Please tell us about your brand of comedy- what can audiences expect?
Tez Ilyas by Steve Ullathorne
I do stories, observations, satire, commentary and jokes about my life, my background and happening around me. Audiences can expect a lot of cheeky gags, gasps and truth bombs.
Which comedians have been your biggest influence?
Definitely Stewart Lee and more recently Kevin Hart, I think he is extremely underrated. I am also hugely influenced by writers, such as Armando Iannuci, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Chris Morris.
What random things make you laugh in everyday life?
My friends are very goofy, they make me laugh a lot and remind me that I'm not always the funniest person in the room. I also like a lot of the cheeky sporty twitter accounts. The internet is very fast and has zero chill.
Please tell us about your best and worst moment on stage so far.
Best: I recently recorded my debut BBC Radio 4 series, it's called TEZ Talks and is out in August. I had an absolute blast on stage and I honestly could not have choreographed the audience better, they were amazing.
Worst: my first ever properly paid professional spot went terribly. Like I died hard. That was tough because I felt like a total fraud.
Do you still get nervous when you do a gig?
Not really. I'm very relaxed pre-gig. But I do occasionally get nervous when playing a new room or if industry/reviewers are in.
Why is Edinburgh Fringe Festival such a great platform for comedians?
A - because you get to perform a show for 25 times consecutively, that will make you a stronger performer. B - because it's so much fun, you will meet so many new people and take away so many awesome memories; and C - if your show flies it can change your life. It's the biggest expo for comedians in the world, we're there to sell our wares and the rewards can be awesome.
Who are you looking forward to seeing as an audience member?
People who smile and then laugh. It's really tough staring out at people who have miserable resting faces (they don't know they're doing it), because it just makes you think they're hating the show when that might not be the case.
What is your advice to aspiring comedians?
Gig hard, write hard, persevere and have a sense of self-awareness i.e. find out what works for you and hone that, don't try and be someone you're not, the audience will know.
What is the oddest heckle you've ever received?
Some woman interrupted a performance once by yelling out bacon. Completely unsolicited. I gave her what-for let me tell you.
What is next for you?
I'm hoping this show lands well with audiences, critics and the industry and I can tour it early next year around the country and it opens up even more doors for me to write and develop my own scripted comedy for TV. Oh and hopefully a second series of the radio show would be sweeeet.
Tez Ilyas's new stand up show 'Made In Britain' will be at the Pleasance Courtyard Bunker Two at 530pm each day for tickets go to
Tagged in Edinburgh Festival Fringe