Alexei Sayle

Alexei Sayle: Stalin, the Young Ones and my mum

Raised by staunch communist parents in 1960s Liverpool, it was Eisenstein, not Bambi, for the young Alexei Sayle. But the comic's odd childhood has made for a hilarious new memoir.

Alexei Sayle: My family values

The comedian and writer talks about his family.

For every viewer who loves it to bits there'll be one who finds it puerile beyond words. But if you ever enjoyed the likes of The Young Ones or Alexei Sayle, you're bound to warm to this continuing comedy series, centred on the fictional (no, really?!) council of Klangbury and three of its ludicrous leading lights.

Unless you're a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe you've probably never heard of Count Arthur Strong. But you will soon, for he is a brilliant comedy creation. Strong is a self-deluded, exceptionally rude and linguistically challenged old luvvie who sounds a bit like Alan Bennett might if he was morphed with Alexei Sayle. In real life, Strong is the comedian Steve Delaney, but reality is thankfully overlooked in this warped day-in-the-life of 'a doyen of light entertainment'. I laughed until I hurt.

Alexei Sayle looks like Mr Blobby before the lobotomy. There is dangerous sharpness there like a razor in a cake of soap. The All-New Alexei Sayle Show (BBC2) is much more fun than the nine o'clock news on BBC1. Well, what isn't?

Alexei Sayle Interview

Out with the old stuff, in with the new: Alexei Sayle has a chip on his shoulder, which is why in Australia they've fallen for his act in a big way. But all is not what it seems with the bolshy boy of comedy.

Being on BBC2 Alexei Sayle's Stuff is more cerebral or something. It is intellectual yet bonkers, like a fast journey down a stream of consciousness on a rubber duck.

An ambitious project, needing extraordinary script-witing skills: unfortunately, Alexei Sayle has acquired the label of cult comedian, which may have gone to his head. For one thing, he was inclined to snigger at his own truly silly fake-Russki accent. The jokes were regrettable; even more regrettable, the unbelievable studio audience greeting the feeblest sallies with gales of unforced(?) guffaws.