Irene Francolí: "Since their lives will be shit, Generation Z will produce amazing comics."

IbizaIrene Francolí presents herself on Instagram as a 'professional idiot'. In reality, she is one of the most radical comedians of her generation, a feminist, and socially committed. She has worked on TV3 in theIt's happening and he does so on IB3 Radio in First flight to FormenteraThe abuses of tourism, housing, and sex are her favorite topics. She was born in Ibiza and is 32 years old.

Favorite Julio Iglesias song?

— I'm a rogue, I'm a gentleman.

For any reason?

— Ha ha ha! I don't know any more. I haven't listened to much Julio Iglesias.

How much time would you say the patriarchy has left?

— Wow, there's still a long way to go! Unfortunately, it's not easy. Some of us complain, but others hold on tight. It's a software which comes pre-installed.

He usually spends the ranking of the controversial Balearic Balconing Federation on his shows (www.balcon,ingHow's the competition going?

— I don't have the most recent data. England won in 2025, obviously.

As always. But Spain came in fourth, not bad.

— That's why cliff jumpers are also included. Cliff jumping is a very common sport in Spain.

And speaking of the Intermunicipal BalconLeague, Sant Antoni de Portmany is ahead of the Mallorcans. It's about time we Ibizans came in first at something!

— Yes. 2025 has been a very good year for Sant Antoni. Mallorca is in the midst of a transition; before, the center of balconing It used to be Magaluf, but now it's evolving into Playa de Palma, and Sant Antoni has seized the moment. Thanks to Sant Antoni for promoting this wonderful, substance-fueled tourism!... Since the tourism model has always been about "dirty partying," now they've tried to change it by commissioning Okuda to paint the streets. Well, that's the last thing the tourist will see when they rush off.

I don't know if they'll give him a job in Sant Antoni.

— I don't know. One thing is certain about Sant Antoni: lately the proportion of English tourists has decreased, and now tourists are less annoying because the problem is young English people. But when you have a reputation, it's very difficult to change. I have documented cases of balconing from the 1960s.

He must admit that tourists provide him with a significant portion of his jokes.

— It's sad, huh. But yes, that's how it is; when you have to do comedy, you use what you know and are familiar with.stand up Ultimately it's something very personal, and tourism and its consequences are what we've grown up with in Ibiza.

Why are you being so funny?

— I don't know, it's a bit of a family thing; my whole family is a bit eccentric. And being from Ibiza helps too. I remember when my grandmother used to tell me stories, every single one had a bit of crap in it, one way or another... She told me one about a priest who went to the Vatican and found a toilet that shot out a beam of light that washed your ass... This comes from the Catalans, where there's a bit of...

She recently moved to Galicia. Does rain affect laughter?

— Not at the moment. I'm still studying the Galicians; they're a unique bunch. But I haven't performed yet. I have a show next month, we'll see how it goes... I think we Galicians and I are like brothers in cocaine. What someone in Ibiza is snorting, someone else has already dumped into the Arousa estuary. They have a lot of drug jokes there too. Like the most common animal in the estuary is the bale.

She's been talking a lot about housing in her shows lately. Has she had to leave Madrid because of the housing problem?

— Yes, that's one of his reasons. And one of the reasons he's not going back to Ibiza. Looking for an apartment is an emotional rollercoaster, but sometimes the rollercoaster collapses and you're dead. Imagine being asked for seven months' deposit, a blood donation, and your firstborn child to move into an apartment... And then, there's more space in a cemetery niche! There are already cans of tuna being rented out for 1,000 euros in Malasaña.

Don't complain. Having to share a flat at 32 is surely a good source of inspiration.

— Wow! With all the apartments I've had to share... Holy cow! My last roommate was a tattooed, stoner, punkish guy. A wonderful person.

People who know him are aware that he might end up appearing in his monologues.

— They know it. Usually, if I have to cut a lot from someone's monologue, I ask them. I even wrote to an ex of mine because I was going to cut him. I won't say anything that might upset someone.

It's a comfort.

— Ha ha ha!

Which generation has it the worst? Gen Z, Millennials, or Generation X?

— I think Gen Z has it worse, simply because they're late to the party. Now there's nothing left. You've arrived late and found a desert; the party's over. I have a Gen Z cousin who says he wants to study audiovisual communication. But, considering Netflix will start using AI as a screenwriter... Besides, their brains are already fried by social media... Mine's fried too, and I still used a landline. That said, Gen Z will produce some amazing comics, because since their lives are going to be a mess, they might as well take it with a sense of humor.

He alternates between shows in Spanish and Catalan. Has he noticed any difference with the Catalan-speaking audience?

— The difference is more due to the region than the language. There are universal things, like drug addict jokes or balconingThis usually works everywhere; but then, for example, in Girona they laugh inwardly, although when you finish they come to congratulate you, and I thought they weren't amused. There are places where they laugh more inwardly.

There aren't many comics that opt ​​for Catalan. Has Catalan lost out in this area too?

— No, I think that's changing. Something was happening, and that was a lack of role models; when I started, I found I didn't know how to make jokes in Catalan; the attitude is somewhat different, and what was happening to me was that I hadn't seen much humor in Catalan; I'd seen typical series Dirty dishesBut he'd absorbed much more of José Mota's humor, for example, and had pre-installed the jokes from rural Castile. But now there are programs like theIt's happeningThere are new generations of people who have consumed a lot of things in Catalan; the people from La Sotana, for example, are hilarious, and now young people are starting to emerge who do have role models.

I've always believed that people from Ibiza have a particular sense of irony. Would you say it's insight or just presumption?

— Hmm... In general, Catalan speakers are sarcastic. Castilians somewhat less so. Basques are very crude, but they don't laugh out loud afterward. If I try my humor in a small town in Ciudad Real, they won't understand much either. I don't know.

Let's talk about the classics. Monty Python or Muchachada Nui?

— This is like asking if it's your dad or your mom. I'd say Monty Python first. But Muchachada Nui has done so much for comedy in Spain.

Milei or Trump?

— Ha ha ha! Man, as a comedian, Milei is a character that seems like he was drawn; just his face makes you say, "Come on, please..." But Trump's face... Both are very easy to imitate, which is good. To make Milei's face, you just have to stick your fingers in a light socket.

Pedro Sánchez or Sanche Dog?

— It's too much fun Sanche DogFurthermore, the PSOE knew how to take full advantage of it. The thing about "The dog Sanchez knows more fear than the dog Sanchez knows fear."..., that was fantastic."

Mario Vaquerizo, Alaska... or Greenland?

— Ha ha ha! Greenland. The others are very good characters, but they've made a lot of mistakes in recent years.

Do you also see the profession of comedian with humor?

— I do what I can. Being a comedian is like any freelancer; you can't stop because if you do, you don't eat. And it's especially complicated now that World War III is about to start. I'm fed up with reading newspapers. All the press is terrible! When you see so many awful news stories one after the other, you wonder: is it even worth continuing to make jokes? Everything's so bad! But actually, it's the time for jokes. What do I do, kill myself? No! I make jokes! At least you make people laugh. If a war broke out now, all the areas that depend on tourism wouldn't eat a damn thing. Humor is one of the ways to point out what's wrong with society. I can't change the housing problem, but I can highlight it so that enough people can come together and make things change. For me, humor is that, a tool to point out problems. And to remind people that not everything is crap. So, yes, things are bad, but when things are at their worst is when people need a good laugh the most.