AIL meets Ruby Wax

The irrepressible Ruby Wax has a CV most people can only dream of, from script editing Absolutely Fabulous to interviewing Heidi Fleiss and Sarah Ferguson on Ruby Wax Meets. She’s also immersed herself with the KKK in Arkansas and quizzed OJ Simpson in typically forthright style. In 2013 she gained a masters degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Oxford University, and released a book, Sane New World, about training the mind to switch off in a frantic world. Here Ruby talks madams’ dungeons and post-war housing.

If you were in charge of running London, who or what would you put on the fourth plinth of Trafalgar Square?
Probably Boris Johnson because I think he’s iconic, and visitors would like to see what he looks like up close. He’s so bizarre, but interesting and quintessentially English.

What do you think every Londoner should be entitled to for free?
Free travel, but not just for bikes, there would be cars, and you would flag them down and they would take you anywhere you want to go.

Which is your favourite neighbourhood?
Notting Hill, because I’ve always lived there. Before it turns into America, which it’s just about to. Nothing is more charming. I’m sad that it’s turning into Beverly Hills. It’s the fantasy of being in England, and in London. And the film [Notting Hill] has stereotyped it even more, now we’re imitating the film rather than the film imitating us.

Why is it turning into Beverly Hills?
It’s shops and people building and touching the core of the earth, needing to have basements.

What causes do you think Londoners should be more passionate about?
I’m only into giving money to brain research, because everything comes from that: crime, drugs, suicide, heart attack… If you want to give money give it to the brain.

Where is the strangest place you’ve ever found yourself in?
A long time ago when I was doing Ruby Wax Meets we filmed in a madam’s dungeon in Earl’s Court, where she had gibbets and things, and rooms where you would wear rubber masks. A lot of her clients were in the government. I’m sure it’s not there anymore. Her name was Mistress Whiplash, I remember that.

What do you wish London would sort out once and for all?
I don’t want to be shallow, but parking (laughs). I’ve given most of my money to clamps, so I think they should provide valet parking for everyone. They would put them [cars] somewhere underground, and then people would bring them to you, otherwise we forget where they are and we end up roaming like nomads.

Who or what is London’s biggest villain?
Those horrible 50s council houses. The architecture before they started taking any pride in it, it was hideous, grotesque.

One of the things you talk about in your book Sane New World is that our brains are overloaded with information nowadays. What do you think of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook?
My book isn’t about anything that should be done about it. I have no point of view, it’s here. You can say you don’t want something kicking and screaming but it’s there anyway, so my whole book is about when you put it down. Everybody has to do a certain amount of emailing, and a certain amount of whatever, but we get addicted to it, and that’s when it’s dangerous. Individually we have to learn how much you can take, and when are you addicted. So I’m not making complaints about anything, I’m just saying kids have to be taught and people have to be taught “ok, now it’s enough.” You don’t have to stay off it, but just stay off it for a few minutes.

Do you think there’s a danger in people doing things just for the purpose of posting pictures on social media for people to see?
No, I think the danger is television reality shows. Now nobody knows what the quality of a funny line is. We’ve forgotten how hard people work to make something a great creation, so now people just think it’s funny if you watch some people in a room eating each other’s toe nails. That’s the tragedy, everything else is… you know people need love. If they have to find it on Twitter, that’s just another way.



Sane New World is currently out on Hodder & Stoughton. The Sane New World tour is visiting UK venues across April and May, and starting again in September.


Image credit: Steve Ullathorne