WTF: Weekly trivia file

• ‘I don't want to die, I just want everyone else to.’ Roseanne Barr.

• Ricky Gervais has built a gym at his New York flat — because he is too embarrassed to work out in public. And it’s not common knowledge yet, but Gervais will be making a surprise appearance at Nine Lessons And Carols For Godless People, the Christmas comedy celebration of all things rational being staged by his friend Robin Ince and featuring Richard Dawkins, Stewart Lee and Chris Addison, among others. Two dates at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre have already sold out, but a new date (December 21) at the 3,600-seat Hammersmith Apollo is due to be announced soon. Watch this space…

• Dawn French says snogging Jonathan Ross is worse than kissing a cat's arse…

• Simon Pegg credits one man for his comedy success: Phillip Schofield. It’s because his friend Edgar Wright won a video camera on one of Schofield’s TV shows, so they could start shooting things together: ‘Phillip handed him the camera which started his career and then mine,’ Pegg said.

• Al Murray has separated from his wife of eight years, Amber. There is no one else involved.

• Alan Davies admits: ‘I used to like a puff on the weed... I enjoyed E, but I only ever tried it a few times. [But] there were two or three really funny comedians who messed themselves up by getting a coke habit… so I'm a bit anti-Class A.’

• Awkward stand-up moment the week. ‘Is that a bar fight?’ ‘No, it’s a medical emergency…’:
  
  

• Johnny Depp has begged Matt Lucas for a role in the Little Britain movie.

• Is anyone paying attention on the US remake of Kath & Kim? We only ask because in an interview with New York magazine, even its star Molly Shannon seems to lose the plot. She is quoted as saying: ‘In watching the Australian version, what I loved is how together Kim is. She has her act together and she has a positive attitude but she keeps getting sucked back into her daughter’s drama.’ Small problem: Kim is the daughter. Kath is the mum with the positive attitude

• Alan Carr embarrassed himself in front of Grace Jones at the Q Awards this week. As a wind-up, someone had told him that the feisty singer had moved to his home town of Northampton… and he believed them. ‘I believed it was so surreal that it might just be true,’ he said. ‘Me, obviously being a Northampton lad, ran straight over to her and said, “Grace! Which part of Northampton do you live in? I'm from there.” There was a pause and in that deep, Jamaican tone uttered, “What is Northampton?” I'm assuming I wont be bumping into her at the Grosvenor Centre.’

• Katy Brand once hid in a toilet from Lily Allen, because she was scared the singer might punch her over her parodies of her songs. ‘I’m not proud,’ Katy said.

• Russell Brand has made a sly dig at Kevin Spacey, who doesn’t rate his acting. ‘I could win him round as we walk dogs in the park,’ said Brand – referring to the 2004 incident when the actor was mugged at 4am. Meanwhile, Brand’s relationship with another acting legend is going from strength to strength: as it appears the attraction he has for his future co-star Helen Mirren, 63, is mutual. ‘I heard Russell fancies me,’ she said. ‘I fancy him too. I mean, who can resist a man that looks so good in tight trousers. He's absolutely lovely.

• ‘When I started out in comedy, it was common knowledge that it took about ten years to get good. And that was OK because it took nine years to get on television. Now, because we have 300 TV channels, the average comic gets on TV in about three years, so a lot of the new comics just aren’t ready for prime time.’ Chris Rock.

SOURCES: The Guardian, The Sun/RickyGervais.com, Dear Dawn autobiography, Teletext, The Sun, The Observer, YouTube, Sunday Mirror, New York, AlanCarr.com, The Sun, Metro/The Mirror, HBO.com

Published: 10 Oct 2008