Patrick Kielty plans stand-up tour

Patrick Kielty says he's planning his first UK stand-up tour next year.

The chat-show host said: "It's important, if you come from a comedy background, not to completely forget it."

If the tour goes ahead, it will be his first substantial stand-up workfor almost three years.

However, the Northern Irish performer made a similar statement about an imminent tour exactly 12 months ago - a promise which came to nothing.

In an interview with today's Independent to promote the return of Fame Academy, which he also presents, the 32-year-old admitted: "Over the past few years, television has been very good to me. But you do have a shelf life."

He also speaks of how his father was killed by loyalist gunmen in the mistaken belief he was an IRA officer, when Patrick was just 16.

But he claims the devastating incident was not the single turning point that made him into a political stand-up.

"I find that quite lazy journalism. It was almost as if I'd decided to turn myself into some sort of comedy Batman - because something terrible had happened in my past, I had to put on the political comedy cape and take on these issues."

Published: 28 Jul 2003