The Big Interview: Frank Skinner fears his death could be short on gags

Jan 15 2012

COMEDIAN Frank Skinner has revealed his greatest fear about dying – that some of his gags might go unheard.

At 54, he fears he will die with hundreds of jokes still left to tell to his fans.

Frank, from Oldbury in the Black Country, said: “Eric Morecambe died at 58 and it makes me think I’d better get out as many jokes as I can in the time remaining.

“I don’t want to be dying with a lot left over.”

Speaking candidly about confronting the challenge of middle age, he said: “I have the comic’s combination of self-doubt and ridiculous self-confidence.

“But I’d say the latter dominates.

“People generally want celebrities to be unhappy, or the whole thing is terribly unfair, isn’t it?

“You want a battle with the bottle, or a broken heart. With me, it was the former. When I drank, my default destination was the pub – unless I was going to a football match – and then I went before and after.

“Since I stopped drinking, I’ve seen London, where I now live, as an enormous Fisher-Price activity centre. It’s the zeal of the convert.”

Frank, a keen West Bromwich Albion fan, said: “It’s hard to achieve something truly wondrous unless you’re prepared to sit alone in a room for hours on end.

“I work to a strict schedule. Work starts at 10am and finishes at 6pm, with a meat pie in the middle.

“I’ve done some dull jobs in my time, like carrying broken glass around a glass factory and tipping it in a large hole.