Big personalities, bigger laughs, and big pralines—this episode of Snackin’ & Yakkin’ with Andy Forrester has it all. If you love comedy, southern snacks, and quirky confessions about life on the road, you’ll want to pull up a chair. Join host Big Ben Kennedy and guest Andy Forrester as they snack, yak, and cover everything from stage fright to pecan pie debates, gas station rituals, and spider phobias. Get ready for some genuine laughter and real talk from one of stand-up’s funniest clean comics.

Meeting Andy Forrester: Comedy, Art, and a Southern Welcome

Andy Forrester is the kind of guest who feels like an old friend right off the bat. With a quick wit and just as quick a smile, he’s both a stand-up comedian and an accomplished graphic artist. Most folks know Andy for his comedy, but he can whip up a color pencil animal portrait that belongs in a gallery or, if you’re lucky, on your mantle.

Big Ben and Andy first teamed up at the Honky Tonk in Ladson, South Carolina. Andy laughs about it being his first-ever honky tonk gig—where the comedy show ends sharply at 9 p.m., the stage is cleared in seconds, and the place suddenly fills with a busload of ladies ready to dance. As Andy put it, “That’s exactly what you want as a comic… for it to get busy after the show!”

The crowd dynamic made for a wild night: comedy for a modest crowd, then a line of newcomers pointed at Andy’s face on the flyer, shocked they missed the show. Andy even pitched the owner on running comedy nights as a lead-in for the dance crowd—no luck, since the place has no cover. Sometimes, you just can’t win.

Andy’s also performed at other hot spots, including:

  • Comedy Zone (various locations): Run by a club owner he’s known for years. Here, comedy fans get tickets for the attached dance club as a combo night out.
  • Clubs across the country and the Carolinas: Andy’s circuit includes old favorites and new experiments, all with their own rules and regulars.
  • Big Ben talks about spots for comics like Janet Williams (aka “the Tennessee Tramp”), and how that gig led to him opening for Andy.

It’s the little backstage moments—swapping war stories about venues, crowds, and pushy scheduling—that give you a real sense of Andy’s experience and quick-thinking humor.

From College Radio to Stand-Up Stages: Andy’s Performance Journey

Long before Andy grabbed the mic for stand-up, he worked the airwaves as a college radio DJ. Picture this: 7 a.m., static crackles, and Andy cheerily introduces “Ministry” before spinning an oddball mix of old-school rap, Winnie the Pooh records, and even a Jimmy Dean spoken word track. One caller—Chris Dem, of Brad and Chris fame in Greensboro—calls Andy “hilarious” and actually helps him land a job on Greensboro’s Rock 92 station.

Radio turned into improv after Andy and his wife moved back to Raleigh. He stumbled upon a Comedy Sports show, started with their Chapel Hill chain, and dove in headfirst. Six years of improv honed his stage presence and killed any fear of looking goofy in public. When he finally decided to try stand-up at Good Nights in Raleigh, the emcee warned the crowd, “It’s his first time ever, so y’all take it easy on him.” But Andy’s improv background made him fearless. His act went so well that other comedians questioned if he really was a newbie. (Spoiler: Technically yes, but it helps when you spend years flinging jokes with no net.)

Big Ben stated that his early confidence on stage came from school plays, including characters (“Schlomo Metzenbaum” in high school) and embracing whatever antics the comedy world threw at him. Big Ben’s no stranger to hamming it up, whether as a shoemaker in a children’s play or poking fun at his own huge-elf status.

Snackin’ & Yakkin’: Pralines, Pecans, and Snacktime Stories

What’s a comedy podcast without snacking? On Snackin’ & Yakkin’, food is the fuel for the fun. Andy’s southern roots shine brightest when he talks about his favorite treat: pralines. If he’s in the South, he’s on the lookout for these sweet, pecan-packed candies. He’ll even put out calls online: “Bring me pralines!” Big Ben granted Andy’s wish from Sweet Juleps in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where the pralines are huge, perfectly wrapped, and as local as pimento cheese at a picnic.

On one occasion, a fan at Andy’s show surprised him by summoning a box of pralines mid-performance. The enthusiasm around these snacks is as rich as the candy itself. Andy loves to spread the praline gospel, and he jokes about when bringing a pound home for the family, “somehow”, there’s only one left by the time he walks in the door.

The snack chat turns into a playful debate over how to pronounce “pecan.” Andy and Big Ben swap favorite versions:

  • Pecan (Andy’s usual—unless he’s talking ice cream)
  • Pee-can (classic Southern)
  • Puh-cahn (for those trying to sound fancy)
  • Butter puh-cahn ice cream? Both agree it just sounds right.

For anyone who’s ever been caught in the middle of a southern food debate, this bit brings a smile and a knowing nod.

Life on the Road: Gas Station Snacks and Food Hacks

Comedians and first responders, like Big Ben, share one thing: road life. When you’re living out of your car, gas stations become your dinner table. Andy’s got strong opinions on what makes a respectable gas station meal—you won’t catch him eating hot dogs off those spinning rollers.

Andy’s top gas station picks:

  • Combos: Pizza flavor, especially the pizza pretzel variety
  • Muddy Buddies: Chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar cereal clusters (no pretzels required)
  • Candy bars: Mounds and Almond Joy especially
  • Occasional Slim Jim: For when he remembers protein matters

His rule: he never buys these snacks anywhere but on the road. At home, they wouldn’t cross his mind, but out on the highway, suddenly Combos or a pack of Muddy Buddies feel like a five-star treat.

The Weight Loss Rollercoaster: Diets, Ozempic, and the Perils of Leftover Happy Meals

Andy’s openness about his health journey is both funny and refreshingly honest. When he was younger, he lost about 88 pounds with Weight Watchers, even hitting his goal weight on Thanksgiving. Life and kids, however, made it tough to keep the pounds off.

After many rounds of yo-yo dieting, Andy’s doctor suggested he try medication (Ozempic), and so far, it’s helped. Even so, holidays still mess with his resolve.

Andy also credits intermittent fasting for some of his recent weight loss wins. His approach is simple: eat between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., fast the other 18 hours. Water, black coffee, and unsweet tea get him through the hunger stretches (though he can’t stand black coffee and finds adding butter to it just plain weird).

He jokes about six-hour eating windows with deadpan delivery: “I’ll eat for six hours straight, that’s what I do.” Road gigs, travel, and the unpredictable nature of a comedian’s life bring their own challenges—those gas station snack attacks don’t help.

He’s dropped sizeable weight since his Dry Bar Comedy special, where online trolls had no problem commenting on his size. Thankfully, Andy’s sense of humor (and stage jackets) insulated him from most of the jabs.

Phobias, Spiders, and Claustrophobia Gone Wild

Fear doesn’t scare Andy—except when it comes to spiders. Despite loving Spider-Man, real-life arachnids trigger 100% true panic. Andy shares stories of running from tarantulas at butterfly houses (actually pushing through crowds and even leaving his kid behind). He’s nowhere near ready to let a tarantula crawl on his hand, as some braver souls have done.

Big Ben himself also discovered a late-onset claustrophobia. It hit hard during an EMS call, when he was wedged in the back of a cramped police car, unable to open the doors from inside. After a series of panic attacks, Andy avoids small spaces where possible, and definitely skips activities involving caves or tunnels.

Andy’s favorite horror movie? The Descent, a claustrophobic cave thriller he had to pause halfway because he felt like he might pass out just from watching the characters crawl through tight spaces.

From Cold Stages to Warm Audiences: Touring and Performing Across North America

Andy’s tour map stretches from North Carolina to Calgary, and he’s played Caroline’s comedy club in New York City. Also, he’s taken part in the World Series of Comedy in Las Vegas, performed at corporate events across the Midwest, and trekked through snowy Wisconsin barns and South Dakota stages in February.

After Big Ben shared his own story about performing at -6°F in Malone, New York, Andy shared how he’s personally marveled that northern audiences don’t let a little deep snow dampen their laughter—unlike his home in Raleigh, where a hint of snow threatens to close down everything.

Whether he’s doing a comedy set in a distillery with the door wide open or weaving down an empty interstate in Charleston after a rare Southern snowstorm, Big Ben’s stories capture both the challenges and the joys of a comic’s life on the move.

Andy still submits his avails to comedy bookers and clubs, fighting for every spot, even at places that both liked and then seemingly forgot him. The grind, he admits, is real in stand-up, but the lucky moments (like performing at Caroline’s or corporate gigs where townsfolk trudge through snow for a laugh) make it all worthwhile.

Andy Forrester’s Artistic Side: From Bob Ross Techniques to Animal Portraits

Comedy isn’t Andy’s only creative claim to fame. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from UNC Greensboro and spent years designing for the Yellow Pages. But where he really shines is with colored pencil, creating animal portraits so realistic people mistake them for photos.

Some of his favorites include:

  • A lifelike horse portrait
  • A bright-eyed tiger
  • A chimp on black paper
  • A fuzzy tabby cat donated to a benefit auction
  • Even some horror-themed art of the monster from the film, “Jeepers Creepers”, nodding to his love of scary movies

Andy’s process involves meticulous layering of colors and creative problem-solving, especially when tiny white highlights threaten to disappear under waxy pencils. He’s not just peddling prints at shows—he donates pieces for charity and gifts them to friends, making his art another way his audiences remember him. This included a print of one of his drawings for BIG Ben to place on the shelves on set as a previous guest memento!

He even took classes with a Bob Ross-certified instructor, so yes, he can paint happy little trees. Just don’t ask him to hang around any drawings or paintings of spiders!

The Last Bite: Laughter and Snacks Go Hand in Hand

Snackin’ & Yakkin’ with Andy Forrester is more than just jokes and snacks. It’s a celebration of southern hospitality, creative passion, and the quirks that make us all human. Andy and Big Ben’s stories range from honky tonk clubs to snowy airport gigs to snack aisle confessions, all delivered with a wit that feels both sharp and friendly.

Big Ben Kennedy’s chemistry as a host draws out every good anecdote, while the studio shelves get a little more colorful with each guest’s creative donation. Want to see Andy’s animal art, catch a show, or never miss an episode? You can follow Andy Forrester on social media and YouTube @comicbiga and check out Snackin’ & Yakkin’s Patreon community for bonus content, early access, and, who knows, maybe the inside scoop on the next guest’s snack of choice.

So bring your own snack, hit play on the video above, and join in the laughter. There’s always room for another story—and another praline.

And check out more episodes over on the blog!