I'm not ready to give up comedy for real acting yet

Oliver Callan in Garth sketch for his RTE show.

EVERY Irish comedian would be lying if they said they didn't want to break into overseas markets like the UK.

The only thing is that you have to do it in a way that doesn't annoy or alienate Irish viewers.

I recently got asked by the team on Britain's Got Talent to audition for them, but I turned it down.

People like Brendan O'Carroll have it right though - he's made a sensation of Mrs Brown's Boys and it's a co-production with an Irish broadcaster, that's the way to go.

I've been doing comedy a while, but I don't plan on wavering outside that genre in the next ten years.

I'd like to act, but you'd have to be bored of comedy before turning to it.

Steve Coogan is the perfect example of what I mean. It's only now he's getting to the serious acting, with his movie Philomena, but he did 20 years or more with Alan Partridge before that.

Comedy is where my heart lies at the moment, and in a way it is still a form of acting experience and something I'm very proud of.

I've been extremely busy with filming lately and I was planning a stand-up tour in the Autumn, but unfortunately I don't think that'll be happening now.

As production for the TV programme went on it seems like there's just no time and you need more than a couple of weeks to prepare material for a live audience.

It will most likely be next Spring when I tour the country with a performance show.

Unlike some of my competitors, I like to reel out 40 or so characters in the hour and a half that people are watching me.

I like to hit them machine gun style, give them value for their money.