1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Wisecrack is released weekly and brought to you absolutely free, 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: but if you want to hear the whole season right now, 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: it's available ad free on Tenderfoot Plus. For more information, 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: check out the show notes enjoy the episode. 5 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely 6 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 2: those of the podcast author or individuals participating in the podcast, 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 2: and do not represent those of iHeartRadio, Tenderfoot TV, or 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: their employees. This podcast also contains subject matter which may 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: not be suitable for everyone. Listener discretion is advised. 10 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 3: Previously on Wiscrack. 11 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,639 Speaker 4: So after joining met with Brett's dad, she came at 12 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 4: me with all these questions, really serious ones like did 13 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 4: I insert myself into this whole story for attention, fame, glory, money, 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 4: a free Tesla, an exclusive Nando's black card, maybe just 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 4: to finally get on the prices right, which, by the way, 16 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 4: I would crush except. 17 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 3: Only during the Bob Barker era. 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 4: Rest in peace for a real one, Drew Carey, I 19 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 4: love you, mate, but the soul left with the skinny mic. Anyway, 20 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 4: After she threw all that at me, after she made 21 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 4: some pretty good points, I told her to fuck off, 22 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 4: which makes this all a little bit awkward. 23 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 3: Why am I still here? 24 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 4: Why am I doing a recap for a podcast that 25 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 4: might have just exposed me as a pathological liar with 26 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,119 Speaker 4: a flair for murder adjacent stand up material. I don't know, 27 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 4: but you're here, I'm here, We're here, So let's both 28 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 4: just shut up and finish the story, shall we? 29 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 3: Strap in? This is the final episode of Wisecrack Never 30 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 3: sing you look and love was right. I don't know 31 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 3: the rest of the words. 32 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: As he drove me to Heathrow, Ed was quiet, processing 33 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: everything we'd been through on this trip. We said our 34 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: goodbyes and he told me he needed some time, that 35 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: he'd reach out. But after arriving back in Atlanta, days 36 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: turned into weeks turned into months, not a word from Ed. 37 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: I was starting to accept that confronting him about that 38 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: night was all too much for Ed, that he had 39 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: decided to put it all behind him, including me. But 40 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: like all those years ago, out of the blue he 41 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: reached out. Ed was ready to perform the set again, 42 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: but this time with the full picture in mind, using 43 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: all the real names and a different venue. 44 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 3: Hi. 45 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 5: I'm Jody Tovey. I'm one of the many folks who 46 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 5: were putting on the show tonight. I'll be really brief. 47 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 5: I am not the opener. You can't find an opener 48 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 5: for this. A couple of years back, I went to 49 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 5: the Fringe Festival in Scotland. I don't know if anyone's been, 50 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 5: but it's amazing. 51 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: He wanted to perform outside the long shadows of Stanstead. 52 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: Ed wanted to come to me. So we're in for 53 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: a real treat. 54 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 5: But this is the US premiere, So you guys are 55 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 5: the first people in America hearing the set. 56 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: We sold it out, set the mic and turned on 57 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: the lights. So in Lanta, give it up for Ed Hedges. 58 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: Then I let Ed Hedges take the stage, having no 59 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: idea what he was about to say. I'm Jody Tovey 60 00:03:39,240 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: and this is wisecrack to episode six, Hold for laughter, 61 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: My last night in Stanstead. Well, it wasn't the farewell 62 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: either of us had in mind. Ed was pissed at 63 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: me for doubting some elements of his story, and I 64 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: was miffed that he thought I'd just forego those essential questions. 65 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: I knew calmer heads would prevail, but I only had 66 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: a few hours left in England. Though we had some 67 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: bruised feelings. Both Ed and I knew we weren't the 68 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: victims of the story. Any quibbling over unknowable details would 69 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: never bring back Jillian, David or Brett. The only way 70 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: to honor their memories was to get Ed back on stage. 71 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 1: Armed with the new knowledge we had worked so hard 72 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: to uncover. Ed needed to recount his experiences with new 73 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: audiences and share with us how he had healed from 74 00:04:49,279 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: the scariest night of his life. 75 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 3: Mine's Ed. 76 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 4: I woke up to that noise coming from my front 77 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 4: door on the twenty second of July twenty fifteen. And 78 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 4: we're going to talk about that in a minute. But first, hello, 79 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 4: it's nice to be here in Atlanta. 80 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 3: You're all very nice. I've enjoyed my time here. This 81 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 3: is already my. 82 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 4: Favorite city on the face of the earth, because you're lovely, 83 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 4: but you're weird as shit, like you're wonderful weird people. 84 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 3: Oh, Walmart, that is the best place on earth? Right. 85 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 4: Do you have any idea how long it would take 86 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 4: you in the UK to go to a garden center, 87 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 4: food court, a clothes shop, a bike shop and a zoo. 88 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 3: That is mad. It's wonderful, lovely, people. It's good to 89 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 3: be here. 90 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 4: Thank you for coming. I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you. 91 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 4: I'm gonna tell you a story, right am. I'm from 92 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 4: a really rayal background in England. Originally, I'm not from 93 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 4: a big city. I'm from a very countryside area, rural family. 94 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 4: My dad is a farmer, my mom is a cousin. 95 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 4: So I was bullied. I was bullied a lot throughout 96 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 4: my school years. And I got on the bus and 97 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 4: go into school with like a ripped tie and school 98 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 4: uniform and the teachers and be like. 99 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 3: Oh, what we're going to do with you. Let's say 100 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 3: stop the bullying please, But they didn't and didn't stop 101 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 3: the bullying. 102 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: Like riding a bike, Ed remembers exactly how to steer 103 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: his set. Though he's older. He tells his childhood stories 104 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: with the same wide eyed awe that I witnessed in 105 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: Edinburgh almost a decade ago. The comedy was mostly the same, 106 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: but the comedian was relaxed, self aware, at peace. 107 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 3: And also another thing on top of that is I 108 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:47,119 Speaker 3: was a really chubby kid. 109 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: But I noticed there were a few new stories I've 110 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: never heard before. 111 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 3: I was a bigger kid. 112 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 4: I was quite a large kid, and I realized that 113 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 4: I had to lose weight after I started comedy. Actually, 114 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 4: I got booked to do a gig in Ireland and 115 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 4: I stayed at a hostel. I didn't know what hostel 116 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 4: was at the time. I thought it was a hotel 117 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 4: owned by a dyslexic man. 118 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,720 Speaker 3: But it's not. It is not people of Atlanta. 119 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 4: It's a concrete room with bunk beds where nightmares live. 120 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 4: I was. I was two hundred and fifty pounds at 121 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 4: the time. I got to the hostel and I got 122 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 4: the last bit available. It was a top bunk above 123 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 4: an eighty year old woman named Ingrid. Yeah, correct response. 124 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 4: That doesn't work, doesn't it? That math doesn't work. I 125 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 4: got to the hostel, the hostel and showed me the bed, 126 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 4: took one look at me, took one look at the 127 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 4: bed and went, no, we're not doing this. What's gonna 128 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 4: happen here is you're gonna fall through that bed and 129 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 4: you're gonna kill her on impact. 130 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 3: So we're not rolling this dice tonight. Mate. 131 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 4: He said, what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna move you 132 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 4: to the bottom bunk. I'm gonna move Ingrid to the 133 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 4: top bunk. I'll tell her when she gets back from 134 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 4: her day trip. Everything will be fine. So there's a 135 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 4: great plan. I said, that is a good plan. Have 136 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 4: a ninety year old woman climb up a bunk bed 137 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 4: because my ass is too perfect. Okay, okay, And that 138 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 4: was a good plan technically, And that plan would have 139 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 4: worked if he'd have told Ingrid, which he didn't. So 140 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 4: I got back pretty late at night, quite drunk. I'll 141 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 4: here about you guys, but I like to jump into bed. 142 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 3: How do you feel? 143 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 4: She had these big white eyes, and I should have said, Ingrid, look, 144 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 4: I'm very sorry. 145 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 3: My name is Ed. I'm not a threat. There's been 146 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 3: a clerical error here. 147 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 4: He said you'd be on the top bunk and I 148 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 4: would be on the bottom bunk. I'm too heavy to 149 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 4: sleep on the top bunk. I'll get the host loaner. Now, 150 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 4: he'll explain everything to you. You're perfectly safe and this 151 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 4: is all gonna be fine. That is what I should 152 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 4: have said to Ingrid. 153 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 3: I panicked. 154 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 4: I panicked and said the only words I had in 155 00:08:54,200 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 4: my little brain, which was Ingrid, I didn't do that. 156 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 3: I didn't do that. I didn't do that. 157 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 4: I leant into a tiny geriatric face, real close, and 158 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 4: I said, Ingrid, I am too big to go on 159 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 4: top tonight, right, which. 160 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 3: Kind of makes sense, But also no I would say 161 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 3: that to an old woman at. 162 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 4: So when I turned at and I started comedy, and 163 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 4: I moved away from the village. 164 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:43,200 Speaker 3: I moved to London. 165 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 4: So in twenty fifteen, I'm sitting in my apartment in London, 166 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 4: minding my own business. I'm sitting in an apartment and I 167 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 4: get a call. I get a phone call from our 168 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 4: town counselor from the village. Now I've not been back 169 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 4: to my home village in years. At this point, my 170 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 4: brothers both moved out of the village, and my family 171 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 4: meet at their house. And I've got two brother one 172 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,839 Speaker 4: brother called Jack, who's married to an American, and one 173 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 4: brother called Sam, who had cancer when he was young. 174 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 4: But he's a racist, so it's fine. He rolled the 175 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 4: dice he lost. That is my favorite line in the show. 176 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 4: A call from the town counselor. And they called me 177 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 4: and they said, ed, we're raising money for the school, 178 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 4: and we've. 179 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 3: Seen in newspapers on the internet. 180 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:38,199 Speaker 4: You're gigging all over the place, and we'd love it 181 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 4: if you'd consider coming back and closing the gig for us. 182 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 4: So I said, yeah, I would love to come. I 183 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 4: would love to perform. So I go back. I go 184 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 4: back to the village and I do the gig, and 185 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 4: it's wonderful because I had such a bad experience living 186 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 4: there that I just kind of shut it out completely. 187 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 3: I finished the. 188 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 4: Gig and I walked back through all the streets, so 189 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 4: I used to walk down as a kid. So when 190 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 4: I get to my house, I go upstairs and I 191 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 4: go to bed. 192 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 3: I wake up. 193 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 4: I'd only been asleep for about twenty minutes, and at 194 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 4: the end of my bed someone is standing. It's my mum, 195 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 4: and I go to say mom was going on? And 196 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 4: before I can, she says the words to me, whatever 197 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 4: you do, do not turn on the lights. 198 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: It's always unsettling to watch a new audience hear that 199 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 1: line for the first time. You can practically feel the 200 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: rooms skin crawl. In unison, as Ed describes the eight 201 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: minutes that changed his life, mine cross too even now. 202 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: But tonight my uneasiness comes from a different place. After 203 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: I challenged him on some of the discrepancies in his 204 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: set that last night and stands Dead, Ed was barely 205 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: speaking to me. So before we left for the airport, 206 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: I texted him. I told Ed it didn't really matter 207 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: if he ever spoke to me again. He needed to 208 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: hear everything I learned. I asked him if he could 209 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: meet me at Jillian's favorite bench overlooking the green, the 210 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: small yard shared by Ed's and Brett's childhood homes. There 211 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,439 Speaker 1: I would lay out everything I'd uncovered about his childhood. 212 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 6: Bully, We're on her bench, aren't we. This is where 213 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 6: she liked to drink and chill. 214 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:29,719 Speaker 1: That's what your mom told me, that she would sit 215 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: here and make phone calls. I'm just going to show 216 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: you something for context. This is his rap sheet, and 217 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: that was only twelve years of his life. 218 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 4: This is close to m Everyone was scared of him. 219 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 3: Shit, this is. 220 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: There's a chronology of his arrests here. Twelve and thirteen 221 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: was actually the age when things That's why it starts there, 222 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: when he started to get into trouble. 223 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 3: So right when I was getting bullied. 224 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 7: Yes, yeah, I mean he was in trouble quite a 225 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 7: bit for drugs, theft, violence. 226 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 3: It's long lot of thirteen. 227 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 4: He was doing drugs, yeah, Thus. 228 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 3: And did he have his temper then? Oh, Yeah, so 229 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 3: I'm lucky. You get it. You're lucky. It was just donuts. 230 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:38,560 Speaker 1: He was in trouble over twenty times with the law 231 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: across twelve years and had all kinds of opportunities with 232 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 1: various professionals forced by the trouble that he caused, and 233 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: no one ever diagnosed him with anything specific. 234 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 3: Why why does that happen? 235 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: I don't know. 236 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 4: At that At that stage, it feels like an active 237 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 4: choice to not because they would have been aware. They 238 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 4: would've been aware. 239 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: The Essex Police were very aware that Brett was trouble. 240 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: So two thousand seven he was actually expelled from school, 241 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: so he never officially graduated. 242 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 3: Did you know that? Didn't he He never finished school? 243 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: No, he did take the equivalent of an exam that 244 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: would give you a certificate. 245 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 3: I didn't know that. 246 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was expelled. 247 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 8: Wow. 248 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: And then in twenty ten, and this was the only 249 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: time that he ever sought long term mental health care, 250 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: his private doctor referred him over to Essex University for 251 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: some of his psychosis issues. 252 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 9: Psychosis issues, Yeah, it was reported that he was hearing 253 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 9: voices that he thought the radio was talking to him, 254 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 9: so he would have conversations with the radio. 255 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 4: So he he's he's he's no, no, sorry, yeah, no 256 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 4: one said that. Psychological issues. But he is hearing voices. 257 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 4: He's claiming he has voices. 258 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: From It's worse than that, actually, So he threatened to 259 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: murder his best friend and their family, which was one 260 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: of the inciting incidents that put him in this care 261 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: at Essex University. 262 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 3: Really, well, who is his best friend? 263 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,280 Speaker 1: That doesn't say in the reports. I also thought it 264 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: could maybe be Sam because of the timeframe. I scan 265 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: Ed's eyes to see how he's reacting. I don't think 266 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 1: the possibility ever crossed his mind. Brett's best friend surely 267 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: belonged to the small world of the boys in Bentfield Gardens, 268 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: someone within Ed's orbit. The fact that it could have 269 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: been his brother, Sam, I can tell, is shaking him. 270 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: Continuing on, I remind ed that later Rhett had served 271 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: time in prison for beating his father, but upon his release, 272 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: he had nowhere to go except his mom's house. It 273 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: was a really bad time, I'm In the fall of 274 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: twenty eleven, Jill had called the police Brett had threatened 275 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 1: to rape her or kill her multiple times, multiple calls. 276 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: Pete also called the police during that time because Brett 277 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: was threatening to kill himself, so they were kind of 278 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: going back and forth between their houses. I believe at 279 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: this point, what the fuck. 280 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 3: Is them all? 281 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: There's much more so in twenty twelve, Jill calls the 282 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: police again and explicitly says her son is trying to 283 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: kill her. And as Pete had explained, she was making 284 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: him live in the car outside of there in the 285 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: garage because she was afraid for her life. So she 286 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: let him live at her house but not inside the house. 287 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 3: Wow. Yeah, so she must have. 288 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 4: Been so terrified. She must have been so to lock 289 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 4: her own son in the garden. 290 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, but also didn't want to give put him out 291 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: on the street. 292 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 4: And she has no option, thoughts to do that because 293 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 4: no one's helping her, no one's protecting her. 294 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:22,959 Speaker 1: So at this point, he is meeting regularly with a 295 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: state mandated check in. The last appointment that he made 296 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,160 Speaker 1: was at the end of June. It was the final 297 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: week of June, and Pete took him to that appointment 298 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 1: and the officer wasn't there. She was on vacation at 299 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 1: the time, so the final appointment, no one was there 300 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: to check in. And then twenty two days later he 301 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: killed two people. This one you're going to I've been 302 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 1: loaths to tell you this, but it's absolutely true. So 303 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:55,919 Speaker 1: they did an assessment after Brett got out of prison, 304 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: and in the assessment it said that the reason that 305 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: he had so many issues was because he was bullied 306 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: in school. 307 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 3: No, he said, the two issues. 308 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: That he had that caused all of his behavior disorders 309 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: were because of bullying and dyslexia. 310 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 4: And he was bullying a kid that had dyslexia. Everything 311 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 4: he could me through. 312 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: And he was doing he had the same issues. 313 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 3: That's so weird to think that's really okay. 314 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, he he he literally bullied me continuously. 315 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:46,479 Speaker 3: Because he was being bullied. 316 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 4: So he was giving the life that he supposedly had 317 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 4: to someone else. 318 00:18:54,560 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 3: That's he was always the thought. I never saw my thoughts. 319 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 1: I had some professionals and experts look over his rap sheet. 320 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: Everyone seems to point to the fact that this is 321 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: not a person who is out. 322 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 3: Of control of their emotions. 323 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 1: It was not that he was evil or a monster 324 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: inside and couldn't control himself. There was an inciting incident 325 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: that caused this. Something happened that night that set him off, 326 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: And it wasn't just like you know, tripping over a 327 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: curb or getting a flat tire. It was something that 328 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: was a long held belief that had just been pulled 329 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: out from under him. It had to have been something 330 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: of that level in order to have committed such. 331 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 3: A bloody crime. It was the show. I think it's possible. 332 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 4: What do you think? Do you think it seems too coincidental? 333 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 4: Because I don't really know what to think that in 334 00:19:57,320 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 4: my majority, I'll be honest with you, posters would have 335 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 4: been I've known that from day one. I'll be honest 336 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 4: with you, I've I've known that he knew I was 337 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:08,159 Speaker 4: here from day one. You've known that I've always been. 338 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 4: I didn't wanna say that to you because I just 339 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 4: don't really wanna think of the idea that he that 340 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,719 Speaker 4: it could be linked. But you can't not see posts 341 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 4: of me, that there was a wall of me in 342 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 4: the train station for a month, the Rickling Stalford Bishops, 343 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 4: like Bishop Stalford Stance did. My face was literally everywhere 344 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 4: on every single notice board in every single park. 345 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 3: He definitely knew. And I'm I, I, I. 346 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 4: Ah, this is this is crazy, this is really I've 347 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 4: got a lot of questions over whether it was me 348 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 4: being there that night. This place like Phil's creakier. Now 349 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 4: I know that I have to be honest. I don't 350 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 4: mind thinking that he was creeping through the dark right 351 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:06,119 Speaker 4: over there, and that I was asleep right there. What 352 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 4: if I'd have stayed for two more points at the 353 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 4: gig takes about what ten minutes to drink a pint? 354 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:13,920 Speaker 4: He made the call at what time? 355 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 3: Eleven? 356 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 4: I must have got home at half ten, Far closer 357 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 4: to this happening than I thought. I thought I was 358 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 4: asleep for like three hours when this happened, I was 359 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 4: asleep for probably twenty minutes. 360 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 3: So one one more drink or a slightly longer conversation. 361 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 4: As I was leaving the room, I would have bumped 362 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,479 Speaker 4: into my childhood bully when he was covered in blood 363 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 4: outside of my house. 364 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 3: How creepy is that. 365 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 4: He was laughing, which means he wasn't at my house 366 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 4: like scared. He wasn't banging on my door scared if 367 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 4: he had no remorse for it. So that makes me 368 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 4: think he was at my front door, and he was 369 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,920 Speaker 4: at my house in an aggressive way, just killed two 370 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 4: people and more stopping you like go for glory. We 371 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:11,640 Speaker 4: all got so fucking lucky. I'm trying to figure out 372 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 4: how I feel right now, and it's like flicking between 373 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 4: like I feel sorry for this kid cause he was 374 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 4: going through the same thing as me and he had 375 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 4: these mental health issues, and then also like a tremendous 376 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 4: amount of fuck you do it's it's it is upsetting, 377 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 4: you know. I didn't think any of this would really 378 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 4: get to me. I didn't realize he had dyslex yet. 379 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:48,399 Speaker 4: I didn't realize he had any trouble with bullies. He 380 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:53,360 Speaker 4: was like the pinnacle of what I thought a kid 381 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 4: in our age should be. Yeah, that's so shitty as well. 382 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:01,359 Speaker 4: I didn't don't whether I'm supposed to feel bad for 383 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 4: him right now. I've always been really hesitant to uh 384 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 4: bring myself into this story at all. Yeah, Like, even 385 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 4: when I was telling the story, Uh, I didn't really 386 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:15,360 Speaker 4: like to put myself in the end of it too much. 387 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 3: I remember I I. 388 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 4: I really had to be tracked into it, and I 389 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 4: think quite a few times I didn't even say how 390 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 4: I felt. But so when I first started his story 391 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:36,199 Speaker 4: in Edinburgh, I can remember strongly saying to you that 392 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 4: it wasn't it wasn't linked And I don't know whether 393 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 4: I believe or not. I'm certainly not saying that it was. 394 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 4: But it's too coincidental, Like why that night, why my house? 395 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 4: Why would you knock on my house? 396 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 1: I came here to like suck things out. I thought 397 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: the small town I can figure this out, And in 398 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:01,880 Speaker 1: fact I'm kind of a little. 399 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 8: Bit more confused. No one's also, do you think that's 400 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 8: the problem. I think it's always been the problem. I 401 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 8: think it's always been the problem. I guess I'd always 402 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 8: talked about this, and I was always protective by the 403 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 8: idea that I didn't have all the facts, and I 404 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 8: guess that was sort of a safe divilin time for me, 405 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 8: and I never had to own up to the facts 406 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:28,400 Speaker 8: that this could have ended very differently. 407 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,160 Speaker 1: In a way, it feels like we were always meant 408 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:39,360 Speaker 1: to end up here, a slow burn, a series of steps, conversations, doubts, 409 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 1: all leading up to this moment, and I had a 410 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,640 Speaker 1: single question left. Part of me wondered if I even 411 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: had a right to ask it. Ed wrote this set 412 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: in order to heal himself, even if he didn't know 413 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: it at the time, he'd gotten what he set out 414 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,360 Speaker 1: to gain from the comedy. He worked so hard to shape. 415 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: Perhaps that's all he needed. But here I am sitting 416 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: across from Ed, and I couldn't imagine ever getting the 417 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 1: chance again. You're going to be performing the set with 418 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: all this new information? Is the ending going to change? 419 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: Ed's head is now in his hands, slouched over. He's exhausted, 420 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: but I can tell he's been thinking about it too. 421 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:27,639 Speaker 3: I think the whole vibe of the show has that turns. 422 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:34,239 Speaker 4: All right, But the ending, yeah. 423 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 3: Because I have an ending now. 424 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 4: I'll walk out into the hallway and I'm like, Mom, 425 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 4: I've just called the police, and she holds a finger 426 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 4: up to her lips to tell me to be quiet, obviously, 427 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 4: and I go quiet, And the banging has stopped, and 428 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,439 Speaker 4: it's replaced by this horrible silence. It's like the loudest 429 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 4: silence I ever heard in my life, and whoever's outside 430 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 4: goes silent. My mom turns to my dad and she says, 431 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 4: I think it's all over, And as she starts to 432 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 4: say the oh in over, the loudest noise I've ever 433 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 4: heard in my life happens. It's the sound of whoever's 434 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 4: outside drop kicking the door. The first kick smashes the window, 435 00:26:24,119 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 4: the second kick makes the door buckle in the middle. 436 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 4: We can hear the wood snapping, We can hear the 437 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 4: metal hinges of the door start to gradually get ropped off. 438 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 3: My mom grabs me and my dad. 439 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 4: The banging got louder and loud and louder, and we 440 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 4: were all kind of teared up at this point. We 441 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 4: were really scared. And then the banging stopped and we 442 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 4: heard a helicopter. Then the moonlight that was coming through 443 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 4: the window was replaced by a really harsh blue light. 444 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 3: Next morning, I wake up. 445 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 4: For a second, I think it was all like a 446 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,639 Speaker 4: horrible dream, and then I hear my mum crying her 447 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 4: eyes out downstairs. 448 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 3: So I go downstairs. 449 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 4: The blinds are shut, all the doors are shut, everything's 450 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 4: turned off. My dad picks up the remote and he 451 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 4: turns on the TV and it's on the TV is 452 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 4: Sky News, And on Sky News is my house and 453 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 4: the two houses next to it, and they're covered in 454 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 4: police tape. 455 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 3: There's about six police officers on the street. 456 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 4: And I saw what happened, and I'm going to do 457 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 4: my best to tell you what happened now. 458 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 3: Sorry. 459 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 1: Here was the moment for ED to truly change the 460 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: way this set concluded with real names and real consequences. 461 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 1: Would he stick with his promise through the end? 462 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 4: On the night of the twenty second of July twenty fifteen, 463 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 4: a twenty three year old man named Brett Rogers killed 464 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:16,880 Speaker 4: his family. Brett stabbed his mother, Jillian, fifty six times 465 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 4: in the face, and he stabbed his mother's friend, David Oaks, 466 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,919 Speaker 4: fifty four times. At the trial, they identified it was 467 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 4: Brett because of the imprint his shoe left on the 468 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 4: side of his mother's skull, and then he came to 469 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 4: my house. 470 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,360 Speaker 1: From everything I've gleaned, Jillian was a good time, not 471 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: afraid of trading neighborhood gossip or naughty jokes. She was 472 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,479 Speaker 1: finally enjoying retirement after twenty plus years of working as 473 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: a lunch lady at a local school. Jillian's laugh was strong, 474 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 1: her poor was stronger at heart. She was a caretaker 475 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: who took in her troubled son when the rest of 476 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: the world wouldn't, and that's likely what David Oaks cherished 477 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: in his friend too, a local taxi driver who had 478 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: served his country in the Royal Air Force. David had 479 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:18,000 Speaker 1: survived multiple bouts of throat cancer and that summer he 480 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: likely felt optimistic again after finally being in remission. In 481 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: all my time in Stanstead, I had to pry these 482 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: happier moments out of the people who knew them best. 483 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: It's almost as if the way they perished revoked permission 484 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: to remember the good times. I hope this podcast keeps 485 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 1: their memories alive, that it opens the door to keep 486 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: talking about what happened to them and for Brett. I 487 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: feel their sympathy to be held for him as well, 488 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: for a system that failed him, for the signs that 489 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: were ignored, for the chances missed to simply ask are 490 00:29:54,680 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: you okay. Nothing dismisses his actions. He took two life, 491 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: and while we may never fully understand him, the question 492 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: still remains. After he brutally murdered his own mother and 493 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: her friend, why did Brett go to Ed's house. Perhaps 494 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: he was searching for a place to hide. Perhaps he 495 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: was there to confess. Perhaps he was there just to 496 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: look into the eyes of the very people he had 497 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: grown up with, as if to say things will never 498 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: be the same again. You will form your own opinion, 499 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: but here's mine. I do think Ed's presence in town 500 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 1: was a contributing factor to the murderers. However, by the 501 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:42,480 Speaker 1: time Brett arrived at the Hedges house, I don't think 502 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: he was there to hurt Ed. He'd changed clothes, stashed 503 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,600 Speaker 1: the knives, and called the police. At this point it 504 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: seems the rage and confusion had subsided. And yet on 505 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: the other side of that door was a family who 506 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 1: had only seen the worst of their neighbor. Of course, 507 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: they assumed Brett was there to hurt them. In the end, 508 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: Ed and Brett are two sides of the same coin. 509 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: But for the comedian center stage tonight, who, along with Brett, 510 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 1: experienced dyslexia, depression, and the mental toll of constant harassment, 511 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: it's time to make peace with his childhood bully. And 512 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: in so many ways, is there anyone who could understand 513 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: Brett better. 514 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 4: I wrote this was ten years ago, now just a 515 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 4: few months off the night, but in truth, I really 516 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 4: don't remember why I wrote it. At the time, I 517 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 4: thought I wanted to talk about all these men are 518 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 4: grown up with, my brother, Brett, my dad, how different 519 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 4: I was from them, how I saw everything differently and 520 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 4: how I acted differently, how I took things differently by 521 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 4: unparalleled sharp as a sense of humor. I don't know 522 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 4: if you guys know what it's like to declare your 523 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 4: wit as a weapon at customs, but it's been a 524 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 4: struggle for me. And anyway, I debuted this show at 525 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 4: the Edinburgh Fringes Festival, and after my show, I'd tell 526 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,440 Speaker 4: audiences to DM me they had any questions at all, 527 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 4: anything they wanted to know, any grizzly details, and they 528 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 4: were all gory questions, which is completely cool, and I 529 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 4: gave them what I had. 530 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:18,920 Speaker 3: But I didn't have a lot. I didn't do any 531 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 3: research into the night. 532 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 4: I just sort of looked at what happened to me 533 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 4: and my mum and my dad and my family, and 534 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 4: I really only wrote about that. I'd like to say 535 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 4: that it was creative license, but I changed a lot 536 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,280 Speaker 4: of things, and I removed a lot of details, just 537 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 4: through sheer laziness at times, but also because I wanted 538 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 4: to make this funny for you to see. Anyway, this 539 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 4: producer finds me one night in Edinburgh. It's pissing it 540 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 4: down outside, rain is falling, and I'm in my room 541 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 4: getting ready for my gig, and I've know where I 542 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 4: get a load of ticket sales from people that just 543 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 4: don't want to get wet. She hadn't seen my reviews, 544 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 4: she hadn't heard good things. She just didn't have an umbrella. 545 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 4: So you like about me, I will always offer you 546 00:32:59,080 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 4: shelter from the rain. 547 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 3: No way. 548 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:05,960 Speaker 4: After the show, she starts messaging me all these questions. 549 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 4: She starts asking me things that I hadn't been asked before. 550 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,719 Speaker 4: And I honestly didn't really realize it at the time, 551 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,239 Speaker 4: but I was really happy that someone wanted to know 552 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 4: the why. 553 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 3: Her name's Jody. She's there in the back somewhere. When 554 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,080 Speaker 3: we finally met up, Jody asked me more questions, more 555 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:25,320 Speaker 3: uncomfortable questions. 556 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 4: Jo wanted to know if I wanted to know the whys, 557 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 4: Why did Brett do it? Why that night? Why am 558 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 4: my front door? Why am I in this story at all? 559 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 4: Did my presence in the village spur what had happened? 560 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 4: And I think because I felt guilty, I didn't want 561 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 4: to know these answers, but I went along with it. Now, 562 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 4: if you'd listen to my set ten years ago, you 563 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:46,960 Speaker 4: would have heard me end it by saying, no, no way, 564 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 4: absolutely not. 565 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 3: It was all coincidence. 566 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 4: I just happened to be there that night he went 567 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,720 Speaker 4: crazy and it was all just luck of the draw. 568 00:33:56,520 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 4: It's been so rough, honestly talking about this, reliving it, 569 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 4: learning more things. The things I found out with Jody 570 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:08,280 Speaker 4: have kind of changed the way I feel about everything. 571 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 4: The more I've learned, the more my opinions have changed. 572 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:16,840 Speaker 4: And the thing is, Brett was the same as me. 573 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 3: That was the killer. Brett was the same guy as me. 574 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 4: Brett probably had the same conversations every day that I had, 575 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 4: felt the same things that I felt. Brett, like me, 576 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:32,279 Speaker 4: got left behind in his own childhood. He's the one 577 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:33,279 Speaker 4: that really shook me. 578 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 3: Right. 579 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 4: I've learned that Brett said that his life would have 580 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:38,840 Speaker 4: been entirely different if he. 581 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 3: Hadn't been bullied since school. That's crazy, right. 582 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 4: Brett was bullied to death in prison, murdered by two 583 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 4: men that thought it was kinder to snap his neck 584 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 4: craft and let him live in mental anguish. I did 585 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:57,439 Speaker 4: Brett bag on my door that night because he knew 586 00:34:57,480 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 4: I was in town? 587 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 3: Yes? Yeah so? But was he there to hurt me? 588 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:10,839 Speaker 3: I'll never know. I don't know why things worked out 589 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:11,520 Speaker 3: for me and not Brett. 590 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 4: I've got a lot of questions that I'll never have answered, 591 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 4: but I can say that Brett was not the hero 592 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:19,240 Speaker 4: of my village, and he certainly was not the villain 593 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,440 Speaker 4: of the story either. There was a time I was 594 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 4: confused about Brett's motivations. I felt sorry for what happened 595 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 4: to Brett. But now I've come to realize that empathy 596 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 4: is more useful than sympathy. 597 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 3: I love stories. 598 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 4: Aren't they good? I think they're brilliant. I think stories 599 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 4: are important as well. We don't really think about it, 600 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,240 Speaker 4: but stories are all we really have. How we passed 601 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 4: down information from generation to generation. We share stories to 602 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:48,840 Speaker 4: give ourselves warnings. 603 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,279 Speaker 3: We pass all of our answers to stories down. 604 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 4: It's the one thing that makes us different as a species. 605 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 3: And the past, the past is a. 606 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 4: Story as well. Everyone's past the subjective to them. It's 607 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,880 Speaker 4: just your viewpoint on something that happened a long time ago. 608 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 4: And these stories are what we base our worth on. 609 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 4: The stories that we tell ourselves every day, what dictate 610 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 4: our chances in life, chances with work, relationship, self image. 611 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,760 Speaker 4: It's all just based on the stories we told ourselves 612 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 4: when we were kids. It's weird to think that if 613 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 4: I believe the stories people told about me. I wouldn't 614 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 4: be here in Atlanta tonight. If Bred just questioned the 615 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:33,799 Speaker 4: stories people told about him, he would still be around. Look, 616 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:38,479 Speaker 4: I know this might not be a satisfying Hollywood ending 617 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 4: that you all came to see, and I have tried. 618 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 4: It's a difficult task, but I've tried to give you 619 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:45,160 Speaker 4: a message that you can take away on Instagram. 620 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 3: Pithy little life lesson, Here's what I've got When one 621 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:52,320 Speaker 3: door closes. 622 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 4: The Titan seventeen windows were all made in the perfect 623 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 4: edition to your host dead good Night at Ladder O 624 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 4: You two. 625 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:22,320 Speaker 1: Wiscrack is a production of Tenderfoot TV and iHeart Podcasts 626 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:27,240 Speaker 1: in association with Star Wit Productions. I'm your host Jody Tovey. 627 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:30,880 Speaker 1: The show is written by Charles Forbes. Stand up comedy 628 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:34,480 Speaker 1: written and performed by Ed Hedges, with additional writing contributions 629 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:38,920 Speaker 1: by Charles Forbes. Executive producers for Tenderfoot TV are Donald 630 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:43,319 Speaker 1: Albright and Payne Lindsay. Executive producers for Star Wars Productions 631 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 1: are Jody Tobay and Charles Forbes. Lead producer is Alex Vespstad, 632 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:53,320 Speaker 1: with additional production by Stephen Perez, Joe Grizzle, ja Jah Muhammad, 633 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 1: Jamie Albright, and Jordan Foxworthy. Lead editor is Stephen Perez, 634 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 1: with additional editing by Harrington and Liam Luxon. Coordinating producers 635 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: are John Street and Tracy Kaplan. Research by Jim Nally 636 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:12,759 Speaker 1: and Misty Showalter. Original music by Jay Ragsdale with additional 637 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 1: music by Makeup and Vanity Set mix by Cooper Skinner. 638 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 1: Artwork by Byron McCoy. Special thanks to Orren Rosenbaum and 639 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:25,719 Speaker 1: the team at UTA, Nate Ranson, Alexander Kaplan and the 640 00:38:25,719 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: Synergy Clubhouse, and the Nord Group. For more podcasts like wisecrack, 641 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:34,239 Speaker 1: search Tenderfoot TV on your favorite podcast app, or visit 642 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:37,400 Speaker 1: us at tenderfoot dot tv. Thanks for listening.