6.       What do your parents/children (delete as applicable) think of your job?

My parents have been impeccably supportive throughout, but I think they’ve probably found the last seven or so years of my career easier to be supportive of than the first seven or so. As indeed have I. 

7.       What’s the worst thing about being a comedian?

Reaching the end of a bad day’s writing realising you’ve achieved nothing useful, had no fun, and haven’t even been paid for it. But this is hugely outweighed by the strength of the opposite feeling at the end of a good day.

8.       I think you are very good at what you do (that’s why I’m asking these questions). What do you think of you?

I think I can be good, but that I must always remember that part of my trick is to spend way more time and energy on what I do than people would expect; and what I must watch out for is the inevitable moment when I get lazy and / or arrogant enough to think that I’ve cracked it now, and I can get the same results without all the effort, because I will be wrong. This is a note to self. 

9.       How much do you earn and how much would you like to earn?

Well, I don’t like to boast, but let’s just say that these days, if I’m passing a newsagents, and I fancy a Cornetto, I can go right in and buy one. I would like to get to the point where I could do the same thing, but with a chocolate orange. 

10.   How important is luck in terms of career success – have you had lucky breaks?

Well, I didn’t get killed in that quarry. That has to count for something. My pet theory is that if you have luck, talent AND persistence, you’ll definitely succeed. If you have any two, you’ve got a shot. But you probably can’t get by on just one. 

11.   Alan Davies has said that comedians fall into two categories - golfers and self-harmers. The former just get on with life, the latter are tortured artists. Which are you – or do you think you fit into a third category?

I suspect that divide is more about stand-ups than whatever the hell it is I am. I do think comedy writers divide into Cleeses and Chapmans, though, or as Barry Cryer puts it ‘typers and pacers’. I am a Cleese, or typist.

12.   Who is your favourite person ever and why - not including family or friends or other comedians?

Oskar Schindler seems like he was a good egg. So either him, or whoever invented the chocolate orange. Terry someone, I think.