Comedian, author and travel writer Dom Joly says that when he, his wife Stacey MacDougall and daughter Parker came to Oban, they found their family tribe.
It was in Oban’s Tesco store that redhead Parker realised there were other people who had ginger hair and she finally found where her people came from.
Dom, in an exclusive interview with The Press and Journal, has spoken of his strong cultural connection to the area.
MacDougall genes are strong in Dom Joly’s children
A few generations ago, many of his wife Stacey’s ancestors the MacDougalls and Johnstones were among those who “got on a boat to Canada”.
But, of course, she could never shake off those red-haired Dalriada genes.
The couple also have a “mildly ginger” child, Jackson.
The MacDougall Clan is based around Dunollie Castle in Oban – and the star is hoping members will join him as he brings his latest tour to a series of Scottish communities.
Dom, 57, said: “When Parker was born 25 years ago we were astonished to find our baby had red hair. She was a full ginger.
“I was born and brought up in Lebanon in the Middle East where the only gingers are descendants of Crusaders, and Stacey is not a redhead, so it was something of a surprise to us.
“We were coming to Oban for a holiday on Luing when we popped into Tesco to pick up some shopping.
“It felt like almost every second person was ginger.
“Parker suddenly felt at home, seeing so many people with the same colour of hair.”
Dom, who rose to fame a quarter of a century ago with his simple yet hugely engaging catchphrase “hello”, on prank show Trigger Happy TV, is now a multi-award winning and best-selling travel writer.
Dom’s 2023 offered inspiration for his latest tour
“I wouldn’t say I am a stand-up comedian,” he said.
“I show clips and discuss them – and it is the situations that are funny.
“When people come to see me I like to think they get a bit of a laugh, but they also learn something. That is important to me.”
Dom is something of an enigma in that, he has been successful and at the top of his game for decades, and yet still looks for something new to surprise his audience with.
He has written ten books and in 2023 published The Conspiracy Tourist, in which he travels the world investigating conspiracy theories and the people who believe them.
That is the basis of his current and now slightly extended tour.
An initial 66-gig extravaganza ended a couple of months ago having mostly ignored Scotland, which infuriated Dom
“Promoters tend to be very Anglo centric”
Dom says he likes to engage with people who would otherwise not have access to live shows.
So he is self-funding the last three shows of his tour – because he wants to bring it to this part of Scotland.
Dom says he loves to be in places other comedians and writers may not visit.
Sell out show on Jura
He has already had sell-out shows in Skye and Jura.
On Jura, which has a population of 220, there were 201 people in the audience.
Dom is inspired by writers like George Orwell, who wrote 1984 while on Jura.
It was perhaps Orwell’s search for truth that has continued to inspire Dom to understand the world as others see it.
Or maybe he gained his inspiration from Herge’s Adventures of TinTin, of which he is a huge fan.
Although Herge never left Belgium, Dom has travelled the world.
He said: “For the last couple of years I have been immersed in the world of conspiracy theories.
“It is a strange place to navigate and often I find myself not quite understanding how I got here.
“I suppose that bewilderment makes for an interesting show.
“I am certainly looking forward to being in Oban to meet the MacDougalls, the Johnstones and anyone else who might like to come along.
“It will be a great night.”
Tickets for Dom Joly’s Holiday Snaps can be purchased from the Argyll Live website.
He will appear in Oban on February 15, with dates in Helensburgh on February 13, Dunoon on February 14 and in Campbeltown on February 16.
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