John Bishop - Stand up's where my heart is
It comes as no surprise that comedian John Bishop decided to call his latest tour Rollercoaster. That's precisely what his life has been in recent years.
Bishop didn't make his stand-up debut until 2000 – and has enjoyed a remarkable rise to the top.
He trod the boards for many years before his big break came in 2009, when he appeared on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow.
That year, he also appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where his show, Elvis Has Left The Building, was nominated for an Edie.
He also appeared in Channel 4's short series, Comedy Showcase, and was a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind.
Bishop said: "'Stand up is where my heart is and as I am now just preparing for a new tour, I know that it is something that I would never not want to do."
The 44-year-old comedian will play Birmingham's NIA on October 11, 12 and 13.
He announced two extra dates just a week after tickets initially went on sale and the Birmingham city centre venue will now welcome him for three days of shows as part of the line-up for the Birmingham Comedy Festival.
The extra dates mean he will be bringing his dry wit and Northern humour to even more fans, after playing the LG Arena earlier this year.
On his last tour John played to over 400,000 fans and topped the charts with the fastest selling stand-up DVD of all time.
He has been regularly broadcasting into the homes of more than 6.5 million viewers in his own primetime BBC One show (John Bishop's Britain) as well as starring in A League of Their Own (Sky1).
In recent times, Bishop has also turned his hand to acting. He appeared in Accused, Jimmy McGovern's award-winning series, which returned to BBC One.
Bishop played Peter Cartwright, a father-of-two teenage sons trying his best to help 17-year-old Stephen (Robert Sheehan) and young Dom (Josh Bolt), come to terms with the imminent death of their terminally ill mother.
"I became involved in the best possible way, my agent phoned me and said there is going to be a new series of Accused and there is a part there for you if you want it," he said.
"I've been a fan of Jimmy McGovern's work for a number of years so I said yes before I even saw the script.
"If Jimmy McGovern knocks and you are offered a part, you don't say, 'can I ease myself into it?'' says John.
"Had Kenny Dalglish asked me to play for Liverpool last year I would have said yes without hesitation even though I am 45 and no good. Sometimes you just have to throw yourself into it and hope for the best."
Tickets are available at www.thenia.co.uk
