Sean Lock

“Claudia Winkleman is a good laugh and James Corden too.”

“I'd never been the class clown and comedy was not a fulfilment of a dream.”

“I just did loads of dead-end jobs and a lot of travelling - just farting around, really. I had quite a lot of fun, but I've got no qualifications, no skills.”

“Being a purple van man means I have my own perspective on things.”

“A real man doesn't know what cellulite is. Until I was 30 I thought cellulite was a building material used for restoring plasterwork in stately homes.”

“The Specials used to be my style icons. I was obsessed with them and the whole 2-Tone thing was a good look for me.”

“Being the headliner is only more pressure if you're not very good.”

“I finished tech college with just one A-level, which was an E in English, because I spent most of my time drinking and faffing around. Having one A-level is a bit like having a car with one wheel - pretty useless. So I ended up working on building sites.”

“I am naturally cautious so I guess I am a saver. I'm a firm believer in not borrowing money, which is a lesson passed down to me from my parents and grandparents.”

“It's not like I'm an Internet geek or anything - I'm of an age where the Internet is not the first thing I think of when I need to find something out.”

“In those stupid online polls to find the best sitcom ever, 'Father Ted' never gets the credit it deserves.”

“People ask me about my influences and I say all the comedians in the 1970s and Dave Allen was a massive influence and a very big influence on a lot of modern comics.”

“Billy Connolly is probably the greatest stand-up this country has ever produced and he swears all the time.”

“I don't think it's any secret that the bigger the venue, the subtlety and artfulness of comedy declines.”

“My major regret in life is not going to university, though not for the qualification I would have gained. People I know who went there have a working method where they sit down and get something done; they know how to start and get on with things. I will do anything to avoid getting on with stuff.”

“I liken all jobs to decorating. If you don't do the preparation, sand down and prime first, you won't get a good paint job, and that's the same as everything in life.”

“I definitely appreciate the value of money, hard work and having a career.”

“I think people like to have something to have a moan about.”

“Real men don't know what they want for Christmas. Despite the fact I'm deeply disappointed every Christmas. I pride myself on not wanting anything. Children want things, women want things, dogs and cats want things, but men don't.”

“On '8 Out Of 10 Cats,' myself, Jimmy Carr and Jason Manford have got the producers around to our way of thinking - which is to trust us and allow us to ad-lib.”