Biography

He married Lisa Matthews, his partner of 22 years, in October 2015, half an hour before having a triple heart bypass operation, having learned only five days earlier that the operation was necessary. He needed special permission from the registrar, backed by a report from his consultant that he was "incredibly ill", to avoid the normal requirement to give 21 days' notice of marriage.

Worked as a solicitor before taking up comedy.

Can tear open an apple in half with his bare hands.

Often uses a hand double for close-ups because he bites his finger nails.

Is an avid Middlesbrough F.C. supporter. Once trialed for their youth team and, more recently, released a version of Chris Rea's "Let's Dance" accompanied by the team.

I was quite a shy boy. Growing up in Middlesbrough, I felt a bit of an outsider. My three elder brothers are funny and boisterous and I was in awe of them. I felt like an appendage. It's probably the curse of being a younger kid. I've seen some become the loudest because they fight for their place, and others retreat to the fringes. I was in the latter group.

I hate conflict. I'm good at avoiding it. Being in a family with four boys, you learn give and take - when to say something, when not to say something, how to keep things harmonious. I did what I was told. I should've been in the army. That would've suited me fine, being told what to do.

I'm comfortable with getting older. I try not to look in the mirror. I try so hard, but you get occasional side glimpses, and it hurts.

I'd like to be remembered as somebody some people found quite funny, but I've no great expectations. I hope, in the future, my sons say: 'He was a good bloke. He was a good dad.' That's hard to pull off, isn't it? That would be an achievement.

I once accidentally set fire, with a sparkler, to a box of fireworks and threw them from the living room into Mum's kitchen. They scorched the Formica and the lino, so I got down on my hands and knees, crying, and cleaned the marks with a Brillo pad, then half an hour later walked back into the living room, which was ablaze. You'd think you'd get a right rollicking from Mum for burning the house down, but it was too desperate a situation and her priority was not to shout at me at all.