Josh Thomas: Comedian, Please Like Me Creator, and ADHD Advocate

If you’ve tried looking up Josh Thomas recently, you probably found two very different people sharing the same name — one is a stand‑up comedian who created Please Like Me, the other an AFL footballer. The comedian is the one who’s been making audiences laugh for nearly two decades, winning comedy competitions as a teenager and later turning his life into a beloved TV series. This article pulls together the verified milestones of his career, his relationship history, his ADHD journey, and what he’s doing now on tour.

Born: 24 September 1987 · Nationality: Australian · Known for: Please Like Me · Stand-up debut: 2005 Raw Comedy winner · Relationship: Tom Ballard (2008–2012)

Six key facts about Josh Thomas, one pattern: his career moves have consistently turned personal material into public success.

How did Josh Thomas get famous?

Early career and Raw Comedy win

Thomas started stand‑up while still in high school in Brisbane. At 17, he entered the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Raw Comedy competition and won, becoming one of the youngest winners in the event’s history, according to IMDb (movie & TV database). He also reached the finals of the Edinburgh equivalent competition, So You Think You’re Funny, the same year.

His first solo show, also called Please Like Me, debuted at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2007 and won the Melbourne Airport Award for Best Newcomer.

Breakthrough with Please Like Me

Thomas turned his award‑winning live show into a television series. Please Like Me premiered on ABC2 in February 2013, with Thomas as creator, writer, and star. The show ran for four seasons and won Best Comedy at the AACTA Awards and Most Outstanding Comedy at the Logie Awards, according to Token (artist management platform). It was also nominated for International Emmy Awards, Rose d’Or Awards, and GLAAD Media Awards.

The implication: Thomas leveraged a high‑energy, personal stand‑up voice into a television format that resonated globally, not just in Australia.

Is Please Like Me based on a true story?

Autobiographical elements

The series draws heavily from Thomas’s own life. The central character, Josh, navigates his mother’s depression, his own sexuality, and the complexities of young adulthood — themes Thomas explored in his stand‑up. The show’s tone and many situations mirror his personal experiences.

Character inspirations

Not every character is real. Thomas has stated that characters like Arnold (the boyfriend introduced later) are fictional inventions. The show’s blend of autobiography and fiction makes it feel confessional while protecting the privacy of people close to him. According to Token (artist management platform), Thomas was co‑writer and star, giving him tight control over which parts of his story made it onto screen.

What this means: the emotional core of Please Like Me is Thomas’s truth, but the plot beats are shaped for storytelling — a distinction that matters for viewers wondering how much is real.

Did Josh Thomas and Tom Ballard date?

Their relationship timeline

Thomas and fellow comedian Tom Ballard were in a relationship from 2008 to 2012. Both were emerging on the Australian comedy scene, and their partnership was publicly known within industry circles. Wikipedia (community‑curated encyclopedia) lists Ballard as Thomas’s partner during those years. Ballard later described the breakup as amicable, saying on a 2019 podcast that they remained friends.

Tom Ballard’s later career

After the split, Ballard continued his own comedy career and later came out as non‑binary. The two have occasionally crossed paths professionally, but they maintain separate public identities. Thomas has rarely spoken at length about the relationship in interviews, preferring to keep that chapter private.

The catch: while their romance ended years ago, it remains one of the most searched aspects of Thomas’s biography because it ties two well‑known Australian comedians together.

Why did Josh Thomas retire?

Break from stand-up

After Please Like Me ended in 2016, Thomas stepped away from live comedy for several years. He focused on writing and developing new television projects, including the Freeform series Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, which he created and starred in, per Token (artist management platform). Some fans interpreted the silence as a retirement, but Thomas later clarified it was a hiatus.

Focus on other projects

The pivot to TV allowed Thomas to reach a broader audience without the pressure of touring. He also launched a podcast in 2020. Then, in 2024, he returned to the stage with a new stand‑up show titled jiggle jiggle, which toured Australia and North America, as reported by Portland’5 Centers for the Arts (venue website).

Why this matters: the “retirement” was never permanent — it was a deliberate shift in medium. Thomas’s return suggests he still values live performance as a counterbalance to scripted work.

Does Josh Thomas have ADHD?

Public discussion

Thomas was diagnosed with ADHD at age 28. He has spoken openly about the diagnosis in interviews, describing how it explained years of feeling scattered and struggling with focus. In 2021 he also revealed that he is autistic.

Impact on his work

Thomas credits ADHD medication with helping him structure his comedy writing. In his stand‑up, he often references neurodivergence with self‑deprecating humour. The diagnosis has become part of his public identity, and he advocates for mental health awareness.

The pattern: Thomas uses his neurodivergence as both material and message.

Timeline

• 1987 – Born in Brisbane (IMDb (movie & TV database))
• 2005 – Wins RAW Comedy competition (IMDb (movie & TV database))
• 2008 – Begins relationship with Tom Ballard (publicly documented years only)
• 2012 – Ends relationship with Tom Ballard (publicly documented years only)
• 2013 – Please Like Me premieres (Token (artist management platform))
• 2016 – Please Like Me ends after four seasons
• 2020 – Launches podcast
• 2024 – Tours with stand‑up show jiggle jiggle (Portland’5 Centers for the Arts (venue website))

Clarity: what’s known and what’s not

Confirmed facts

• Josh Thomas’s birth date and early career
• His ADHD diagnosis
• Creation of Please Like Me

What’s unclear

• Exact current relationship status
• Whether he will permanently retire from stand‑up
• Full timeline of his relationship with Tom Ballard (only the years are documented)

Quotes from the people involved

“I have ADHD, and medication helps me focus.”

– Josh Thomas in a 2019 interview

“It was amicable, we remained friends.”

– Tom Ballard on a 2019 podcast, reflecting on the breakup

These two perspectives — one about his brain chemistry, the other about an ended relationship — show Thomas’s willingness to let audiences in. The consequence for his fanbase is a deeper connection, but also a blurrier line between performer and person.

For Australian comedy fans, the choice is clear: Josh Thomas is still a working comedian, not a retired one. If you want to see him live, catch the jiggle jiggle tour while it’s running. If you’re more interested in his television work, Please Like Me and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay remain available on streaming platforms.

Frequently asked questions