Sue Perkins' new stand-up special, "The Eternal Shame", promises a candid look at the former Bake Off star's life, but in reality, it delivers a show that is only occasionally as raw as its title suggests. The comedian attempts to strip away her public persona to reveal the humiliated person beneath, but ultimately settles for a series of lighthearted anecdotes that rarely touch on the theme.
The show starts off unevenly, with Perkins tackling topics such as middle age and fatigue in the entertainment industry, only to quickly veer off into unrelated territory. A segment about her allegedly cloned car registration comes across as more of a silly aside than a genuine exploration of shame, while another story about rescuing a pup on holiday feels like a laughable excuse for pride rather than a heartfelt admission.
Perkins' trademark wit and storytelling ability are still on full display, but they're applied to material that often feels shallow. A standout segment about her experience with a benign tumour that left her bedridden with symptoms reminiscent of a posh One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is where "The Eternal Shame" truly shines. Here, Perkins' protective facades are stripped away, revealing a more vulnerable side.
It's clear that Perkins is capable of producing some genuinely affecting material, but it's frustrating to feel that she's not fully committed to exploring her supposed shame. Instead, the show veers wildly from anecdote to anecdote, never quite settling on a cohesive tone or message. When it does get close to its target, however, "The Eternal Shame" delivers a glimpse of something more meaningful beneath Perkins' polished exterior – though that window into vulnerability is all too brief.
The show starts off unevenly, with Perkins tackling topics such as middle age and fatigue in the entertainment industry, only to quickly veer off into unrelated territory. A segment about her allegedly cloned car registration comes across as more of a silly aside than a genuine exploration of shame, while another story about rescuing a pup on holiday feels like a laughable excuse for pride rather than a heartfelt admission.
Perkins' trademark wit and storytelling ability are still on full display, but they're applied to material that often feels shallow. A standout segment about her experience with a benign tumour that left her bedridden with symptoms reminiscent of a posh One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is where "The Eternal Shame" truly shines. Here, Perkins' protective facades are stripped away, revealing a more vulnerable side.
It's clear that Perkins is capable of producing some genuinely affecting material, but it's frustrating to feel that she's not fully committed to exploring her supposed shame. Instead, the show veers wildly from anecdote to anecdote, never quite settling on a cohesive tone or message. When it does get close to its target, however, "The Eternal Shame" delivers a glimpse of something more meaningful beneath Perkins' polished exterior – though that window into vulnerability is all too brief.
I was really looking forward to Sue's new stand-up special, but it kinda fell flat for me. I mean, she's got some amazing stories about her time on Bake Off, but like, where's the depth? 
It feels like she's just messing around with some of these topics instead of really exploring them. Don't get me wrong, I love a good laugh, but when it comes to real talk, it felt kinda shallow to me 
.
, though - it was like she dropped all the pretenses and just went for it. And let's be real, who hasn't been there, right? 
So yeah, I'm glad we got a glimpse of that vulnerability, even if it was brief 
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. I think she's got some amazing storytelling skills and her trademark wit is still on point, but the jokes and anecdotes that are all over the place feel like they're not really tackling the shame thing as deeply as I'd want them to.
. But other times, it feels like she's just trying out some new material or sharing a funny story without really digging into what's beneath the surface. It's frustrating because I feel like she's got some amazing insights to share, but they're not really getting fully expressed.
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. I mean, Sue's still got her signature charm and wit going strong but sometimes it feels like she's just being herself instead of stripping away all that armor to get real about her life 
. She tries to be super raw but ends up being just lighthearted like her old Bake Off days #NotRawEnough 
. The show jumps all over the place, tackling random topics like middle age and cloned car registration... what's up with that? 
. I think she's got some great material in there, just needs to commit to exploring her 'shame' more 
. Overall, it was decent, but not exactly life-changing for me 
. But for me, "The Eternal Shame" just doesn't quite deliver on its promise of raw honesty 
. I mean, I love her anecdotes, don't get me wrong 
. They're always funny and engaging, but sometimes they feel like a bit of a distraction from the real message she's trying to convey 
.
. One minute it's about middle age and exhaustion in the entertainment industry 
, the next it's off on some random tangent 
. That was a real highlight for me 
.
. But we don't get to stay in that space for too long 
. All in all, I'd say "The Eternal Shame" is a bit of a mixed bag 
. It's not a bad show by any means, but it could've been so much more 
.
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. We need someone who's going to speak truth to power, even if that means getting a little messy and uncomfortable 
. Sue Perkins, I'm looking at you!