He secured his first stand-up job five months after leaving college and subsequently made many stand-up appearances on television, but mainstream success took several years to achieve.

Alan won the Time Out Award for Best Comic in 1991 and the work offers began to increase slowly, but surely.

In 1995, he appeared on the spoof travel show, One for the Road. He got his own radio show, The Alan Davies Show, in 1998.

Alan used his new-found success to launch his acting career, appearing in Jonathan Creek in 1997 and A Many Splintered Thing in 1998. His performance was well received and signified a change in the pace of Alan’s career trajectory.

Jonathan Creek remains a firm ratings success. Four series of the show - now co-starring Julia Sawalha - have been made so far.