Quotes from Vic Reeves

Out of all the isms, movements and manifestos of the 20th century, it was the Dadaists who proved the most important - giving birth, not only to a lot of modern art, but also shaping comedy, music and political protest.

I was a pop star at one point, and I sang the 'Shaun The Sheep' theme.

Probably the biggest influence on me, strange though it may sound, was the 70s, a decade of invention. Growing up then had a huge impact on me. People wanted to experiment and were hungry for change. I was influenced by the literature and art of the time; listening to John Peel and Annie Nightingale and watching 'Monty Python.'

The majority of people probably think that Damien Hirst is avant-garde. Look at the amount of people who say 'What is this rubbish? Who is running our galleries? Why are they spending all this money on the avant-garde?' That doesn't make it avant-garde to me.

There's not really a gap between my comedy and my art; it's all the same thing.

What's that one that people seem to like so much? 'Fleabag.' I watched that and it was that sort of Oxbridge 'Oh, I'm so clever and witty, aren't I?' I don't like that stuff. But then I don't like 'Mrs Brown's Boys' either. I like things that are clever but hide it.

I used to think I'd never get married or have kids. Peer pressure suggested I might be a lone wolf forever. I've always let life dictate its own terms. Marriage just happened.

I am really trying not to eat cheese at night. It's become a real problem and I have now got high cholesterol. I have to do something about it.

It's really a music hall act that we do.

Every day I'm in my studio - it's wooden and purpose-built at the end of our garden. It's filthy and has got paint everywhere.

When I was at art school we used to make films, and we had a really very realistic manikin that we threw off a bridge, and a car nearly crashed. We all had to clear off really quickly.

I can't be bothered with reality shows; I'd rather go and look through someone's letter box.

We've never gone mainstream. Once you've been around on TV for 10 years, people will assume that you're mainstream because they recognise you.

People like to be voyeuristic and look at others bickering. That's part of any double act, from Laurel and Hardy onwards.

I mean, when we did 'Families At War,' on Saturday night prime time, people said we were mainstream then. But it wasn't in the least mainstream. The fact that we got that on BBC1 at that time with those ridiculous things, that's as mainstream as we get. We do what we do and people can think that it's mainstream or avant-garde.

Timidity has followed me throughout the years.

I don't think you should have to defend your actions to people who say: 'You've put some paintings on a wall, and if this doesn't have any deep meaning, then why?' What about the Dadaists? What were they doing? Weren't they just having a laugh with their tin hats?

I cook every day and find it really relaxing. I've got a huge amount of cookery books. It's usually traditional British and French cooking, but then I'll go off-piste.

We've always had people who don't understand our humour.

People who aren't known for being artists do come in for criticism when they exhibit pictures. Paul McCartney, Tony Curtis, Mo Mowlam's husband are all at it - and what's to stop them? In my case, I don't see the comedy and the art as separate at all - you're just bending your creativity in a different direction.

I love clothes and going to supermarkets. I spend hours walking around the aisles looking at ingredients.

The comedy I do on TV came from me being at art school and seeing Gilbert and George films, thinking they were hilarious. I was trying to do that, a sketch version of art, and it ended up on TV.

I paint or sketch for two, three hours every day. It keeps me sane.

I think there's an incredible luck or skill for a 45-year-old man to draw like a three-year-old.