Hey Y'all,

A banker turned comedian who describes himself as a "lapsed Muslim," Eshaan Akbar has appeared on Sex Education (Netflix), Live at the Apollo (BBC), and even voiced puppets on Spitting Image. In this deeply funny and moving conversation, Eshaan opens up about the wild days of pre-crash banking, his mother's sudden passing and the Muslim burial that changed everything, navigating faith as a South Asian man in the West, Muslim dating apps, and how grief ultimately gave him the freedom to pursue comedy with complete abandon. A masterclass in finding humor in life's heaviest moments.

Guest: Eshaan Akbar - comedian, writer, podcaster (The Early Evening Shows)
Hosts: Trey Hall & Jaz Ampawfarr
Produced by: Rachel Matthews & John Ryan | A project of the Methodist Church

Where to find Eshaan: YouTube special (coming soon), The Early Evening Shows podcast, Live at the Apollo on BBC iPlayer, @EshaanAkbar on socials

Timestamps

• 0:00 — Welcome & intro to Spill the Spirituality
• 1:21 — Eshaan's entrance & boxer name banter
• 2:09 — The corporate-to-comedy pipeline
• 2:58 — Life in banking before the 2008 crash: debauchery and high-octane culture
• 5:40 — Feeling like an outsider: being the only Asian guy in the building
• 6:47 — Dreaming of becoming a diplomat (since age 6)
• 7:41 — Taking a comedy course to learn tighter writing
• 8:17 — His mother's sudden passing and "comedy chose me"
• 9:20 — First gig after grief & making the Edinburgh Fringe final
• 10:25 — The Muslim burial: climbing into the grave to lay his mother to rest
• 12:18 — How grief unlocked total creative freedom
• 13:43 — "Was she funny?" — inheriting his mum's sense of humor
• 14:38 — Feeling connected to his mum through dreams
• 15:57 — Religion's infrastructure around death
• 17:36 — Islam's 40-day mourning period as a "deadline" for grief
• 21:39 — The viral Ramadan "Call me" bit
• 22:45 — Muslim dating apps: Minder, Mismatch & wild DMs
• 24:38 — Growing up devout: religious education at home
• 25:33 — The mosque vs. home: two very different versions of God
• 29:07 — Separating God, mind, body, and soul at age 24
• 31:31 — "Are you spiritual?" — the levels of being a lapsed Muslim
• 33:02 — Daily gratitude and "I cannot believe my luck"
• 33:56 — Comedy as a spiritual practice
• 34:20 — "Even God isn't loved universally"
• 35:36 — The Wheel of Trust game
• 36:50 — Reflection on "Chapter" — life before and after mum
• 38:27 — "We are all writing the book of our own lives"
• 39:46 — Where to find Eshaan & sign-off
• 41:37 — Outro & credits

See you next time folks!

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