I like the purity of stand-up because it is all about whether people laugh at your jokes. Either they laugh or they don't.

I think there's a far more general audience now because I've done more populist stuff on telly.

I never ever take into consideration the consequences of my actions until it's too late.

I thought I was funny as a kid. I used to play tricks on my brothers - I'd tie a two-shilling piece to a bit of cotton, then pull it away as they went to grab it.

I like to read my diary occasionally to remind myself what a miserable, alienated old sod I used to be.

There have been some very extreme hecklers in audiences whose bile was so hateful and so meant that it would be a bit frightening to think that all I'm doing is jokes and yet someone hates me that much.

I think it's difficult, if you're a quite private person like I am, to write about your life very intimately.