Isolation 101: Comedian Tom Sainsbury On His Lockdown Distractions

By Sarah Downs
Viva
Comedian Tom Sainsbury shares what's keeping his spirits up at home. Photo / Fiona Goodall

What I'm watching
Well, I went down the Tiger King route because everyone else was. And there were so many memes about it and I needed some context. I'm also watching a lot of American politics videos. Just so I can be informed about what's happening in the world. But it's pretty damned depressing. Especially over there. So I'm thinking I'll just watch quilting videos instead.

What I'm listening to
Simon and Garfunkel because they are my current musical heroes. And the Beegees. For likewise reasons. God I love 1970s music. I've also got this one song on repeat in my head that is being used in a lot of TikToks which is a song about someone dancing like a stripper. The song is driving me crazy.

What I'm reading
Okay, so I'm reading two books. One is an Agatha Christie called Sparkling Cyanide. I felt I needed to read at least one Agatha Christie in my life to get some basic knowledge on her and her genius. And the other is The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln. It was written in the 1600s by a Jewish woman called Gluckel. It's all about her wanting her children to get into good marriages. It's a fascinating look into the part.

What I'm snacking on
So much toast. That's what I chose to panic buy. Well, that and carrots. So carrots with peanut butter, carrots with hummus, grated carrots, slithered carrots, roasted carrots with honey.

The hobby I've taken up
I've been playing a lot more of my keyboard. Desperately learning Simon and Garfunkel at the moment. My other hobby is avoiding all the Zoom meetings everyone wants to have with me. Can't you just leave me alone?!

The thing that made me laugh this week
I'm all about the memes. More so than ever. First thing I do in the morning is spend about 45 minutes laughing at memes on Instagram. This pandemic has certainly created some good comedy!

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