From Classroom to Comedy: Greg Davies’ Hilarious Journey as a Teacher
Before towering over audiences with his larger-than-life comedy, Greg Davies stood at the front of a very different kind of stage a classroom. Best known for his commanding role in The Inbetweeners and as the stern-yet-hilarious host of Taskmaster, Davies once wore the humble hat of a secondary school drama teacher. And yes, the stories are every bit as funny as you’d hope.
In his own words, teaching wasn’t just a job it was a goldmine of bizarre, touching, and downright ridiculous moments that would later shape his stand-up career. Davies taught for 13 years, spending most of his time trying to maintain order in classrooms where chaos was never far behind.
“I once had to confiscate a shoe,” he’s recalled, “because it was being used as a weapon in a game of ‘Shoe Chicken’.” What exactly Shoe Chicken was, even he isn’t entirely sure but that was the unpredictable world of teaching teenagers.
Greg’s towering height (he’s 6’8”) made him an unforgettable figure in the halls, though he often jokes that his size didn’t always translate to authority. “They were more fascinated than fearful,” he says. “I looked like a cartoon character to them.”
Despite the mayhem, Davies speaks fondly of his students. Their antics and unexpected wisdom would go on to inspire many of his comedy routines. In fact, it was during his time as a teacher that the idea of pursuing comedy started to grow. He would scribble down funny incidents in his notebook never imagining they’d become punchlines one day.
Eventually, he took the leap into comedy full-time, leaving behind the staffroom but carrying years of material with him. His stand-up shows, like Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog, are filled with hilarious stories from his teaching days—often exaggerated, but rooted in truth.
Greg Davies’ time in the classroom wasn’t just a stepping stone it was a crucible that helped form the sharp wit and storytelling style we know and love today. And while he may have traded lesson plans for laughs, he’ll always be remembered by a generation of students as “that giant, slightly baffled teacher who once tried to explain Shakespeare to a kid throwing crayons.”
Turns out, the best comedy school was school itself.
