A comedian has become an internet sensation with his send-up of gap year students who boast of their travels abroad.

Oxford-graduate Matt Lacey features in the ‘Gap Yah’ video, which has been watched by half a million people on YouTube in just one month.

Both the Guardian and Evening Standard have written about the online sensation.

The 23-year-old said: “I had absolutely no idea it would be such a success, it just went exponential.

“I think it’s struck a chord with a lot of people because my character ‘Orlando’ is easily recognisable – anyone who’s gone to university has been bored by someone like him.”

In the video, below, ‘Orlando’ is seen on his mobile phone telling his friend: “Tarquin, I can’t come shopping on the King’s Road today because I am literally in Burma.”

He blurts out a series of anecdotes beginning with the catch-phrase “that really reminds me of this time on my gap year”, which mostly end with him vomiting or “chundering everywhere”, as he puts it.

Lacey went away on a gap year himself – visiting France, Ireland, and Tanzania – and admits there are uncomfortable similarities between himself and Orlando.

He said: “Most successful comedians incorporate self-parody into their work.

“Certain aspects about myself depress me and they are certainly in there in Orlando.”

Although he’s reluctant to call it his big break, Lacey’s performance has earned him praise from a BBC Comedy casting director who contacted him through Facebook.

Lacey said: “There’s this concept of ‘making it’ in the acting profession – people use the term failed actor, but you never get a failed accountant do you?

For now, Lacey works in construction “to pay the bills” and writes and performs with his comedy group the Unexpected Items in his spare time.

He said: “We’re in a stronger position now, and I’d love to get commissioned for radio or television but I’ve no idea what’s going to happen next – we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Unexpected Items’ monthly residency at the Hen & Chickens pub, Islington continues on April 30th and features the ‘Orlando’ character among others.

Watch ‘Gap Yah’ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFjWR7X5dU