A member of the 1981 Cambridge Footlights, which won the first Perrier award at the Edinburgh Fringe, alongside Stephen Fry,  Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson. HHe appeared on a number of TV shows but his breakthrough was improvising on  Whose Line Is It Anyway? from 1989. He has also been a regular with the Comedy Store Players. Acting credits include roles in  The Crying Game, Carry On Columbus, Peter\'s Friends and   Red Dwarf. His work has been overshadowed by personal problems, with excessive drinking and cocaine use culminating in 1996 with a six-month period as a recluse, during which he did not answer his door or telephone. Eventually, one of his friends broke down the door of his flat and persuaded him to go to hospital, and he was diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disorder.