I spy ... chance to have a laugh

With Mock the Week, when Ithink I’ve done a bad show, I’ll watch it back and think, “oh, it was all right”, but when I think I’ve done a really good show I’ll watch it back and think, “oh, it was all right”. It all evens out.

Do you always watch your Mock the Week’ appearances back?

Yes, because I need to know what they used and what they didn’t. Doing several episodes, the same subjects may come back, so obviously I don’t want to say the same thing that has already been aired. And then, occasionally, I’ll be channel flicking and I’ll come across myself, as it’s endlessly repeated on Dave. But I watch them from behind a sofa a bit. I’m very grateful to Mock the Week for giving me a wider platform, and also a slightly different audience. It’s a younger audience, and those people will come to a tour show, sometimes even bringing their grandparents or parents. My audiences are a motley selection of people, which I quite like, actually.

How do you cater for those different generations in the same audience?

I am aware that if I make a reference to Instagram or something I’m going to lose everyone over 50. But that’s fine because overall my references are quite general, and even if you didn’t get it, the joke’s only going to last 20 seconds, so there’ll be something else along soon enough.

You have another Radio 4 series in the works, the tour and more Mock the Week episodes. What’s next after that?

I don’t have anything else planned. But who knows what will turn up. Sometimes the unexpected things that come along are the most interesting – other quiz shows, a corporate event abroad – things you wouldn’t have predicted. Doing Celebrity Mastermind or something, you know? You get to meet and talk to people you wouldn’t otherwise.’

What was your specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind?

Potatoes. I mean, if I’d have taken it seriously I’d have done something like Arsenal.

Milton Jones is at the Victoria Theatre, Halifax, on Sunday February 23.