Since the age of eight he has written short stories but has never been published
'The one creative constant I've always had is to write fiction. I read that you should get your rejection slips and decorate your room with them. I literally ended up with a wall covered with them.'

Before he became a stand-up he began a postgraduate course in Modernism
'I got right into the theory of creativity and critical appraisal and I thought, "Right, I need something a bit more poncy now", so I went and started a part time MA. It went swimmingly then comedy came along. I lost my girlfriend, my flat, my career, and my MA was half complete.'

He used to work in copywriting and advertising
'I only just stopped working full time before my 2006 Edinburgh show. I was nearly dying, they were both using the same part of the brain so the right side was completely withered.'

He had never watched live comedy or stand-up on TV before he tried it himself
'It's always a bit double edged to say it but I might as well be honest; I had no interest in it. I didn't even know Eddie Murphy was a stand-up comic until I was about 20.'

He was initially reluctant to try stand-up because he didn't think he was particularly funny
'I was the typical one in the group who was quite amusing when you're out, nothing special. Loads of people get up on stage thinking that if I make my friends laugh, I can make strangers laugh and end up looking like a tit. It was a guy I was working with at the ad agency who dared me.'

Blackfriars, Thu 20 Mar, 8.30pm, £7 (£5).