EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Jim Gaffigan has set his sights on the whiskey world with Live from Old Forester: The Bourbon Set, a new comedy special that can be viewed above, and on YouTube, now.
Gaffigan shot the special at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville KY, with oak barrels lining the stage. It was inspired by his deep dive into the bourbon world over the last years, with the launch of his own small batch bourbon called Fathertime.
Gaffigan partnered with college friend Stu Pollard to parlay his passion for whiskey — and parenting — into the creation of Fathertime Bourbon in 2024. Named for “the occasional brief period of peace and reflection every hardworking father earns,” with a label that features his paternal grandfather, Fathertime is a high-rye Kentucky bourbon that releases in small batches each spring and fall.
Noting that “Stand up is all self-assignment,” Gaffigan said, “With Live from Old Forester: The Bourbon Set I let my love of bourbon lead the way. At this point I’m not sure if bourbon is a passion or a mid-life crisis but I love it. Since this was such a niche endeavor I didn’t even go to a big streamer. I just wanted to get this material out there for the other bourbon geeks.”
Mike Lavin directed and Stu Pollard produced The Bourbon Set, whose executive producers include Jim Gaffigan, Jeannie Gaffigan, and Alex Murray. Chimichanga Productions, 3 Nuts Studios, and Lunacy Unlimited are the production companies.
An eight-time Grammy nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, two-time New York Times best-selling author, three-time Emmy winning top touring performer, multi-platinum-selling recording artist, and top ten earning comedian in Pollstar, Gaffigan debuted his 11th special, The Skinny, on Hulu last winter as the streamer’s first original stand-up special under its Hularious banner, and has since seen it garner almost 100 million clip views online.
Currently on his Everything is Wonderful Tour, the comic is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Schreck Rose Dapello.
It was a frantic start to tonight’s episode of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, with Ant McPartlin making two live blunders as he got the show underway with co-host Declan Donnelly.
The long-running ITV reality series returned on Saturday as the first week of the campmates’ journey was almost completed, with Alex Scott, Shona McGarty, Vogue Williams and Tom Read Wilson all taking part in a trial.
The drama was there from the outset, however, as Ant got himself into a pickle as he introduced the episode. In a very wet Australian jungle, the presenter almost slipped over as he made his way to the main presenting area.
To make matters worse, or funnier depending on your persuasion, he then had some trouble as he attempted to close his umbrella, with the presenter amusingly hurling it across the studio in frustration.
“Woah woah woah, it’s slippy guys,” said Ant as he almost fell, with a grinning Dec remarking: “That was always going to happen, wasn’t it?” As Ant attempted to close his umbrella, he said: “I can’t do this, this stupid thing!”
The duo and the production team behind the camera weren’t the only ones to laugh as several fans took to social media to express their amusement, with one viewer writing on X: “What a start [to] the show Ant #ImACeleb”
“Ant almost hitting the Deck, there’s a joke in there somewhere,” quipped another viewer, with a third remarking: “Ant nearly slipping over and losing it over an umbrella, off to a great start already #ImACeleb”
“Chaos already and we’re 3 mins in, I love this show #ImACeleb” wrote one other fan, while a fifth noted: “Ant nearly falling over and then crashing out over the umbrella this episode is off to a good start! #ImACeleb”
