Episode 27 of This Week in Comedy brings a loose, sharp and properly funny visit from Bev Killick, a road-tested Australian comedy force. Bold, bawdy and high-energy, Bev looks back on clubs, festivals and national tours, including the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, Puppetry of the Penis and Busting Out. She also shares how stand-up found her after a trip to the Espy, how Joan Rivers shaped her approach to owning the stage, and how a circle of women helped her restart her life and step into comedy with purpose. The episode gives flowers to Rove McManus, newly appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours for service to broadcast media, entertainment and community. The crew celebrates the honour while linking Rove back to his early South Melbourne comedy roots at the legendary Star and Garter. Charlie Pickering also lands in the news after calling Grace Tame “problematic” around her ABC podcast Autistic AF with Grace Tame. The room flips the lens: rather than Grace being the issue, Charlie becomes the problematic one, raising questions about who gets labelled difficult when outspoken women speak plainly. There is also a pointed discussion about Lisa Jane Spencer and the backlash to her “Auntie Lisa” material, with Bev and the hosts arguing the issue is not simply offence, but lazy, damaging work that lacks craft, punchlines and responsibility. The episode also highlights A Fair Cut’s first town hall meeting, being held on Saturday, 13 June, at The Ballroom, Donkey Wheel House, near Southern Cross. Supported by MEAA, the meeting is designed to gather performer input ahead of Fair Cut’s talks with Melbourne Fringe, especially around fairer venue deals and what a better split should look like for artists. And, of course, there is beer. After a shout-out to Two Bays for clarifying their gluten-free brewing ingredients, the crew cracks into Real Ale Golden from Reservoir. Served at cellar temperature, the beer earns praise for its warm fermentation, unfiltered body, canned conditioning, 100 percent Aussie ingredients and rounded flavour. Along the way, the episode covers Robert Irwin hosting the Logies, Liz Hicklin becoming a “sit-down stand-up” in her 90s, Fair Cut’s town hall on performer pay, Geelong Comedy Festival’s artist-friendly ticket split, Jane Kennedy’s influence, John Blackman’s legacy and the strange life of Thomas Midgley Jr. It is chaotic, reflective and proudly funny. Mostly, though, it is a showcase for Bev’s storytelling, resilience, generosity and ability to turn even messy life detours into comedy gold, with very real bite too throughout. Links:A Fair Cut's first town hall meeting: Click here Real ale Golden by Sobremesa Fermentary & Blendery: Click here Learn more about This Week in Comedy by visiting www.thisweekincomedy.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.