Comedian Mike King has opened up about the painful reality behind his iconic TV shows – revealing he even snorted cocaine in the TVNZ dressing room, to cope with the pressure.
"I was a master of the mask. On the outside, I'm this aggressive, funny, 'life's a party' comedian, having a good time. Behind it was fear."
King says he grew up as a kid "who just wanted to be loved". When he realised he could make people laugh, he began getting his self-esteem from comedy.
At the peak of his success, in the early 2000s, King featured regularly on TVNZ sports panel show Game of Two Halves.
"When you're at that height of fame and everything’s coming your way, your next thought is, 'What happens when this is over?'" he says.
"I realised my comedy's outdated, [and] I’m a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, politically-incorrect comedian… All I see is the end coming.
"So I would be in the changing room snorting coke and just trying to keep myself together. That was my reality."
King is now a mental health educator. Through his Key to Life Charitable Trust, he has spoken to tens of thousands of young people about mental health.
He was a finalist in the 2018 New Zealander of the Year Awards.
King is speaking about his experiences as part of TVNZ’s new mental health series, The Inside Word, hosted by Jehan Casinader.
This week, comedians explain what really happens when the laughs run out – and how they've learned to make peace with their "inner critics".
The Inside Word airs 9pm Sunday on TVNZ DUKE, then OnDemand.
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