Comedian Imran Yusuf on upcoming BBC debut and the moment he was ‘humbled’ onstage

“I was always trying to show off in some capacity”, Imran Yusuf told me. “I think I’m a natural extravert”.

If being the centre of attention was what Yusuf was striving to do, then he’s only gone and done it. The comedian’s schedule is booked up over the coming months with gigs across London and Brighton, and he also slated to appear in the long-anticipated BBC adventure series Crookhaven this year.

Ahead of his big TV break, Yusuf sat down with East End Review to tell us all about growing up and finding his feet onstage. Born in Mombasa, he moved to Hackney Downs at an early age. “I wasn’t naturalised until I was 12, [but] I always thought that I was British. I didn't feel any different”, he said.

“I was very lucky that I got the upbring that I did in Hackney Downs and in London in general. I grew up in an environment where everyone was different. There were lots of different languages and cultures, I knew that at home we spoke our language, and at school we spoke English. That was it, it was just normal.

“Every kid from every culture that you can think of used to play together. We'd go to school together, we'd run home to watch the same cartoons and talk about them at school the next day. That is a magical thing.

“I'm a London boy, you know? I'm a byproduct of London in a very modern sense”.

Right from the get-go, Yusuf wanted people to know who he was. “I'm the youngest of three and there's a big gap between me and my brothers. I was always there [saying], ‘Me, me, me, me, me, look at me, I want attention, me, me, me’”, he joked.

He got his first taste of fame playing Joseph in the school nativity. After moving to Harrow at the age of eight, he then played the Mad Hatter in one of his early school productions. “I was great”, he said “It went really, really well. I just felt so comfortable on stage in front of hundreds of people. I just ad-libbed”.

While Yusuf loved being on stage, he didn’t dream of being an actor. He recalled watching excerpts from gigs at the Comedy Store, currently located in Piccadilly Circus and realising comedy was his calling. “It blew my mind”, he said. “I was like, ‘That's what I have to do’”.

However, Yusuf’s comedy dreams were put on hold when he decided to pursue a career in the gaming industry after school, performing the odd open mic night to scratch his performance itch.

When he did start performing, however, he said he was “humbled very fast”. “When you're the funny person with your friends and the funny person at work, that's because you know that environment. And [when you start performing] you realise, suddenly you're in a room full of strangers who have paid top money to be entertained, and the level of craft required for that room isn't just the same as just being with your mates. Not for me it wasn't.

“Particularly when I started out with the name Imran Yusuf and people like me weren't very common on the comedy circuit. We were speciality acts”.

After a little practice and some time to hone his craft, however, Yusuf decided to give comedy a go full-time and quit the games industry. “In an office job, you can achieve that senior creative executive position after you've kissed everybody's ass for 10, 20 years”, he explained.

“Whereas in comedy, if you're funny now, you’re good to go. [The] money's yours, creative control is yours, it's all on you. And eventually, I went, ‘This isn't really working for me. I love video games, but working in the industry is brutal’.

“I got to the stage and it feels like a second home”, he said. He’s even played his favourite venue - the Comedy Store. “I'm always excited to play [there]”, he said. “That's my favourite place to play”.

Yusuf told East End Review he is most excited to play Mr Hari Khan in Crookhaven, coming out in early 2026.

Based on the book series of the same name by JJ Arcanjo, the eight-part drama takes place at a school for thieves learning to use their skills for good. Starring Dougray Scott as the headmaster - as well as Keith Allen, Claire Forlani and many more - the series promises to be a hit amongst kids and adults alike when it comes to BBC iPlayer later this year.

This will be the first time Yusuf has had a major TV role, and he didn’t hide just how thrilled he is.

“It's a big show, it’s a massive production”, he said.“It was nice working with Dougray Scott, because he's a massive star. You never know what you're going to get sometimes [with major celebrities], but he was so nice. He was really, really cool, and he was easy to work with.

“When the big star is cool, then it makes it easy for everybody else to work. 

“It's enriched my life and I hope it enriches others”.

Crookhaven is set to be released on BBC iPlayer in early 2026.