Today we speak to an America’s Got Talent winner, comedian and Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin. At the end of this month and all the way through June Paul and his glorious puppets are touring the United Kingdom with the show Puppetman. I was luckily enough to have a conversation with Paul whilst he was on a cruise ship to find out all about it.

 Hello Paul – it is so lovely to meet you! I have been watching your act since I was a kid in the nineties and I am so excited to see how much your career has blossomed! What have been some of your top career highlights so far?

Thank you! Well nothing really tops playing Radio City Music Hall as part of the live shows for America’s Got Talent and then Headlining in Vegas.

We have to talk about America’s Got Talent – Congratulations on winning that must have been such a surreal experience! Can you remember that feeling you had when you won?

Yes I had been flying back and forth from cruise ships in Europe during the whole competition so it was a mixture of euphoria and jet lag! I knew they liked my act but never in a million years expected them to vote for me and puppet show!

Why did you decide to become a ventriloquist?

I was a professional magician when I left school but I had always left puppets and was playing at learning vent in my spare time. I was trying to get an agent and she said “I’ve got loads of Magicians what have you got that’s different?” And I said “I’m learning Ventriloquism’” and she said “go away and practise and come back when you’ve got an act!” So I did.

You are touring the UK as well! What can you tell us about the show?

This show features all my characters Sam, Albert, Baby, Urban Fox and Roger my bodyguard. In this show Sam wants to leave the act and become a TV presenter, Baby wants to be breast-fed by someone in the front row and Albert becomes a Magician and performs a classic illusion involving being sawn into bits!

It’s a stand up comedy show which uses ventriloquism as the angle. I talk about the fun I had in America and the uses of ventriloquism in every day life.

What is the difference between UK audiences to USA audiences?

Not much I find, I just have to change a few words here and there but generally I find my material sees to work anywhere you can speak English.

Who is your favourite character that you work with and why?

I think Albert my old man character is my favourite as I can kind of do anything with him. One minute he’s taking about his prostate examination, the next minute he’s talking to a dead friend of his on stage and then the next he’s performing a classic magic trick!

How do you warm up for a show?

I don’t really I just clear my throat and then off I go!

How do you wind down afterwards?

 Well I usually get back in the car and drive home or onto the next hotel so there’s not much time for winding down you just have to get on with the driving and the bloody traffic and potholes!

Over the years what are some of the key things that you have learnt about being a ventriloquist that you could pass down to people who are interested in the comedy art form?

The most important thing is it’s got to be funny. Try and develop the vent technique as best you can but the most important thing is the comedy and developing the characters you use so they become believable.

Do you design your puppets? Do you have a specific design in mind or do you work with someone to create them?

I come up with all my own characters and then go to a puppet builder who then helps me realise my creation. Darryl Worbey and Tim Rose have built my last few characters for me. Darryl built Yoda on The Last Jedi and Tim has worked on every Muppet Movie and was also Admiral Akbar in Star Wars!

What is your favourite thing about going on tour?

Apart from being very grateful and loving the fact that people have given up an evening to spend it with me and my puppet show I think it’s claiming all those Nectar points at the service stations!

Finally – why should people come to see you live?

Ventriloquism can actually be funny!