Home Radio New Zealand Public Media UK comedian nearly died onstage – he’s quit smoking and being angry

UK comedian nearly died onstage – he’s quit smoking and being angry

March 21, 2026

In 2019, Emmanuel Sonubi was performing in Dubai when his heart failed, triggering a mini-stroke.

Since then, the former bouncer hasn’t picked up a cigarette, listens to his body and chooses not to spend his energy on anger.

“So much more often now, you’ll find me in a good mood, just because now I know what worse looks like,” he tells RNZ’s Nine to Noon.

This video is hosted on Youtube.

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Just like comedy holds up a mirror up to society, it can do the same with an angry drunk, he says.

“It can really take the fuse out of the fire when [a belligerent person sees] how ridiculous the situation is.”

Knowing that he liked to perform, Sonubi had also worked as a dance teacher, hairdresser and an IT support guy when he made his stand up debut at the London bar Dirty Dicks.

Climbing onstage at an open mic night that his friend had put his name down for, Sonubi suddenly found his calling.

“The moment I told that first joke, I thought, ‘Yeah, this is me’ … It just felt so electric, and just so in the moment that I thought, yeah, this was what I was meant to do.”

Emmannuel Sonubi performing at the British comedy show Live at the Apollo, which he has also hosted.

Bryan Berlin

When he took the stage on the 2019 day his heart failed, Sonubi was already not feeling great.

Coughing up blood in the days before, he says he was in “absolute despair” thinking that he likely had lung cancer that couldn’t be treated.

While performing, although he started feeling like he couldn’t breathe, Sonubi says he still had adrenaline pumping. Trying to get to the end of the show, he collapsed in the final minutes.

Later, paramedics told the comedian that with his heart only functioning at eight percent of its capacity, he almost needed a new one.

This video is hosted on Youtube.

Since then, Sonubi has not only given up smoking and drinks a lot less, he says he also listens to my body and has given up arguing.

“I’m just like, what’s the point? Anger as an emotion takes such energy. And there’s many more things I’d rather do rather than be angry.

“You’re not always going to agree with everyone. That’s just how life is. And I actually prefer to have conversations with people I don’t agree with, because I always find I’m probably going to learn something whether I agree with it or not. I’ll probably learn something from it.”

When he performs his new Life After Near Death comedy special at the NZ International Comedy Festival in Auckland this May, Sonudi hopes the audience will leave with a slightly different perspective on life.

“I’d like them to leave somewhat inspired because there’s lots of stuff in this show that does resonate with every type of person.

“We all go to sleep as a human that’s going to be there tomorrow. It’s a very weird feeling going to sleep and you don’t know [if you will].

“So much more often now, you’ll find me in a good mood, just because now I know what worse looks like.”

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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