Comedian Joel Creasey tells all in his book Thirsty: Confessions of a Fame Whore

HE grew up alongside Heath Ledger and toured with the legendary Joan Rivers long before you got to know him on I’m A Celebrity. Comedian Joel Creasey’s young life makes for one crazy story.

Comedian Joel Creasey reveals how he came out after Heath Ledger’s funeral in his new book. Picture: Eugene Hyland

WHEN Joel Creasey walks into a room, you can feel it.

His entrance is about as subtle as a portable confetti cannon sprinkling glitter to herald his arrival.

With a personality that big, it should come as no surprise that at just 27, Creasey, who has been described as the “crown prince of Australian comedy”, has written a memoir.

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“Yes, I have written a book, which is kind of crazy at the age of 27.

“But, at the same time, when people go, ‘Oh my God, you have written a book and you’re only 27’, I just think, ‘Well, all the Kardashians have written a book and I’m older than most of them, get over it.’ Suri Cruise has written a book no doubt, and she’s, like, 4,” he says, completely deadpan.

“But also, and this is so grim, but if I die tomorrow, at least I’ve got a book. My friends could read excerpts and my funeral would be heaven; the wake would be at Poof Doof and my casket would be carried in by six drag queens and Michelle Bridges.

“I just think, at least my life is documented now. And I’ve got some great stories.”

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Comedian Joel Creasey in Docklands ahead of the launch of his upcoming book Thirsty. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Thirsty, by Joel Creasey, Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP $33

Creasey is endearingly narcissistic, because he is right, he does have some great stories.

In his book, Thirsty: Confessions of a Fame Whore, Creasey has mined anecdotal material from growing up gay in suburban Australia with performer parents who met on the set of Star Wars (“I’m the Liza to their Judy”), just three doors down from late actor Heath Ledger’s family.

Creasey dedicates the book to Joan Rivers (“The greatest of all time”) whom he toured with before being propelled into the slightly-bigger-league of comedians, after appearing in the first season of I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! Creasey is now also ascending into acting, with roles on Neighbours (“I play a new gay in town with a backstory”) and Channel 10’s new series Sisters.

Peppered with punchlines and skewering sarcasm, his light-entertainment life story also delves into a deeper side of the comedian, tackling his sexuality, body-shaming and being chased out of Colac by a mob of homophobes.

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Joel Creasey as he prepared to take part in I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! in 2015.

“Because on stage, I don’t like any airtime that doesn’t have a laugh, so my stage show is joke after joke after joke,” Creasey says. “Some comics do political stand-up or deliver beautiful emotional stories, some even change the way you view the world.

“I can’t do any of that, I always tell my audience that you will probably leave dumber, but you will have had a great time.

“So writing a book was my way to get out those more serious, raw stories, where I won’t be as uncomfortable if I don’t get a laugh.”

One story that Creasey has hidden from the public until now was about him coming out as gay after Ledger’s death.

“I’ve never really spoken about it, but I grew up with Heath Ledger’s family; they lived three doors away and his half-sister Ashleigh has been my best friend my entire life,” he says. “When Heath passed away, I went to LA for the funeral; I was there with her going through this crazy time during this very public death when the family were mourning.

“I’ve never spoken about it publicly on stage because I never wanted to look like I was trying to take advantage of the situation, but it was such a big part of my life, I couldn’t not put it in (the book).

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Comedian Joel Creasey (front left) with his mum Jenny, dad Terry and sisters Alice (centre) and Holly (front right).

Heath Ledger. Photo: Richard Hatherly

Heath Ledger with mum Sally Bell and his sister Ashleigh. Picture: Robert Rosen

“I had always been really inspired by Heath, too, because I knew him growing up when he was much younger and I thought, ‘Well if he can make it from Perth, I can too.’

“I mean, he was a bit classier, he did blockbuster films and Oscar-winning roles. I went on a reality TV show with Merv Hughes, but you know, walk your own path.

“I was only 17 when I went over to Heath’s funeral and everywhere we went there were photographers and people trying to find out information and they were so intrusive to this poor family, but it made me have to grow up overnight.

“I had never dealt with grief before. I came back from that trip a man. A gay man, actually.

“One night while we were in LA for the funeral, Ashleigh and I decided to go and see the musical Wicked and I was sitting there watching the song Defying Gravity, which is about being true to yourself, and I went, ‘I’m gonna come out.’ I was like, ‘I am Elphaba, but I’m not green, I’m gay’.”

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Joel Creasey as a young ball boy at the Hopman Cup.

As a junior footballer for Applecross Football Club in Perth.

BUYING into the millennial hunger for useless gossip, and his own appetite for it, Thirst serves up a sordid sycophantic flourish of A-lister encounters, and a few D-grades too.

His literary game of celebrity spotto taps into a rich vein of encounters, from Kylie Minogue in a Cathay Pacific Lounge to cementing his soulmate status with Chrissie Swan in the jungle.

“I think I’ve carved out a bit of a niche for myself; I don’t know anyone else doing pop culture comedy in Australia,” he says.

“I talk a lot about the advice Joan Rivers gave me and working with Carrie Fisher … actually it’s kind of scary that everyone fabulous I work with is dying immediately afterwards. Collette Mann better look out on the set of Neighbours, she could be next … or Ita.”

Perhaps the most startling encounter Creasey describes is an “intimate” relationship with a current AFL player.

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Barry Hall and Creasey on I’m A Celebrity. Picture: Network TEN

“I’m very good at keeping secrets so he will be all right. I give just enough away. He’s a lovely guy.”

So is there anyone Creasey is wary of offending in his celebrity confessional?

“I’m worried about which celebrities won’t talk to me after it comes out, but you know, I put a laugh in front of anything else, so if getting a laugh means losing an acquaintance, then that’s fine by me. I’ll do anything for a laugh. I think there will be a lot of reality TV stars who will be shocked to learn they are not mentioned.

“But I’m like, sorry, if someone is reading this book in a year they won’t know your name, Random, from The Bachelorette.

“I mean, I have the same publisher as Hillary Clinton, and I kinda love that.”