Published: Thursday, 5th March, 2009 11:54am

Well, we all have to make a living!

by Gary Fitzpatrick

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FOR Rhona Cameron, stand-up comedy must seem like a piece of cake after her reality TV ordeals, firstly in the jungle on 'I"m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here" and now on a still-to-be-screened 'Celebrity Wife Swap" with Scouse 'funny man" Stan Boardman.

She is sworn to secrecy by contract until the show goes out but the choice of Stan, to many the archetypal old school sexist (and racist) comic, as husband to a lesbian wife, would suggest possible fireworks.

'These things are all part of the business we"re in,' said Rhona, who will be appearing at the Alhambra Theatre on Saturday.

'I liked what Tommy Sheridan said when he came off 'Celebrity Big Brother", telling the presenter that it paid well.

'We all have to make a living and, in England certainly, I"m best-known for doing 'I"m a Celebrity" which is a bit frustrating but for a while it made me famous and provided a lot of opportunities and it gets you invited everywhere for a year.

'I probably didn"t make the most of it because while I like theatre people, I don"t particularly like TV people and a lot of the things that go with it. I enjoy life with my partner, seeing my friends, my football team.'

Rhona, originally from Musselburgh, spent 10 years in a chaotic hedonistic lifestyle after leaving school – a seemingly endless circle of signing on and job training schemes.

She said it was an early example of a key character trait, that of being a paradox. She wanted a creative career but destroyed the clear-cut routes to get her there.

'I was communicative, always had the self-belief and confidence you need to make it as a performer or musician but that also came with low self-esteem. I liked writing and talking and art – the creative stuff – but I ****ed up my academic work and closed down opportunities such as art college.'

She took encouragement and inspiration from seeing Victoria Wood at the Fringe. 'She wasn"t glamorous, was a bit of a tom-boy but was funny and her material was about some of the social inter-action stuff I was interested in.

'You know, the Alan Bennett stuff. Families sitting peacefully at the dinner table but you know there are tensions bubbling away below the surface. When I was young, I used to record family gatherings. I was interested in all the talking that went on without anything really being said.'

After moving to London in 1989 she did a few spots at a comedy club after going along to watch and thinking, 'That looks easy.'

'I went up to Edinburgh for the Fringe and got a poorly paid job compering then heard about 'So You Think You"re Funny" at the Gilded Balloon.'

She had long missed the entry date but pleaded with club founder Karen Koren to give her a chance. She did and Rhona won the prestigious competition, the launch-pad for many a comedy career.

That was back in 1992 and turned Rhona"s life around with even her mum realising she had made a breakthrough.

'I had been saying to her for a while about my comedy stuff and she would just nod and say, 'Oh yeah". She thought by that time I was a complete wash-out.'

She has since had her own BBC sit-com, become a regular on the chat show circuit and has written two books, based on her own life.

The first book '1979: A Big Year In A Small Town", related to her difficult teenage years and the death of her father. 'Both books came at a time when my lifestyle was crazy, chaotic. When I was to write the first one, I wasted nine months then had to lock myself away in a room writing around the clock to get it finished in an incredibly short time.

'It"s a style of writing the professionals would never do and I"d never recommend to anyone but if I read it now I don"t recognise my writing. I was 'in the zone", recalling things long forgotten and I realised I had never properly grieved for my dad until then.'

Her second book, 'The Naked Drinking Club" was published last year after Rhona had returned to stand-up after a four-year break.

'I"ve always been very comfortable on stage. Everybody has the occasional night when they don"t feel comfortable up there but it"s been rare for me. The hard work is preparing for a tour and getting the material together. That part of it can be tough.'

Away from work, Rhona, having put her wild years behind her, is now seriously into sport and exercise.

She has played for Camden Ladies football team for nine years and it provides a centre-point for her life.

'I met my partner through the team, my best friend is in the team and when you live in a city the size of London you need a group of friends like that as a focus.

'We get together on Sundays, play the match, have something to eat and go to the pub.

'I"ve always loved watching football on TV although I"m probably not as obsessed as I used to be about missing a match. I think the money some of them get paid is ridiculous.

'I"m still a big armchair fan of Man Utd and Celtic and I enjoy football at any level. If there"s a match on in the park I"ll stop and watch.'

Rhona plays right-back or holding midfield and she"s also a keen golfer, having grown up caddying for her dad at Musselburgh.

'I was quite good as a little kid but then didn"t play again until I was in my 30s. I"m looking forward to getting a few rounds when I"m up in Scotland.

'My favourite courses are the Old Links at Musselburgh and also Dunbar. I don"t go in for the posher places.'

Saturday"s show starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £10.