When we graduated [ from Cambridge], we were grabbed right into television. I was grabbed straight into the practice of writing comedy. It was all writing and performing. You wrote something in order for you to perform it.

At Cambridge, you have to kiss the vice-chancellor's fingers. But I missed out on that, 'cause I was doing a matinee. I don't want to kiss a strange man's fingers anyway.

I didn't want to be big Mr. Ego walking around.

Many years ago I also bought a house in Provence for about 70,000 francs. It had no electricity or running water, and no road leading to the house, but gradually we made improvements. It's my escape and I love it.

Elvis saved my life when I was 13 or 14. He saved all our lives.

I will jump on anybody's private plane at the drop of a hat. I'm an old-fashioned lower-middle-class boy.

A lot has been said about politics; some of it complimentary, but most of it accurate