Hughes started performing stand-up in the 1990s and relocated to England in 2002 to further pursue his career in comedy. He is based in Manchester, and performs stand-up internationally, primarily across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Hughes also starred in the 2015 indie short film Brainless Killers, which won the awards for Best Film, Best Thriller and Best Special Effects in the short film category at the Sydney Indie Film Festival.