‘MS let me do what I dreamed of’: Comic Sam Smith on shock diagnosis

‘MS let me do what I dreamed of’: Christchurch-born comedian Sam Smith tells of shock MS diagnosis. Photo / Karen Kay Management
For many people, a multiple sclerosis diagnosis is a life-shattering moment. For Christchurch-born comedian Sam Smith, it was quite a different experience.
“I used to say quite openly that MS was the best thing that happened to me, because it changed my life to be what I dreamed of doing,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Real Life with John Cowan on Sunday night.
“I’m now sort of shuffling back on that because I know MS is just absolutely terrible for some people; it’s so difficult for them and makes them change their lives in such a big way.
“[But] … I just treated that like it was a nice, positive thing. And I hope some people can look at their new diagnosis like that, like I managed to.”
Until 2017, Smith was a dentist. But being diagnosed with the degenerative inflammatory disease, which affects about one in every 1000 Kiwis, took the career he’d trained five years for away from him overnight.
“I woke up one morning and my right leg and my right arm were completely numb. I went and got it all checked out and it turned out to be MS,” Smith told Cowan.
“With MS, it’s your immune system attacking your own nervous system. So anyone with MS will have something in their body that’s not working quite well. For some people it’s their legs, for me, it’s my eyes, and when I first got it, I lost all the feeling in my hands for a while.”
Despite the diagnosis all but ending Smith’s dentistry career – a scary prospect for anyone, let alone a new dad – it allowed him to make the jump into comedy that he’d always dreamed of.
Until finding out he had MS, Smith had dabbled in stand-up and writing for TV shows but never felt able to commit to it fully.
“I suddenly had just a lot more free time to do what was my hobby, which was comedy and comedy writing.”
He also discovered a love for warming up crowds.
“I was working on Jono and Ben and there were a couple of comedians who would take turns warming up the crowd before the show – getting them ready to laugh and clap and make sure that once the TV show goes to air, it sounds interesting and lively, like people are enjoying the show.
“I filled in one day and I thought, ‘This is quite fun. I’m just chatting with the crowd and having a fun time.’ I kept doing it, and because every other comedian hates doing it, it kind of became my niche, which has been fantastic.
“I get to go and hang out with people and I love it.”
Since then, Smith has worked as the crowd warm-up guy for 7 Days, The Project, Family Feud, Taskmaster, Dancing with the Stars, Have You Been Paying Attention? and the NZ Music Awards.
He also regularly performs stand-up, has written for and appeared on a range of TV programmes, has authored multiple children’s books, and in recent years won reality show The Traitors NZ.
While Smith’s MS has left him legally blind, he remains positive in the face of his condition – and hopes his journey and “natural disposition” for optimism can be an inspiration to others with MS.
“I just happen to be a nice, positive person, which has made this journey for me a bit easier. I feel very upset for other people who might not be like this. I know that depression can be common and I feel for those people a lot,” he told Real Life.
“I want to be an example to them. When bad things do happen, sometimes it can be for a good reason, and sometimes if you just look at it in the right way, it can actually be something that makes you. It can be your defining thing.
“If you take that in a positive way, that can be really cool and you can get to experience the world.”
Real Life is a weekly interview show where John Cowan speaks with prominent guests about their life, upbringing, and the way they see the world. Tune in Sundays from 7.30pm on Newstalk ZB or listen to the latest full interview here.