The Americans are so much more positive. They are much more in love with success. In Britain, they're a fairly envious bunch, and they love it if you fail.

I don't want to have to start being unselfish again. The great thing about being on your own is you do what you damned well like.

Comedy always works best when it is mean-spirited.

The most creative people have this childlike facility to play.

You go in and meet the head of BBC One and get an assurance about not dumbing down. And then, of course a few months later, he's been replaced by someone you haven't met.

Laughter is a force for democracy.

My mum died about three years ago at the age of 101, and just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time.