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Artwork for Origin Story with David McIntosh Jr
Origin Story with David McIntosh Jr · Dec 11, 2025 · 51 min

#146 Dan Boerman: Don’t Die Wondering: A Comedian's Hilarious Guide to a Weird Life

Dan Boerman is a Comedian and TV Personality on Jimmy Carr's Am I The A**hole. He is also a good friend. I’ve wanted to record this conversation for a long time. Dan Boerman is a New Zealand comedian who left a steady job, moved to the other side of the world, and has been relentlessly chasing stand-up ever since – from sleeping in a kid’s dinosaur bed outside Edinburgh to getting a thousand people to watch him fold a fitted sheet on a hill. In this episode, we get into: Growing up in small-town rural New Zealand and dropping out of school Years on benefits, smoking tiny “Russian doll” cigarettes in the kitchen Barbering as accidental crowd work – and the now infamous Jimmy Carr Am I the A**hole? story Leaving security behind to move to Edinburgh for comedy Why London feels like kindling for opportunity The viral sheet stunt that turned into awards, brand deals and a new life “Don’t die wondering” and what it really means to bet on yourself Why some people live and die never hearing the sound of their own voice This is an episode about chasing the weird, specific thing you can’t stop thinking about – and refusing to let your life pass in quiet comfort. If you enjoyed this one, send it to someone who’s been talking about “one day” for too long. Follow Dan: @danboermancomedy Follow me / Origin Story: @davidmcnintoshjr

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transcript

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show notes

Dan Boerman is a Comedian and TV Personality on Jimmy Carr's Am I The A**hole. He is also a good friend.


I’ve wanted to record this conversation for a long time.


Dan Boerman is a New Zealand comedian who left a steady job, moved to the other side of the world, and has been relentlessly chasing stand-up ever since – from sleeping in a kid’s dinosaur bed outside Edinburgh to getting a thousand people to watch him fold a fitted sheet on a hill.


In this episode, we get into:


Growing up in small-town rural New Zealand and dropping out of school


Years on benefits, smoking tiny “Russian doll” cigarettes in the kitchen


Barbering as accidental crowd work – and the now infamous Jimmy Carr Am I the A**hole? story


Leaving security behind to move to Edinburgh for comedy


Why London feels like kindling for opportunity


The viral sheet stunt that turned into awards, brand deals and a new life


“Don’t die wondering” and what it really means to bet on yourself


Why some people live and die never hearing the sound of their own voice


This is an episode about chasing the weird, specific thing you can’t stop thinking about – and refusing to let your life pass in quiet comfort.


If you enjoyed this one, send it to someone who’s been talking about “one day” for too long.


Follow Dan: @danboermancomedy

Follow me / Origin Story: @davidmcnintoshjr