It's not supposed to be easy, if it's easy, it's no good, that's the way I look at it.

It's evolve or die, really, you have to evolve, you have to move on otherwise it just becomes stagnant.

There was never any career plan. When 'Red Dwarf' started I thought we were doing a curious little sitcom on BBC2, I didn't think I was becoming an actor. I didn't see that 21 years later I'd still be talking about it, let alone filming a new one. For me everything's always been an accident.

Who needs drugs when you have Takeshi's Castle?

I have a stepladder. It's a very nice stepladder but it's sad that I never knew my real ladder.

Once journalists have been rifling through your dustbins, you do try and keep them at arms' length.

I've been very lucky, this is my 30th year on TV.