Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip

JAMIE DEMETRIOU (Stath Lets Flats / Fleabag / Paddington 2) • Friday Rewind

·1 hr 14 min·5 clips

Jamie Demetriou reveals how his half-Greek heritage created Stath's hilarious, untapped British accent.

Scroobius Pip hosts a rewind episode from June 2018 featuring an interview with Jamie Demetriou. The episode begins with Pip introducing Demetriou as the creator and star of the then-new Channel 4 sitcom 'Stath Lets Flats'. Demetriou explains that the character Stath emerged from voices he and his sister Natasha used, drawing on their half-Greek heritage to create a distinct British-Greek accent he felt was untapped in comedy. He describes the show's premise, focusing on a clueless letting agent whose confidence masks gibberish, inspired by real-life awkward interactions with estate agents. Demetriou credits Channel 4's Blaps scheme for providing a low-risk platform to develop the idea, comparing it to other innovative shows like 'Chewing Gum'. He discusses the casting process, emphasizing the importance of naturalistic performers like Phoebe Walsh and Fergus Craig to ground his heightened character. The conversation shifts to Demetriou's comedy influences, including Harry Enfield, Paul Whitehouse, and contemporary shows like 'This Country'. He shares anecdotes about his early career, including a disastrous Edinburgh Fringe run where all his belongings were stolen during a show. Demetriou reflects on the collaborative dynamic with his sister Natasha, highlighting mutual validation rather than rivalry. He also talks about working on the Netflix action-comedy 'Game Over, Man', where he played a villain and had surreal interactions with Shaggy, who reminisced about 90s UK pop culture. The interview touches on broader themes in comedy, such as the evolution of formats seen in Alan Partridge versus the concise approach of The Office. Demetriou concludes by discussing the satisfaction of creating his own projects, like the improvised show 'Murder in Successville', where he impersonated Zayn Malik.

As heard by us

A loose June 2018 chat where Fringe nerves open onto the craft behind a sitcom title joke.

This Friday Rewind revisits a June 2018 conversation with Jamie Dimitriou, recorded as Staff Let's Flats was first taking shape and circling a useful question: when does a comedy show become more than a gig?

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Why you'd press play

You want a sweaty June 2018 chat with Jamie Dimitriou, right as Staff Let's Flats is first starting.

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