Clean humour and family fun: meet Chatsworth’s comedy star Ashley Somiah

IN THE heart of Woodhurst in Chatsworth lives Ashley Adrian Somiah who has transformed from a local MC to a social media sensation with his family-friendly comedy.

- CANDICE SOOBRAMONEY

Ashley Somiah

This father-of-three balances his pyrotechnics business with creating relatable content that has South Africa laughing, while staying true to his roots and values of clean humour.

He has rapidly gained popularity through the comedy he shares on platforms like TikTok and Facebook.

Somiah, 41, said he always joked around while at school, college and at work.

“But I also had funny friends who were just as ‘shell’ as me. So when you are around funny people all of the time, it’s easier to come up with jokes.

“Some of them had better jokes than me. They were just too shy to record themselves and post it.

“Even in my family, I was always the one they called to MC their functions. There were a lot of jokes in between the speeches and fun crowd games."

Born and raised in Unit 1, Somiah remembered a time when the community thrived with safety and camaraderie, playing soccer daily from dusk in local grounds.

This laid-back atmosphere instilled in him not only a fondness for sports, but also a foundation of confidence that eventually blossomed into a passion for entertainment.

“I was a soccerite and that helped shape my playful spirit,” said Somiah as he reminisced about his earlier days.

“Back in the day we played in the grounds from 4pm until 10pm, and it was safe to walk through the pathways and roads to get back home.”

After he matriculated from Southlands Secondary, he pursued a BCom in business management and information systems at the University of Durban-Westville (now UKZN).

“At a young age I was fascinated by how computers worked both with the hardware components and software. That led me to study information technology. I also went into the training field, and taught technical support and MS Office at various private colleges.”