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

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 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.

I avoid any kind of organised trips as that's one of my bugbears.

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.

It can be tough as a jobbing actor.

I hate flying, airports and the whole rigmarole - queuing up, security and lost luggage.