FORGET sparks of inspiration and lightbulb moments – Jimmy Carr is too busy for that.

The comedian, known for his edgy one-liners, has been on tour since April and by December he will have performed his routine more than 100 times all over the UK. That includes St Helens Theatre Royal on Sunday, November 1.

The 8 Out Of 10 Cats presenter said: "For some comedians, creating a show is very much a case of having a flash of inspiration and then building a show around that one idea.

"My process isn’t like that at all. For this tour I will have probably written in the region of 1,000 jokes, but only use about 250.

"I think the trick to this job, if there is one, is to be writing constantly.

"Chuck Close once said: 'Inspiration is for amateurs, I just get to work'. I think that’s a great attitude to have."

Jimmy came to stand-up relatively late at the age of 26 but is now one of the most recognisable faces of the UK comedy circuit and a a regular on most panel shows.

He added: "I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do. I think that’s the reason I’ve worked so hard over the past 10 years or so – the guilt that somehow this isn’t a real job, " added Jimmy.

"My stand-up and TV work have been different experiences. Making television is very much a collaborative process.

"Live stand-up is very different. You're on your own, so you take full responsibility if things don’t go to plan and that can obviously be stressful.

"You’ve got more freedom in a live show though. With TV, even if it’s late night, you’re ultimately a guest in people’s homes.

"With a live gig, people have paid to be there because they find you funny. That allows you to go further."

For Jimmy, going further can often mean breaking taboos.

"Comedy is all about building up tension and then the release of that pressure.

"That’s what a laugh is – the pressure valve bursting."

Does Jimmy ever worry about offending people?

"Not really," he added.

"If you believe in free speech, you have to allow people to say things you don’t like – that’s the whole point.

"It all comes down to intent - there's no point being made in my shows, I just want to entertain. I do worry that people sometimes aren’t taking things how I want them to, but it’s about context.

"They’re paying members of a comedy audience, it’s not like I’m just going up to them in the street.

"Having said that, if you're going to approach a difficult topic it has to be a funny enough joke to justify bringing it up. The pay-off has to outweigh the risk."