We caught up with the DJ and writer who's been involved in more job sackings than Alan Sugar.
My favourite ironic moment of the year so far? The Mail on Sunday giving away a free CD by Foreigner. Lovely
Jon - tell us how you got your break in radio please.
During work experience at Radio 4, a pair of headphones was off sick so when they asked if anyone was willing to take their place and drape themselves over John Humphrys head, I jumped at the chance. Other than that, I got fired from a local station in Kent and then won a Commercial Radio Award for the thing I'd been fired for. It was a fake news report. There were lawyers involved.
What are the advantages of radio over TV?
Having an idea and then just doing it on air straighaway rather than having an idea, building a set for it, lighting the set , making props, lighting the props, getting the script into autocue, making sure the cameramen have blocked the shots with the director and then, when it's finally ready, having an executive producer, a genre commissioner, a head-of-channel and a lawyer taking all of a) the jokes and b) the joy out.
Who are your comedy heroes?
Do you mean comedy /super/heroes? Has to be Elephant Man. Half man, half pachyderm. Gained his powers when he was bitten by a radiocative Victorian sideshow. Wears a bag as a mask.
Which writer or comedian have you most enjoyed working with in your career?
All of them. They're all lovely. With some notable exceptions. I will not name the notable exceptions because they are dead to me.
Dave's witty question: What's the wittiest thing you've ever seen or heard?
While in a cab recently the driver posited this delicious bon mot: "If you ask me mate, the trouble with these MPs and that, is that they're all greedy c*%s."
Honestly, it was positively Wildean.
Do you ever worry that one day you may be lynched by the Daily Mail for saying something they might not agree with?
I don't think the mail need an excuse for a lynchin'. If there's a lynchin' to be had then the Mail are there with free tickets for every reader. Speaking of the Mail - my favourite ironic moment of the year so far? The Mail on Sunday giving away a free CD by Foreigner. Lovely.
What's the best headline that's ever been written about you? A contender surely has to be: "Fury over sick Jade gag DJ" from The Sun.
That's it. That's the best one. The only other one that springs to mind is "Local Boy Wins Regional Cycling Proficiency Award' from the Nuneaton Evening Tribune in about 1986.
- Images - Steve Brown
