Mark Dolan

Mark Dolan is a comedian, TV presenter and writer.

Most recently he fronted three series of the hugely popular Channel 4 documentary series, The World's... and Me, which featured the world's smallest, tallest and hairiest people, as well as the most surgically enhanced woman!

Mark is also the host of the iconic Channel 4 comedy show Balls of Steel, which still airs nightly on 4 Music.

Mark launched both E4 and More 4 respectively as host of the comedy show Show Me The Funny and as anchor of the late night topical talk show The Last Word. He also spent four years as host of Sky's flagship movie show 35mm.

His first big break came in 2000 when he starred in and co-wrote The Richard Taylor Interviews, the hidden camera job interview show for C4. In the same year, Mark reached the final of the C4 live stand-up competition So You Think You're Funny?

He is resident MC at the legendary Amused Moose comedy club in Soho and has just returned from a hit run at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe with his stand-up show Sharing Too Much. His first book, Do You Mind If I Put My Hand On It?, a hilarious account of his travels around the world, is coming out in January 2012, published by Harper Collins.

Mark will be fronting a new series in the autumn for E4 entitled the Comedy Summit, in which he celebrates iconic television through the decades.

He is married with two small children and lives in North London.

We asked Mark a few questions about work, writing and the wonder of words:

1. Do you have any pre-gig rituals?
I like to iron my shirt and jacket – I find the mundanity of ironing strangely therapeutic. And obviously I want to look smart on stage!

2. What is your most embarrassing moment on a live stage?
Asking an audience member why she 'talked funny', before spotting her hearing aid. Ouch.

3. Who would you most like to have a conversation with (dead or alive)?
Woody Allen. One of the few artists who deserves to be called an icon.

4. If you could invent a word, what would it be and what would it mean?
Nyaaaaaa. The word that specifically describes the pain you feel when you step barefoot on a piece of your children's Lego.

5. What is your favourite line of dialogue?
'O reason not the need' – King Lear.

6. If you could delete a word from the English dictionary, what would it be and why?
Diarrhoea – it's a horrible thing to have, and worse, no one knows how to spell it. Even my iPhone can't get it right.

7. If you were to write a poem/ book/ song about a person that frustrates you, who would it be?
Other than myself, as I can be very frustrating, I'd probably choose the leader/leaders of the Tea Party movement in the US. They are peddling fear and lies and giving ignorance a friendly face.

8. What would you most like to write about?
London town – a perfect literary backdrop of history, great characters and dingy boozers.

9. What is your favourite phrase?
It's nice to be nice.

10.Tell us something we don't know about you?
I ride a black 300cc Vespa, and my favourite song is Sixty Years On by Elton John.