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

The ongoing fear that audiences, reviewers, comedians, and friends all think that you’re shit. And none of that being as frightening as how shit you think that you are.  

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 that I am approaching competent, but a million miles from how good I would like to be at it. 

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

I would like to earn enough that I don’t have to be polite to people any more. That shithead level of wealth. I’m not there yet, but I’ve been working on the attitude. 

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

Luck has a big part to play. I only got to support Seann Walsh because he saw me at a gig and we became friends, I only got my first TV slot because somebody saw me supporting Seann and so on and so forth. It is a meritocracy up to a point, beyond which luck steps in and chooses her favourites. 

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’m tortured, but to say that what I do resembles anything approaching art would represent a level of pretension that would require me to immediately kill myself.