When it comes to performing live comedy, you probably fall into one of two groups.

The first group includes those rare, mystical beings who look completely unfazed by the idea of standing in front of hundreds of strangers, armed with nothing but a microphone and their own thoughts. The second group? That's the rest of us, who get a mild spike of cortisol just trying to tell a funny story in the office kitchen.

For almost 10 years, comedian Lizzy Hoo has been firmly steering the ship for the rest of us, making Australians laugh across the country with her beautifully candid, warm and relatable take on life.

But while she makes stepping onto a massive stage look as casual as stepping into your own living room, she's the first to admit that the reality behind the scenes is a whole different ball game.

On Full Plate, a new podcast launching on June 6 in partnership with Woolworths, Lizzy reflects on her career. She also opens up about her unique path to comedy and the relentless reality of touring life that still catches her off guard.

How Lizzy Hoo ended up in comedy.

Before she was filling rooms at the Melbourne and Brisbane Comedy Festivals, Lizzy's schedule looked like standard corporate clockwork.

"I worked in North Sydney at a marketing agency," Lizzy shared on the podcast. "I was an account manager — the bridge between the client and the designers and writers."

Lizzy Hoo in her old office — her colleagues told her she looked like she was there to fix the printer. Image: Instagram/@lizzyhoo.

While her life back then was orderly — complete with a structured routine of morning runs, bus commutes and highly predictable meal times — boredom eventually kicked in. But as it turns out, that exact office monotony was the catalyst she needed.

"I think that boredom really allowed me to find comedy," she said. "Honestly, I thought it'd be a one-off. I thought I'd just do comedy once, and then have it ticked off the bucketlist, whatever."

Instead, she caught the performance bug, left the account manager life behind, and entered a world that is far more thrilling — but significantly more chaotic.

Lizzy Hoo performing at The Grand Electic, Sydney. Image: Instagram/@lizzyhoo.

The reality behind Lizzy Hoo's comedy shows.

When your plate is overflowing with press schedules, extra gigs and flying between regional cities, keeping yourself properly nourished can quickly become a challenge.

And for Lizzy, the nerves that come with a massive tour manifest physically, rather than just keeping her awake at night.

"I'm one of those performers that, if I'm nervous, I won't really feel like eating much," she admitted. "By week three of the Comedy Festival, I'm basically living on smoothies and coffee."

With routines constantly shifting on the road, mealtimes can easily slip down the priority list, even unintentionally.

Lizzy Hoo is constantly on the road between gigs. Image: Instagram/@lizzyhoo.

Her approach now is all about keeping it simple: "Even if it's a cheeseburger, just eat something. Just get some fuel into your body so you can keep going."

Lizzy Hoo's genius sandwich press hack.

Thankfully, Lizzy's relationship with food isn't always about survival mode. When she's back in her own kitchen, her cooking style leans heavily into a playful, slightly chaotic approach that dates right back to her corporate marketing days.

Desperate to save cash and eat well, Lizzy and an old colleague transformed their office kitchen into a makeshift culinary hotspot using nothing but a standard bench top appliance.

"We would make all our lunches with the toasted sandwich maker," she laughed. "We treated it like a barbecue, even grilling halloumi on it." 

The office lunches became so legendary that her colleagues actually started subsidising the operation. "Other people were like, 'Oh, if I gave you money, would you make us lunch?' So it was getting to a point where we weren't paying for our lunch for the week."

Her ultimate sandwich press creation? A simple potato rosti cake. Lizzy's top-line assembly hack involves spiralising a fresh potato, tossing it in with a bit of salt, pepper, parmesan and oil, and then clamping the sandwich press down on the mixture until it forms a beautifully crispy, golden cake.

She and her colleague even brought in individual egg rings to fry eggs directly onto the flat grill plates.

Lizzy Hoo's unashamed comfort food.

Growing up with a mixed Malaysian and Irish heritage, Lizzy's palate naturally shifted between two distinct styles of comfort. While her mum's Irish roots meant plenty of hearty, winter-warming soups back in Brisbane, Lizzy's everyday cravings lean firmly into her dad's side of the family.

"I've got an Asian stomach, naturally," she explained. "My dad's Malaysian, so the things that I crave are curries, rice, tofu, veggies. A Malaysian-style curry, something that my Dad would cook, works on a comforting level."

One of her absolute go-to meals is simple, comforting and surprisingly straightforward: a bowl of instant noodles.

Specifically, she swears by the Mama Shrimp Tom Yum noodles. She brews up the spicy noodles with the flavour sachet, stirs in a sneaky chunk of butter for richness, and crowns the whole thing with a pre-boiled egg.

"I often have a lot of boiled eggs in the fridge," she said.

Something we can all learn from Lizzy Hoo's full plate.

Ultimately, Lizzy's journey from the highly structured world of corporate account management to the beautifully unpredictable world of stand-up comedy highlights a truth most of us face: nobody has it all perfectly together, and that's completely okay.

While her touring schedule might swap out pristine meal prep for 10pm yogurt pouches or late-night instant noodles, she's learnt that listening to her body is far more important than adhering to rigid rules. 

Because at the end of a massive touring cycle, a full plate isn't about maintaining a flawless, aesthetic routine. It's about leaning into life's chaotic transitions, embracing the messy moments, and finding comfort in the simple flavours that keep you moving forward.

Listen to the full conversation with Lizzy Hoo on Full Plate, launching June 6, wherever you get your podcasts.

Feature Image: Instagram/@lizzyhoo