John Bishop on his new stand-up tour

"This show is me getting back to being me... not a list of the things I’ve been doing in ‘celeb-land’ - it’s about the norms of domestic life."

John Bishop has been speaking to the Manchester Evening News ahead of his new stand-up tour, Supersonic. Below are some of the highlights.

On his meteoric rise in stand-up:

“This is never something I planned or could see coming. I’ll always have the feeling that someone is about to tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘This wasn’t really meant for you’. I’m getting a bit more used to it now, but I’m still waiting for that tap on the shoulder. The moment you think you belong is when you realise that actually everyone else has left you behind.”

On talking about his family on stage:

“It’s surprising how many fans ask, ‘How are Melanie and the boys?’. I keep thinking, ‘Do I know this person?’ But that’s great because it means people think they know me very well. This show is me getting back to being me… not a list of the things I’ve been doing in ‘celeb-land’ – it’s about the norms of domestic life.

“We’re a hair’s breadth away from empty nest syndrome. Two of my boys have already left for university. That has had a massive effect. We may be about to encounter the empty nest, but at least it will be cheaper to go on holiday! Melanie and I are spending more time together now, which means we could well be divorced by the time the tour begins.”

On hearing from fans after the show:

“It’s so nice to get personal messages from people afterwards. They say things like, ‘We were going through a terrible time, but watching your show gave us a real lift’. That’s very, very gratifying.”

John Bishop, Phones 4u Arena, Manchester, 14-16 November, £35.45, phones4uarena.co.uk.