Having supported the greats, its now Chris Ramsey’s turn to hog the comedy spotlight. He talks to Katherine MacAlister about his latest stand-up tour and his lead in new TV comedy sitcom Hebburn

It’s ironic that Chris Ramsey is getting equal coverage this week as Al Murray, because while last year he was on tour with the Pub Landlord, this year Chris is branching out on his own, and has his own support act to nurture.

Yes, 2012 has been a big year for the young Northerner and while he says he’s “eternally grateful” for Al Murray taking him on tour, he “wishes the Pub Landlord would stop saying he ‘made me’.”

“I’m nowhere near his level yet, but I’m moving up the ranks,” Chris says cheerfully, his South Shields accent, cheeky grin and hairstyle defining him before he even opens his big gobby mouth. “But Al did give me a massive wake up call because until then I was happily doing the comedy circuit, and playing little clubs, but Al gave me a taste of what it could be like if I put my mind to it.”

And put his mind to it he did, embarking on a full tour just as his new sitcom came out. “Yeah, this could be it,” he grins, “It’s like the homeless kid in the film Santa Claus when he’s banging on the windows of McDonalds looking at everyone eating,” he laughs. “Because I was going from Al Murray’s shows to my own in a 40-seater room above a pub and thought ‘I need to sort this out’. So if nothing else Al gave me a kick up the ass, and the experience of having to win over his die hard fans, because he’s never had a support act before.”

So was it bad? “In some theatres I’d come out and get heckled all the way to the microphone, so I’d note who the hecklers were, take them out one by one, and then get on with the show. It was mental like,” he says happily. “So although I am feeling lucky, which is what my tour’s called, I also feel like this might be my time, you know?”

Hebburn came out on BBC2 last Thursday, also starring Vic Reeves and Gina McKee. It’s like a cross between The Royle Family and the Inbetweeners and was written by his mate Jason Cook, with Chris in mind.

Vic Reeves though? “I know, he’s a legend, me and my dad always sat down and watched Shooting Stars. I had to keep pinching myself on set because he’s so funny that the producer kept saying ‘Chris you’re on’ because I was always laughing uncontrollably off set with Vic. He’s a lovely, lovely man.”

What Chris doesn’t mention is that he’s had no acting training at all but slipped into the part effortlessly. ”I know, one of the actor’s came over and said: “we’ve been doing this all our lives and you just waltz in and do it.”

So has it been hard? “Well I can relate to it because I grew up round there and used to work in Hebburn actually. Here’s a story though,” the 26 year-old says, rubbing his hands in glee: “I worked for the Inland Revenue doing data entry back then and they called me in one day and said they had to let me go because the building was being demolished and they had to relocate. But I went back there the other day and the building’s still there. How desperate must they have been to get rid of me?” he howls with laughter.

But stand-up must give him a good heads up in terms of acting? “No, it’s totally, totally different, because as soon as a word leaves my mouth on stage I can see what reaction I will get, but with TV there is no audience. I feel like I’m dying on stage every time I say something.”

The critics loved Hebburn though, and it looks set to be a massive hit, the cast hoping for a second series. But in the meantime, Chris is coming to Oxford’s Glee Club tonight. “That’s what I am though in my heart, a stand-up, the acting side just helps get bums on seats and means more people come to see it. And I love coming to Oxford because it’s got such a great mix of posh and proper working class, just like where I live in Manchester. It’s like some mad social experiment.”

  • Chris Ramsey’s Feeling Lucky comes to Oxford Glee Club tonight.
  • Call the box office on 0871 472 0400.