Ross Noble's wind-up and other nonsense in the Weekly Trivia File, WTF

• You know you’re in trouble when you’re being burned by John Prescott. The Labour Bruiser tweeted after Jimmy Carr’s tax affairs were made public: ‘Just read that shocking secret about Jimmy Carr in the Times. Never knew he was a comedian! #boom’

• Ross Noble has admitted that he is the one behind rumours that a Newcastle Park was infested by crocodiles. Police and reptile experts swooped on Heaton Park Pond back in 2000, amid reports that a 6ft beast was lurking beneath the water. ‘We are taking these reports very seriously and would urge anyone who sees this crocodile or alligator not to approach it themselves,’ the man from the Reptile Trust told The Independent at the time – believing someone had dumped a pet in the park. But on Graham Norton’s show, Noble admitted it was all down to him persuading his audience all to call local radio host Alan Robson with sightings. Following the revelations, Robson admitted Ross ‘caused chaos... but it was hilarious’.

• Ricky Gervais said his weirdest encounter with a fan is when one asked him to sign their passport. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s illegal but I did it,’ he said. ‘I should have signed their face as well so it matched the passport.’

• Bob Slayer cracked his neck in a drunken prank a few days ago,and has previously been thrown out of festivals in Australia for being too pissed. So who better to sponsor his Alternative Fringe than a brewery? ‘What could possibly go wrong?’ he comments...

• After announcing the deal with the Scottish Borders Brewery, Slayer took the chance to take a swipe at Edinburgh Comedy Award sponsor Fosters ‘who make cheap, generic lager and then spend millions in order to convince people that is it special... ‘Is that what we want the Fringe to become?’ Although it could be pointed out that Fosters have sunk rather more of those millions into comedy than the ‘six-figures over five years’ (which could be as little as £2,000 a year) that BBS have committed.

• On a similar subject, another brewery has launched a beer named after US comedian Larry The Cable Guy’s catchphrase. SchillingBridge microbrewery,  based in Larry’s home town of  Pawnee City, Nebraska, signed a licensing deal to market Git-R-Done ale. ‘It is our hope that this new venture will help to accelerate our vision of economic revitalisation,’ said boss Mike Schilling. He means ‘make us some money’.

• Thieves have nicked Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson’s caravan.

• Think £180 is too much for a comedy ticket, as we reported was the top price for Kevin Hart tickets this week? One chancer on Seatwave is trying to sell two tickets to see Michael McIntyre at the O2 on September 26 for £499 each. Good luck with that..

• About time we had a heckler putdown, isn’t it?
  

• ’Russell Brand has got himself a gun. He admitted: ‘I shouldn’t really have access to hair gel but I can fire a gun if I need to. To be honest guns are fun.’ In 2010 there were 8,775 firearm murders in the US...

• Our apologies to Frankie Boyle... who we missed out of yesterday’s story about Britain’s most influential comedy tweeters. He is actually Britain’s second most influential comic, by Klout’s reckoning, despite his 680,000 followers being fraction of Stephen Fry’s. Seems controversy is popular. This morning he commented that Ed Miliband was ‘gibbering about with a face like a widow's vagina hitting G Force.’

• Billy Connolly has revealed that one of his biggest rows with wife Pamela Stephenson was over whether their daughters should be allowed to spend the night with their boyfriends. ‘We argued about kids sleeping over. The question is, do you let your children sleep with their lovers at home or elsewhere,’ he said. ‘When it comes to daughters most women are for it, and most men are against it.’

• Meanwhile, Adam Sandler says his children are embarrassed by his clothes. Just wait till they see his films.

Tweets Of The Week
Vivienne Clore (@Vivienneclore ): A gstring can lead to a grope
EasilyTempted (@EasilyTempted): Spiderman always gets his flies stuck.
Chris Twidale (@ChrisTwidale): (The plan to get my dog to swallow semen is coming on a treat.

Published: 22 Jun 2012