THROUGHOUT my university years the running joke we had was that the only famous person to come from the University of Kent was Alan Davies.

So I was delighted to get a chance to talk to him about his upcoming UK tour, which will feature performances at both the City Hall and the Mayflower Theatre.

Although Little Victories will be Davies’ second recent UK tour it follows a long period away from the stand-up scene during his long stints on popular TV shows Jonathan Creek and QI.

When asked how he had adapted to life back on the stage he said: “Gingerly. I was treading very carefully.

“It is a little bit daunting, but I did it from a long way away from home in Australia. My promoter found me some nice gigs to play and it turned out that it felt like I had never been away from it.”

The show is, like many stand-up performances, autobiographical, but Davies plans on telling stories about the awkward side of life.

He said: “Much of my stand-up is about my life. It is storytelling, and much of it is about being a dad now. A lot of it is also reflecting on my own childhood.

“Then quite a lot about sexual intercourse and how it is uncomfortable.

“It’s a bit better than the last show I did. It’s more personal, more interesting and less generic stand-up material.

“I had good stand-up material in the last tour but it could have been done by any comedian. This is more personal, more about me and my life, and I hope the audience like it.”

Davies became the loveable sidekick in QI with his slapstick-style humour and it is something that always won over the audience.

He has just finished filming the latest series and he believes that the show is now as strong as it has ever been.

He added: “I think that QI is in quite rude health at the moment. I knew the creator John Lloyd and years ago I took part in some commercials directed by him and it was while doing them we came up with the idea for QI.

“He said what do you think of this idea for a show where you get points for being interesting and I said I think it could be brilliant.

“He invited me to take part in the pilot and he did all the research himself. He then asked me to be in the programme every week. So I have been in it for more than ten years.

“A lot of work goes into it, lots of clever people work for months on it. So much preparation and, in Stephen Fry, it has such a terrific host.

“In the end it is a very jolly thing to be part of and it is collaborative, not competitive, so in that respect it is quite unusual for panel shows.”

I asked Davies about his continuing appeal as a comedian and if he now considers himself a national treasure.

“No I wouldn’t describe myself as that,” he said. “I am very lucky to have been in two very good and long-running shows in Jonathan Creek and QI.

“It’s good fortune really. I try my best and am part of a team of people that pull together to try and produce something entertaining. I try to turn up on time and hope they ask me back.”

As well as being a comedian Davies is an avid Arsenal fan but, when asked if he ever fancied a show with fellow Arsenal super-fan Piers Morgan he light-heartedly shrugged it off.

He joked: “I could not even get in a lift with Piers Morgan let alone on a stage with him.”

Alan Davies will be playing at the City Hall on Thursday, October 16 at 8pm with tickets starting from £20 and at the Mayflower on November 23 at 7.30pm with tickets starting from £22.