Class still matters in Britain today.

I had a massive amount of self-belief when I did stand-up.

Up North you are holding your own. Everyone considers themselves a comedian.

My first holiday to San Francisco in 1998-99 was supposed to be a two-week vacation but I ended up staying five weeks and nearly didn't come home.

For the greater good, I thought I should be a spiritual leader for people for some reason.

I think it sort of dawns on you that if you're not gigging constantly you're not actually relevant. You may be relevant to a different part of the media now, to television commissioners and editors, but to a young live-comedy audience you're not, really.

My forte is playing drunks down the ages. When my agent rings me about a role, I don't ask what the part is, but what century it's in.