Grace Campbell: I realised I was obsessed with men — it was very off-brand 

'Joanne McNally is the GOAT. I’d have her at my dinner party. I’d love to say I’d invite a load of stand-ups, but I am worried it would just be a table full of egos...'

Grace Campbell: If I don't have coffee, within 20 minutes of waking up, I start to wretch. Picture: Sarah Harry-Isaacs

Grace Campbell has a complicated relationship with men. And the 28-year-old comedian’s latest show, which lands in Dublin later this month, is centred around the contradiction of being a feminist who craves male validation.

“The show begins with a breakup that was really pivotal for me,” she explains over the phone from London. “After that, I started serial dating and I realised I was actually obsessed with men.”

“It was really unhealthy, it was getting me into bad situations, but also, it was just very off-brand for me,” she says with a sigh. “My vibe is ‘I don’t give a shit about men’.

“I am on a journey of trying to change it, but I haven’t figured it out. I still love men.”

Campbell has had sell-out runs for previous shows, hosts a stand-up night The Disgraceful Club and has a memoir to her name (written at 25) — but when you Google her name, ‘Alastair Campbell’s daughter’ still comes up as her Wiki descriptor.

The topic of being a nepotism baby — a relatively new term coined to refer to those who have famous or well-connected relations — has come up in near-on every interview she’s done in recent times. So instead I ask, how does the former British government press secretary deal with hearing his daughter talk explicitly about her sexual encounters on stage?

“Both of my parents come [to the shows], they’re so proud of me. But when I am talking about sex...” she trails off with a laugh.

“Dad says the only way he can get through it is by pretending it’s someone else up on stage.”

• Grace Campbell is taking her sell-out Edinburgh run A Show About Me(n) to Dublin on March 23. Tickets €22.10 + fees, from ticketmaster.ie
  

How do you keep fit?

I’ve just got a dog, Eddie, a cavalier King Charles spaniel — she is currently lying on my lap expecting a tummy rub — and I’m walking at least two hours a day. I do yoga probably three, four times a week. I’ve recently got back into going to the gym. I am obsessed with exercise, purely because it’s so good for my anxiety. If I don’t exercise, I’m a mess.

Do you have a morning routine?

If I don’t have coffee, within 20 minutes of waking up, I start to wretch, like I am having withdrawals. It’s so bad. My ideal scenario is to be woken up with a coffee. Even getting from my bedroom to my kitchen to make coffee I hate my life and then the second I have coffee I’m fine. It’s not very healthy, but that is my morning routine.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I’m vegetarian so I feel that that makes me just sound healthy. I have recently been making a lot of soup. If I eat badly, I feel like shit. I need to have enough protein, a smoothie and a juice every day.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Alcohol. I adore a pale Rosé.

How do you relax?

My happy place is at home, alone on my sofa, watching some trash television.

What is your favourite smell?

I’m obsessed with smells. My mum always has the most amazing candles. I love the smell of a fire in a house, and citrusy fruits — limes are my favourite.

What is the best health advice you’ve been given?

If you feel like you’re getting a cold eat a raw clove of garlic. It works, it’s just disgusting. For mental health, my mantra is ‘feelings aren’t facts’.

What traits do you least like in others?

Selfishness. Flakiness.

What traits do you least like about yourself?

Self-centeredness. Jealousy.

What keeps you awake at night?

At the moment, not much. I’m single, and in the past, I used to be kept awake when I was in stressful relationships. I was so worried about them. But I guess, when people in my life aren’t in good places, that keeps me up at night.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Rihanna — I think she would be the best dinner party guest. She’s got charisma, she’s funny, and she’s cool. I am obsessed with Chelsea Handler. Joanne McNally is the GOAT. I’d have her at my dinner party too. I’d love to say I’d invite a load of stand-ups, but I am worried it would just be a table full of egos.

Has climate change impacted your life?

Very much so. I don’t eat meat. I buy a lot of clothes second-hand, and I rent a lot of my clothes. I wouldn’t say I am perfect, but I am very conscious of the environment.