I Spent £4,000 to Perform to Zero People at the Fringe

In this episode, we talk to West Yorkshire comic Liam Tully, who recently made headlines in Edinburgh Live after joking that playing to an empty room for four days in a row "must be a record". Liam opens up about the brutal reality of the festival circuit, what happens when nobody turns up to your venue at the Rotunda Theatre, and how a single self-deprecating TikTok video flipped his fortune overnight.

In a hilarious twist of fate, Liam's empty-room dilemma perfectly mirrored the exact theme of his 2026 Fringe show, "Adult-ish"—a stand-up hour exploring what happens when life's expectations don't quite match up with reality.From dealing with fierce internet trolls (including a memorable run-in with a user calling themselves "Scottish Beyonce") to being secretly photographed by critics in the pub, Liam shares a bittersweet, unfiltered look at surviving a month on stage. We delve into the strange psychology of online antagonism, the overwhelming solidarity found within the comedy community, and the heartwarming moment a fan from Germany came seeking life advice after a show.