Rosie Jones reveals how having her benefits cut led to acclaimed drug-dealer comedy Pushers

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

Congratulations on the Bafta nominationfor your performance in Pushers. Was this something on your wish list?

It was always my ultimate goal to have my own sitcom, so when I did that, I thought, “Great, I’m done. I’ve peaked.” This nomination really is the icing on an already yummy cake.

What inspired you to write Pushers?

It’s a sitcom about a drug dealer so, legally, I can’t say it’s about my early years. It actually came from a serious political place. In 2017, the government halved my benefits. I was able to take on more jobs and make up the money, but it made me think about all the millions of disabled people unable to do the same. With my comedic hat on, I thought of the most ridiculous thing I could do to earn money, and that was drug dealing, getting past police because they think a person like me is a cute little disabled lady. It came out of knowing how it feels to be underestimated all of my life.

What’s your writing process?

My co-writer Peter Fellows and I literally cut every episode in half. One of us writes the first half, the other writes the second and then we swap them over, so we approach the second draft with fresh eyes and new jokes, then we swap them back, stitch them together and then finally get in the room to read it. For me then, it’s all about how it sounds, improving each line, and that process never stops, even when we’re filming on set.

Is it harder to write comedy than drama?

I’m biased, but I’d say yes. Not only are you creating a story, you’re also constantly trying to think of the funniest way of getting that across. I recently wrote an episode of a drama and was told that it was too funny. Comedy is my fallback and defence mechanism, so it broke my heart to take out the jokes.

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