Frank Skinner is planning to write a book with a religious theme called A Comedian’s Prayer Book (update: it's published on April 1, buy it here).

The Midlands comedian revealed his project in an interview with The Times which was running to promote his upcoming literary Sky Arts series Boswell & Johnson’s Scottish Road Trip, in which he retraces Boswell's footsteps across Scotland.

Talking about his interest in religion the comedian, who became a practising Catholic in his twenties said: “It’s totally unfashionable. You get people who start bringing up paedophile priests and stuff. You know they always used to say that lesbians always used to get the sense that people just wanted to say, ‘Yes, but what do you actually do?’ and I think Catholics get the same thing. People have asked about the confession box many, many times...The magic of it is what draws me in. I like the strangeness.”

He joked in the interview that he wasn't happy about his long-time friend David Baddiel getting into science. “His dad is a chemist and he’s started reading science books, which I cannot tolerate...David has bought into that and to me he has betrayed his literary roots.”

Skinner, now 63, also revealed that he plans to tour again and has no intention of giving up stand-up: "This is how I want to go, to be absolutely doing jokes until the 11th hour.’

He has also just published a book about poetry, How to Enjoy Poetry (Little Ways to Live a Big Life). Buy it here.

Read the full interview here - it's behind a paywall. 

Boswell & Johnson’s Scottish Road Trip will be on Sky Arts from October 6 at 9pm. The channel is currently free to air.