Troy Hawke loses it over simple Aussie phrase
The British comedian reveals the best Aussie slang he’s ever heard and why he simply can’t get enough of it.
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If you’ve yet to be introduced to the comedy gold that is Troy Hawke, here’s a quick breakdown. Troy is the alter ego of British comedian Milo McCabe, and he takes his job as founder (and only member) of The Greeters Guild VERY seriously.
Often recorded outside department stores around the world, Troy showers passersby with compliments in what he calls a “non-consensual greeting appointment”. It’s a schtick that’s now earned him over 2.4 million followers across his Instagram and TikTok accounts.
Troy’s quick-witted humour, ranging from outrageous compliments to sharp observational commentary, has a way of making you both want to BE him and be around him. Think Ted Lasso, but born into a wealthy British family.
We caught up with the comedian during the Sydney stop of his The Greeters Guild Aussie tour. And while they say you should never meet your heroes, Troy Hawke is an exception.
In his signature purple smoking jacket, Troy shared the secret to the perfect compliment: “Make it bespoke… nothing generic or obvious, something they’ve worked on and you genuinely appreciate. It has to feel authentic, not forced.”
Having greeted people worldwide, Troy dubbed Australia the “nicest place he’s ever been to,” noting, “Everyone here is naturally friendly. It feels like people have less to prove than in the UK.”
“I like the bluntness and openness of the people here. You don’t hold back, you say what you mean and think, I find that alarmingly refreshing.”
And while he loves our sense of humour, there’s one simple Aussie phrase he can’t get enough of. “I love ‘too easy’ because it implies you’re disappointed with the complexity of the task. Could you not make it more complicated?! Give me a challenge for Christ’s sake.”
Not only are we Troy’s favourite country, it’s also where he’s had the “weirdest fan interaction” of his career.
Luckily for us, it happened right in the middle of our interview.
“Somebody crossing the road. Nearly getting run over. Standing there like a Greek statue and then casually telling us she was a Playboy centrefold ten years ago. That’s a full house in bizarre fan interactions,” he said.
As for one country that was a little less receptive to his “non-consensual customer service”, Troy explains that “people from Finland don’t use small talk, they only use functional words to convey things they actually mean. So a stranger coming up to them in the street and doing small talk is the most abruptly odd thing for them. I enjoyed the challenge though.”
Of course, we had to ask Troy about his skincare routine while we had him (can you believe he’s 48?! Us either.). And luckily for us, it’s a very simple four step process.
“I use hyalouronic acid and then I have tonic and then I do a vitamin C serum and then I have a moisturiser. And then I practice gratitude verbally, out loud, at least once a day.”
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And he always, always sticks to his signature scent of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille.
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, $395 at Amazon Australia
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