Quotes from Keith Allen

I've been on the edge of everything, like one of those characters at the side of a Brueghel painting with a warty nose. I've been very lucky - I lived through three of the most profoundly important musical revolutions of the 20th century: latterday rock and roll, punk and then the rave culture.

We are governed by consumerism and it's terrible when that is all that life is geared to.

I would be a fool to say I enjoyed being in borstal, but when I was there I had a great time.

My hero in adulthood would be Michael Bryant, who's dead, bless him. His memory lives on. He was an actor at the National, and a wonderful man.

I can't have wet wool next to my skin because it really affects it.

If everybody was a bank clerk, then I would be a rebel. But if everyone was a rebel, then I promise you I would go out of my way to be a bank clerk.

Growing up we were very working-class; you had dinner at 12, then tea at 4:30. If you got supper, you were doing bloody well.

I am certain things to certain generations. Lots of people remember me from the 'Comic Strip,' there was the 'Vindaloo' song for the 1998 World Cup, then it was playing the Sheriff of Nottingham in the BBC's 'Robin Hood.'

My whole life has been a holiday!

I love reading when I'm on holiday.

I have never ever hung out with actors and comedians. I can't stand it.

Without history we are nothing, so it's worth finding out something about it.

People using a public platform to further their own personal agenda, I think that's immoral. You have no right to do that. Tony Blair is a great example of that.

I'm a jack of all trades, master of none.

I started out in comedy gigging and scraping a living together, and eventually worked up to doing shows at the Comedy Store in London in 1979. That led on to me presenting a show in the early days of Channel 4 called 'Whatever You Want,' which had live music and sketches.

I'm in love with corrugated iron buildings, especially chapels and churches.

Give me some grilled halloumi and a bit of hummus to snack on, and I'm in heaven.

A lot of what journalists write is drivel.

Journalists have so much newsprint to fill, the details are the last of their considerations.

I would have loved to have been in Hong Kong, or China, in around the 18th century.

I'll take anyone to task about UB40. They were as important as Bob Marley in getting reggae into the consciousness of British youth at that time. I'm proud to be their number one fan.

It must have been horrible for my parents to see me go from public school to comprehensive to detention centre to borstal. I was busy ploughing my own furrow, but I must have been a terrible worry to them, and for that I am sorry.

The Internet is a global lavatory wall, a Rabelaisian mixture of truth, lies, insanity and humour.

Celebrity's a spectator sport. You have to feed it.