...even though I'd made it all up!

Michael McIntyre has revealed that he was once threatened with legal action for stealing Christmas cards – for a routine he had made-up.

The comic reveals: ‘Years ago I told a story about moving into a house where the previous owner was called Michael too, and at Christmas I got a load of Christmas cards addressed to him saying, "Dear Michael, Merry Christmas" - so I put them up on the mantlepiece and pretended they were my own.

‘The Michael in question saw me tell this on TV and sent me a legal letter asking for compensation for his stolen Christmas cards! But it was only a silly joke, it never really happened!’

McIntyre shared the incident in an interview put out by the BBC to promote his 25th anniversary stand-up special, airing next week.

The comic also shared his advice for aspiring stand-ups saying: ‘ I suppose the thing I’ve learnt most of all in 25 years of stand-up, and it’s something I still forget, is that when an audience laughs it’s not the end of a joke, it’s the beginning. 

‘The audience have bought into the idea so don’t move on to the next one, keep mining that one and something funny can end up hilarious.’

• Michael McIntyre’s 25^th Year Stand-Up Special airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday December 14 at 8.35pm.

Published: 4 Dec 2024