How did you get into comedy?
I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh and I was in drama groups during my teens. In the late 80s I went to a couple of alternative comedy clubs, which were sprouting up in rooms above pubs around London, and thought, ‘I would love to do this.’ For my 40th birthday a friend enrolled me in a standup course run by one of the main architects of alternative comedy, Tony Allen.
Who did you look up to when you were first starting out?
Tony Allen. He remained a mentor and friend until his recent death. The other comedian I admired – and still do – is Alexei Sayle.
