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The 5-minute Interview: Ed Petrie, Comedian and television presenter

'My mum was always telling me I'm too sarcastic with children'

Wednesday 03 October 2007 00:00 BST
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Ed Petrie made his name as a stand-up comedian before he started presenting children's television shows. This month he will be joining CBBC

The most surprising thing that happened to me was...

Becoming a children's television presenter. I'm really not sure how this happened. I used to work in TV as a researcher and then I jacked it in to do stand-up comedy. I did a show at Edinburgh, got an agent, wound up unemployed and so I went to a Nickelodeon casting. I had nothing better to do. Never in a million years did I think I'd get it. My mum worked with kids and she was always telling me that I'm too sarcastic with them.

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Trying to watch as much kids' telly as I can. I'm trying to catch up.

A phrase I use far too often...

I say "wicked" too much. It's like an Eighties throwback. But there are loads. I say "my name is Ed Petrie" too much. People don't need to be constantly reminded.

I wish people would take more notice of...

I don't know. I'm very wary about lecturing people. I sometimes wish people would see that things probably aren't as bad as they think they are.

A common misperception of me is...

People don't expect me to be as tall as I am. I'm 6ft 3in. People expect kids' presenters to be midgets. I was a late developer. I was a real squirt until I was 16, then I grew about a foot in a year. Suddenly girls who had never looked at me started to know who I was.

I am not a politician but...

I'd get a big bottle of Tipp-Ex and get rid of all the excess laws. I'm sure there was a time when we weren't getting told off by everyone quite so much.

I'm good at...

How can I put this without swearing? Persuading people to pay me to behave like an idiot.

I'm very bad at...

Anything involving co-ordination. Absolutely abysmal. You won't see me on Strictly Dance Fever or any of those things.

The ideal night out is...

Going somewhere – anywhere – where people don't look like they're trying too hard to enjoy themselves. I can't stand pretentious bars. I like anywhere a bit rough round the edges, anywhere south of the river. North London's not proper London.

In moments of weakness I...

Give in and then lie about it afterwards.

You know me as a presenter but in another life I'd have been...

A stand-up comedian.

The best age to be is...

18. You're old enough to do everything and young enough to enjoy it.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:

Find something you like doing, get someone to pay you for it.

Alice-Azania Jarvis

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