Mel Buttle on Bake Off, ‘Lynn’ and her new show Taking my Sunglasses Off to Hear You Better

As the long-time host of Bake Off, and the creator of a hit social media meme, comedian Mel Buttle has built a career out of finding funny in the everyday – including her descent into middle age.

Mel Buttle comedian. Picture: supplied

How did landing the gig as host of The Great Australian Bake Off change your life? When I first started doing stand-up, I used to add up the money I earned in my head. “I’ve got a $50 gig next week, and I’ve got a $200 gig this week, and then on Sunday there’s another $50 and that’ll pay for rent or groceries or whatever...” And I still do it now, but I catch myself going, “You know, I’ve got that, it’s going to be alright.” So it does mean I can chill out a little bit, but I still can’t help to look ahead. When I see an empty month, I panic a little bit.

How would you describe the kind of comedy you write and perform? I like to do jokes about things that I’ve experienced, things I know inside out. And I always tell the truth. So if I say I hate the car brand Honda, it means I do. There are some twists and exaggerations but it’s truthful. I don’t lie on stage, I don’t do politics, I don’t do controversial issues – and that’s because I like to pay my bills and be involved in the mainstream media. I’ll work smart, not hard, thank you.

So what recent experiences of yours have made their way into your new stand-up show? The central theme is about me leaning into my middle age. I’ve accepted it. I’m not cool any more. I love things like listening to true crime podcasts, and I don’t like things like food trucks: I just want a chair to sit on. It’s quite scary how quickly middle age has come on because it feels like only a few years ago I was still listening to Triple J and I would go out of the house at night time, and I had a podcast going with a girl in a band. And now, I’m going to the podiatrist.

Do you think the mumsy character “Lynn” you created, and who has become a hit social media meme, has rubbed off on you? Oh yeah, it’s like I’ve gone full method. The thing about Lynn is she says out loud what I think in my head: she’s like my internal monologue. Not sure if I need to see a psychologist or if it’s simply the case that we all become our mothers, unfortunately.

Tell us a bit about your mother. Well, when I was a kid I missed out on a swimming scholarship to Brisbane State High and had to shelve my dream of being the next Lisa Curry-Kenny, and so at the eleventh hour we found a place for me at St Margaret’s – which is a posh school and it cost lots of money to go. Mum said not to worry, and she took up a side job driving limousines – she even wore the little hat. It’s as comical as it sounds.

As a girl from the Brisbane suburbs that school must have been a big eye-opener? Yes it was. I learned about things like Ralph Lauren, and Country Road, and living in a four-storey house on the Brisbane River.

How has the stand-up comedy scene changed since you started almost 20 years ago? Back then I would nearly always be the only girl on the line-up – if there was ever another woman, both your minds would be blown away. There were times you’d get introduced by somebody from the older guard and he would get on the microphone and say, “Coming to the stage now, it’s Mel. She’s only been doing comedy for a short time, and you know what, I’m probably gonna f..k her after!” That doesn’t seem to happen any more, thankfully.

Mel Buttle’s new show Taking my Sunglasses Off to Hear You Better is touring nationwide