In only a few brief years, Matt Mathews has constructed a large, and fiercely loyal, fanbase, all due to his comically candid chronicles of life on his Alabama farm throughout COVID. What started as down-to-earth, sincere on-line clips shortly went viral—one publish even notched 17 million views. His reputation had followers instantly urging him into stand-up comedy.
The outcomes? You possibly can name it comedically chaotic electrical energy. Deadline named Mathews one in all 2025’s Comedians to Watch, and he’s greater than lived as much as that billing, constantly delivering top-tier performances in entrance of sold-out audiences from coast to coast.
“I at all times wished to be a performer, so I simply began sharing my life on the web,” Mathews remembers. “And other people have been loving it.”
His stand-up act is an authentically edgy combine of non-public tales and his signature, off-the-cuff back-and-forth with the gang—a mixture that’s endeared him to hundreds of thousands, each in sold-out theaters and throughout each his YouTube and TikTok channels. This weekend, Mathews brings his Boujee on a Funds tour to Las Vegas for the primary time and only recently introduced 22 extra exhibits for 2026.
“What you see on the web isn’t scripted or a part of the present,” he says. “It’s simply crowd work. And that’s the half that’s not scripted.”
Whereas the stage could also be the place Mathews lets his improv abilities reign, the true work awaits him again residence in Birmingham. In contrast to stand-up’s wild unpredictability, farm life is a rigorously choreographed routine. With 104 acres to handle and an entire host of chickens, pigs, canine, cats, and a camera-hungry goat counting on him for breakfast by 7 a.m., Mathews embraces the every day grind.
Then there are Lolo and Hush Cash, his two world-class barrel-racing horses, who require championship-level care, focus, and a focus, which is what Mathews, a championship-caliber rider himself, brings every day to their stalls.
Regardless of his packed schedule, Mathews nonetheless finds time for brand new pursuits—whether or not it’s diving into music, touchdown appearing gigs, or steady social media updates, It’s all propelled his rise from web sensation to nationwide comedy headliner. But, remarkably, he nonetheless manages to get to mattress at a good hour, able to do all of it once more the following day.
What’s been now holding this grueling schedule collectively—for each physique and thoughts has been Mathews’ no-holds-barred dedication to coaching.
Throughout this time, the comedian has step by step developed a larger appreciation for his physique and the transformation it’s undergone since he started taking coaching extra significantly. Mathews admits that standing on stage for 90 minutes every night time was a lot simpler than trying in a mirror for 90 seconds. At one level, he even relied on shapewear to create a extra aesthetic look. However as his biceps maintain increasing, so too has the star’s stage of self-confidence.
“I grew up probably not loving my physique or feeling snug in my pores and skin,” he admits. “I’ve at all times been on a weight reduction or health journey. However my health targets have develop into an enormous a part of my actually studying how you can love my physique. Being robust and wholesome, and in a position to compete, have develop into actually essential.”
Now, with a house fitness center tailor-made to his relentless schedule, Mathews makes understanding—whether or not for stage presence, country-life energyor that aggressive edge—a non-negotiable every day ritual. “Clearly, you don’t need to look unhealthy on stage, particularly whenever you’re in entrance of lots of people and your job is within the public eye. So I undoubtedly attempt to maintain it collectively.”
Staying Farm Match
At residence on his sprawling farm, Mathews’ every day routine is equal elements bodily rigorous and psychologically rewarding. He’s documented this way of life for hundreds of thousands of followers, sharing candid moments from his 104-acre Alabama sanctuary on YouTube and TikTok. In a current episodehe enlisted an animal communicator to assist uncover his animals’ “ideas” about him—most notably these of his unpredictable donkey, Wookie. “Wookie is obsessive about me,” he deadpans. The episode gives a glimpse into what has fueled Mathews’ meteoric ascent within the leisure enterprise.
“I’m extra of a comedic storyteller,” Mathews explains. “I inform my tales, my experiences, but it surely’s the way you carry out and share them that makes it humorous.” The farm is his welcome escape from the relentless tour schedule that has him away no less than three nights every week. But regardless of a packed calendar, his “labor of affection” of morning chores is rarely skipped. “My day begins earlier than 7. First, I take care of our canine and cats. Horses, donkey, chickens, and pigs come subsequent. Solely after they’re squared away do I seize espresso and breakfast. Then it’s off to sort out the day’s work. At night time, I do all of it once more.”
Shifting from the town to his farm simply outdoors Birmingham has profoundly influenced his diet. He and his husband, Robert Kilgore, purchase native meats and produce each time potential. “All our beef, we attempt to purchase from a neighborhood farmer—higher feed, cleaner dwelling situations. Grocery retailer meat is commonly from animals fed poorly.” When he’s touring, which is almost each weekend, Mathews battles the urge to binge on pizza and sweets. “I monitor my macros. I maintain it to about 150 grams of protein, 200 grams of carbs, and 65 grams of fats. It’s simple to eat junk on the street after late nights.”
Whereas his “little buddies” are off-limits for consumption (“They’re my infants,” he says), having a limitless provide of eggs is honest recreation—however removed from free, he emphasizes. “We don’t purchase eggs from the grocery retailer,” he says. “However it’s a must to feed the chickens, and that prices loads—layer pellets, high-protein, non-GMO—to allow them to produce good eggs.”
Barrel Racing Beginnings
Earlier than going all-in on comedy, Matt Mathews turned utterly caught up on the earth of barrel racing—a fast-paced rodeo sport wherein the purpose is to finish a cloverleaf sample round three barrels within the quickest time potential.
His introduction to racing become obsession close to the top of highschool. “I boarded a horse at a neighborhood boarding facility, and the proprietor’s daughter barrel raced, so we simply form of rode collectively loads within the summers. I began enjoying round with it along with her and simply form of fell in love with it,” he remembers.
Mathews quickly honed his abilities, qualifying for 3 world championships. Although life on the street now dominates his work schedule, he insists on sustaining his aggressive edge, coaching a number of instances per week with each Lolo and Hush Cash.
“Clearly, I don’t make a dwelling doing that, but it surely’s form of how I refill my cup,” he says. “It’s what I do this brings me pleasure outdoors of labor. I get to take pleasure in it and have enjoyable.”
Aggressive using, Mathews says, depends upon grip energy and a strong core and again. As a way to keep energy and conditioning ranges, Mathews says weightroom instances turns into virtually as essential as saddle time. “You undoubtedly have to remain in your recreation. It’s very intense. run comes all the way down to the tons of to hundreds of a second,” he observes.
Getting ready his physique for that stage of strain is a every day mission. “A robust core is crucial. And a robust again—it’s a must to be very, very robust in your core to have the ability to maintain your stability and keep up with a horse.”
Dwelling Fitness center Guidelines
Whereas barrel racing requires energy, stamina, and loads of nerves, coaching extends into each facet of Mathews’ life and profession. Together with his journey schedule, time at residence turns into extra worthwhile, and he makes probably the most of it. To chop down on journeys to the fitness center, Mathews remodeled a nook of his home right into a private health middle. It comes full with a treadmill, Smith machine, and sufficient dumbbells for any routine.
He trains three to 4 instances per week, splitting his periods between higher and decrease physique. “Two days higher, two decrease, and a sauna after each session,” he says.
Mathews often kicks off his exercises with cardio. He incorporates incline walks or jogs to construct stamina for each saddle and stage. On higher physique days, he sticks to weight room staples. Workout routines equivalent to bench and shoulder presses, lateral raises, and body weight classics like push-ups dominate these exercises. Leg days embody goblet squats, cut up squats, and sumo squats—key for energy and the flexibleness wanted to journey out a horse’s unpredictable actions. Again periods give attention to rows and pull-downs, with hammer curls to maintain his grip robust. Each exercise session ends within the sauna: “The sauna is like God’s biggest reward. That helps me a lot.”
One transfer you’ll now not discover in his program is the deadlift. Years of CrossFit led to a lumbar harm that now prevents him from lifting heavy with out ache. “I even have a bulging disc in one in all my lumbar vertebrae,” he says. “Nothing actually helped however relaxation and finally quitting CrossFit. I don’t do an entire lot of deadlifts. It messed me up so unhealthy that I attempt to keep away from them.”
Journey usually disrupts Matt’s coaching rhythm. “I don’t work out after I’m on the street, as a result of that’s simply tremendous troublesome.” It’s a cause why sustaining a stable weight loss plan stays important. Clear consuming and counting macros assist him keep self-discipline throughout time zones.
Stand-Up Highlight
For years, Matt Mathews discovered inventive retailers elsewhere. He studied nursing and even took up boudoir images earlier than his farm video went viral and took his profession to new ranges. “I posted a video and it blew up—17 million views. That was the wild begin.” Out of the blue, hundreds of thousands have been tuning into his TikTok channel and different socials.
Immediately, staying match has helped energy up his stage presence. It’s additionally given a former obese youth a next-level feeling of self-confidence. It’s one thing the comedian admits to missing all through parts of his life. “I’ve at all times form of had physique dysmorphia, and thought that I seemed loads totally different than I truly seemed,” he admits. “I’ve at all times form of been the chunky child, and so I’ve at all times form of been on a weight reduction or health journey.”
He’s even gone so far as sporting Spanx throughout his first tour to carry in his abs, and even throughout an look on the Kelly Clarkson present. Since then, Mathews has slowly however constantly advanced, embracing his more and more muscular look that he’s labored onerous for. He advises others going through related self-doubts to embrace every small enchancment every day. “I began to work out to do higher for myself,” he says. “It’s progress, not perfection. We’re by no means going to have the physique that we love, and we’re by no means going to be 100% blissful, even when we’ve a six pack and 1% physique fats.
Together with his schedule busier than ever and massive plans on the horizon—he’s filming his first-ever film, engaged on a debut music album, and making ready to movie his second comedy particular in December—Matt Mathews is simply getting began, and he’s taking everybody and all the things—followers and furry pals alike—alongside for the journey.
The Spanx, nonetheless, have been retired.
“I need to look higher, and I need to really feel higher, and I need to do higher for myself. And I actually hated sporting Spanx that whole first tour, so I used to be like, I’m not doing this shit once more,” he says.
