Spill The Spirituality
Set sail for an unforgettable conversation! Spill The Spirituality, brought to you by Hope & Anchor, is the podcast that's not afraid to dive deep into the stories and issues that matter most. It's fun. It's vibrant. It's honest. Truthfully? It's a space where nothing is off-limits and where everyone is included.
Hosted by Trey Hall and Jaz Ampaw-Farr, it's a space for honesty, authenticity, and a healthy dose of humour along the way. Inclusive to everyone – whether you're a person of faith, spirituality, no faith, or somewhere in between.
If you're enjoying the show, make sure you connect with us and join the community at https://www.hopeandanchor.io/podcast or search for "spillthespirituality" on Instagram & TikTok.
Spill The Spirituality
Eshaan Akbar — From Banking to Comedy, Grief, and Gratitude
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Hey Y'all,
A banker turned comedian who describes himself as a "lapsed Muslim," Eshaan Akbar has appeared on Sex Education (Netflix), Live at the Apollo (BBC), and even voiced puppets on Spitting Image. In this deeply funny and moving conversation, Eshaan opens up about the wild days of pre-crash banking, his mother's sudden passing and the Muslim burial that changed everything, navigating faith as a South Asian man in the West, Muslim dating apps, and how grief ultimately gave him the freedom to pursue comedy with complete abandon. A masterclass in finding humor in life's heaviest moments.
Guest: Eshaan Akbar - comedian, writer, podcaster (The Early Evening Shows)
Hosts: Trey Hall & Jaz Ampawfarr
Produced by: Rachel Matthews & John Ryan | A project of the Methodist Church
Where to find Eshaan: YouTube special (coming soon), The Early Evening Shows podcast, Live at the Apollo on BBC iPlayer, @EshaanAkbar on socials
Timestamps
- 0:00 — Welcome & intro to Spill the Spirituality
- 1:21 — Eshaan's entrance & boxer name banter
- 2:09 — The corporate-to-comedy pipeline
- 2:58 — Life in banking before the 2008 crash: debauchery and high-octane culture
- 5:40 — Feeling like an outsider: being the only Asian guy in the building
- 6:47 — Dreaming of becoming a diplomat (since age 6)
- 7:41 — Taking a comedy course to learn tighter writing
- 8:17 — His mother's sudden passing and "comedy chose me"
- 9:20 — First gig after grief & making the Edinburgh Fringe final
- 10:25 — The Muslim burial: climbing into the grave to lay his mother to rest
- 12:18 — How grief unlocked total creative freedom
- 13:43 — "Was she funny?" — inheriting his mum's sense of humor
- 14:38 — Feeling connected to his mum through dreams
- 15:57 — Religion's infrastructure around death
- 17:36 — Islam's 40-day mourning period as a "deadline" for grief
- 21:39 — The viral Ramadan "Call me" bit
- 22:45 — Muslim dating apps: Minder, Mismatch & wild DMs
- 24:38 — Growing up devout: religious education at home
- 25:33 — The mosque vs. home: two very different versions of God
- 29:07 — Separating God, mind, body, and soul at age 24
- 31:31 — "Are you spiritual?" — the levels of being a lapsed Muslim
- 33:02 — Daily gratitude and "I cannot believe my luck"
- 33:56 — Comedy as a spiritual practice
- 34:20 — "Even God isn't loved universally"
- 35:36 — The Wheel of Trust game
- 36:50 — Reflection on "Chapter" — life before and after mum
- 38:27 — "We are all writing the book of our own lives"
- 39:46 — Where to find Eshaan & sign-off
- 41:37 — Outro & credits
See you next time folks!
Join the Spill the Spirituality community, follow the show and reach out to the hosts - we'd love to hear your thoughts, stories and feedback!
.png)
