‘I wrote a book about toxic male comedians – they hate not being in control’

Heard the one about the 20-something female stand-up comedian’s first gig when the promoter told her if she wanted another performance, she would have to give him oral sex?

Author and journalist Julia Raeside has. It was at the Edinburgh Fringe three years ago, where she sat in a dark room with 40 people, listening to a young woman talk about the time her new boss used his power in an attempt to intimidate and sexually coerce her.

It’s far from an isolated case within the stand-up comic circuit, Julia adds. In this industry, women form WhatsApp groups and create Google spreadsheets (to allow access for many to update) to identify and track the behaviour of sexually predatory and manipulative male colleagues.

‘Stand-up comedy is probably the worst profession within showbusiness when it c