David Walliams

“I was quite fat as a kid. And swimming is a sport you can enjoy whatever size you are. If you're fat, running is a pain. I'm not really built for running.”

“I've just swum the length of the Thames. I feel quite tired.”

“I've noticed that once you leave London you do kind of become a bit more famous. People in London are a bit too cool for school. It's not so unusual to see someone from London in the street. But outside of London people are a bit more excited to see you and come out and support you.”

“The one good thing about our school was the Cadets; I chose to be in the Navy, purely for the sailor's outfit. A pity we had to give them back.”

“When I want comfort food, I buy Maltesers. I like all chocolates, but especially those. You can eat them, and because they're so light, you can convince yourself that they are not actually that fattening.”

“I don't get recognized much, and am very happy with that. The fans I have met have all been delightful.”

“Sometimes you meet people who can't swim. And I always think: 'Oh my God, that's extraordinary.' For me, it's always been a treat... I just feel really happy in the water.”

“Children's books are often seen as the poor relation of literature. But children are just as demanding as adult readers, if not more so. I should know. I'm a children's writer myself.”

“Ricky Gervais would have you believe otherwise, but Sacha Baron Cohen is the most successful British comedian in the world.”

“I love telling stories. I love the intimacy between the writer and reader. When you write sketches it's over in two minutes. When you write a book the characters have to have a bit of emotional depth.”

“TV has lost a lot of its self-confidence as its power has been eroded by the internet.”

“My favourite restaurant of all time is Mildreds on London's Lexington Street. It's a little vegetarian restaurant and is really fun and healthy, too. It was the first place I went to in London and really liked. That was 20 years ago, and it is still my favourite.”

“I'm not a political thinker, but I've just always thought of myself as a Labour supporter. I was a great fan of Tony Blair. He sent me a letter before I swam the Channel to wish me luck.”

“I haven't traditionally been a family entertainer.”

“We sit in a room for months trying to think of funny things.”

“I would recommend that anyone who wants to do comedy on TV to do radio first.”

“There's something about being a comedian that means you have to not be scared of failing because failing is part of the process.”

“I am a huge fan of 'Doctor Who.'”

“I still enjoy my life, and I feel like I've achieved enough things that if I never did anything again, I'd feel confident that I'd still have made my mark in some way. But maybe the self-loathing bit is the element that makes you strive for more. Makes you strive to be better.”

“Reality always outstrips fiction. Whatever you make up, something more incredible always pops up in real life.”