The World According to Pam Ann

International comedian/air hostess gives us her hilariously glamorous take on travel

6 mins

Multi award-winning comedienne Pam Ann is a legend of the airways. She has toured the world with her hilarious shows, guiding guests through the conundrums of air travel, skewering the quirks of some of the biggest international airlines and mixing a stiff cocktail of camp humour and glamour.

Alan Carr describes her as 'absolutely hilarious'. She has crewed private jets for Elton John. She is truly an international airhostess to the stars and here is her unashamedly glamorous take on the world of travel.

Mountain/desert/jungle/ocean which are you?

Ocean.

First travel experience?

Flying as an unattended minor at the age of eight from Melbourne to Sydney. It was in the Golden Age of flying: the 1970s. I flew on the now defunct Australian airline, TAA – the friendly way.

Favourite journey?

My 2011 European tour. We travelled through parts of Germany on the fast train. It was just beautiful.

Top five places worldwide?

New York, Paris, London, Sydney, Mykonos.

Special place to stay?

Pan Am Penthouse in Berlin.

Three items you always pack?

Elizabeth Arden 8hr cream, Jaeger cashmere slippers, iPod.

Passport stamp you're proudest of?

New York City, USA.

Passport stamp most like to have?

Beirut, Lebanon.

Guilty travel pleasure?

A good ‘glass’ of wine.

Window or aisle?

Window: BA’s Club Class.

Aisle: Economy on any domestic flight.

Who is your ideal travelling companion?

A gay man.

Best meal on the road?  Worst?

Best: McDonald’s.

Worst: Burger King.

Most surprising place?

Cairo, Egypt.

Most disappointing?

Acapulco, Mexico.

Where do you NOT want to go?

I want to go everywhere; there is not one place I would not go to.

Who/what inspired you to travel?

Death inspired me to travel. I lost my best friend ‘Tess’ to cancer and ever since I have made it my mission to travel the world, live fearlessly, never take no for an answer and live life to the fullest.

Any travel heroes?

I am a huge fan of Richard Quest from CNN’s ‘Business Traveller'. And Henry Rollins. I love his one-man shows and his travel stories, Smile, You’re Travelling.

What do you listen to on the road? Any song take you back to a particular time or place?

I actually have tracks that  I listen to as the plane takes-off and lands. The best track for take-off on a 747-400 is Michael Jackson’s Can You Feel It and for landing in Miami on a 777 it's Black Eyed Peas I Gotta A Feeling. When I was touring in 2009 I didn’t stop playing Black and Gold by Sam Sparro. It was my warm up song!

What do you read?

Magazines or autobiographies.

Is there a person you met while travelling who reaffirmed your faith in humanity?

The people who come to my shows and people I meet on my travels reaffirm my faith in humanity. They are my inspiration.

Anyone who made you lose it?

Ignorant homophobic people make me lose it.

What's the most impressive / useful phrase you know in a foreign language?

Beschäftigt, beschäftigt, beschäftigt. (Busy, busy, busy).

What is your worst habit as a traveller?

Drinking too much on long haul flights.

Snowbound in a tent in Antarctica, how would you entertain your companions?

Sex.

When and where in your travels have you been happiest?

April 2011 in Paris. It was after my ever first show in Paris, which turned out to be one of the best shows I have ever performed in my life. All the planets aligned that night. I was with my best friends from Australia, France and USA. We all went to dinner after my show at my darling friend Carmina’s Argentine restaurant, Anahi! It was sublime magical night full of laughter and love.

What smell most says 'travel' to you?

YSL Opium Parfum.

Given a choice, which era would you travel in?

1968–1975. It was a time when boarding a Boeing meant style, class and glamour.

If you could combine three cities to make your perfect metropolis, what would they be?

Paris, New York, Marrakech.

Pam AnnPam Ann is returning to London with her new world tour show, appearing at the Bloomsbury Theatre from April 17 to 29, 2012. You can book your tickets now here.

 

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