Rosie Jones reveals how having her benefits cut led to acclaimed drug-dealer comedy Pushers

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Congratulations on being nominated for a Bafta for your work in Pushers! Had you hoped for a nomination?

I always dreamed of having my own sitcom, and when it finally happened, I felt like I’d achieved everything I wanted. This nomination is just a wonderful bonus – the perfect finishing touch to an already amazing experience.

What inspired you to write Pushers?

The show is a comedy about a drug dealer, but I can’t say it’s based on my life directly, for legal reasons. It actually started with a real political frustration. In 2017, my government benefits were cut in half. While I managed to earn the money back through extra work, it made me think about the many disabled people who aren’t able to do that. As a comedian, I started thinking about the most outlandish way to make money, and drug dealing seemed perfect – the idea being that people would underestimate me, assuming a disabled woman couldn’t be involved. The show really comes from a lifetime of being underestimated.

What’s your writing process?

As a film enthusiast, I’ve always believed in refining the script until it shines. My co-writer, Peter Fellows, and I have a unique way of doing that. We essentially split each episode in half – I’ll write the first half, he’ll tackle the second, then we swap and rewrite each other’s work with a fresh perspective and new jokes. We swap back again, piece everything together, and then we finally read it aloud. For me, it all comes down to the rhythm and how each line sounds. I’m constantly tweaking and improving, even while we’re actually filming on set – that process never really ends!

Is it harder to write comedy than drama?

I might be a little biased, but I definitely think so. Writing is about storytelling, but it’s also about finding the funniest way to tell that story. I recently wrote a scene for a serious drama, and they told me it was too lighthearted! Humor comes naturally to me – it’s how I cope with things – so it was really tough to remove all the jokes.

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Authors

Caroline Frost

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2026-05-04 19:47