Marcus Brigstocke

“Offence is important; that's how you know you care about things. Imagine a life where you're not offended. So dull.”

“I find myself by default an atheist but fairly unhappily so. It would be bloody marvelous if there was a god.”

“Eventually, somewhere - be it on the Internet or somewhere else - I will host some version of 'The Daily Show.'”

“I think it's important never to look yourself up on Wikipedia. I think the temptation to correct any interesting factual errors would be too much.”

“I became hugely overweight and then hated myself because it was a form of self-abuse, something over which I had no control. I think the thing compulsive over-eaters want to achieve is that stuffed-full Christmas afternoon feeling.”

“The most successful comics are always the hardest-working ones.”

“The basic function of a comic is stand-up because it's so straightforward and simple. If the audience don't laugh, you didn't do your job. I've had some audiences where I didn't care if they laughed or not because they were either too drunk or stupid.”

“Political correctness is as exploitable as any other progressive ideal, but its aim is to stifle the incessant noise of those who flap their careless lips without a thought about those they might offend and why that might be important.”

“I think Ross Noble is the only person that I've seen really storm a stand-up slot at a festival, and that was when he led 3,000 people on a conga out of the tent and across the entire site to a vegetarian food truck.”

“My purist comedy friends accuse me of being a Jack of all trades and master of none.”

“I spend my jollity on stage, so there is less in my own life.”

“Jim Henson was an absolute genius.”

“Britain is obsessed with political correctness.”

“I find it hard to get enthusiastic about hotels because, as a touring comic, I spend a lot of time in them.”

“I have learnt that I am incapable of packing the right amount of clothing, probably because I start 10 minutes before I'm supposed to leave, and that I truly hate airports.”

“I'm best known as a stand-up comedian, but I'm a good actor in the right role.”

“I am not racked with self-loathing. Some issues of guilt and shame, but I'm a pretty good guy.”

“I stumbled on a joke idea and style that worked, the audience went with it and, from that moment on, I was hooked. It's an amazing feeling.”

“Never Google yourself. Seriously, don't!”

“I went to China for a brief working visit, and I thought that Shanghai was interesting, but Beijing totally grabbed me.”