Stand-up comedian Phil Hanley has alchemized what once was childhood shame into levity and laughter.

Speaking with TODAY.com hours before he was set to perform, he explains that his material finds the humor in his experience with dyslexia, a learning difference that affects how the brain processes written language.

“You think they would want to hear dirty sex material, or this or that. My dyslexic stuff will be killing it,” he says. “I’m always amazed after all these years that the people want to hear someone at 9:30 on a Saturday night talk about having a learning disability. It’s shocking.”

Hanley, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, says his fans seem to find the jokes “touching. ... I think people can just relate to having struggles in their life.”

Comedian Phil Hanley perf

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