishop, comedian
Comedy, for Des Bishop, is not a laughing matter. The Irish-American comedian is a man on a mission, using his skills to give a voice to people from disadvantaged areas. In Des Bishop's Work Experience, he tried out various minimum-wage jobs, and for his latest TV series, Joy in the Hood, he takes his unique blend of comedy and social commentary a step further. Over a period of four months, Bishop immersed himself in six marginalised communities: Ballymun in Dublin, Knocknaheeny in Cork, Southill in Limerick, a Travellers' community in Tuam, a loyalist stronghold in Belfast and the Bogside in Derry. While living in each place, he hosted comedy workshops, and at the end of every programme there is a community comedy night in which the newly-discovered talent gets a chance to perform. "You hear about these places on the news all the time, and you see the church writing about them, and you see politicians using them to their benefit," says Bishop. "But you very rarely hear the voice of people from those communities, just talking about what's going on for them." Well, now is your chance: Des Bishop: Joy in the Hood begins on Monday at 9.30pm on RTÉ Two.