So I’m back from LA, where I not only had the greatest salad of my life (a spicy one!), but also had had a brilliant time meeting actors for the sitcom… and I’m delighted to say, after a thorough shakedown of the entire country, here’s our lovely cast so far…



Mr Tony Hale (Arrested Development) plays my best friend… Ms. Laura Prepon (That 70s Show) takes on the toughest role of her life by playing my wife… and Mr Matt Letscher (Eli Stone) plays an odd man named Bob who likes smoothies.



And… directing is Andy Ackerman, a kind and gentle man, who directed 90 episodes of Seinfeld, as well as shows like Frasier and Cheers. I’m properly thrilled. Though now the pressure is on…



The
book by the way, comes out in June…

I’ve been popping back and forth to LA for a while now, and the results are in.

Courtesy of Warner Bros and Heyday Films, I’ve managed to get a sitcom pilot greenlit for the excellent ABC network in the States, based on my next book, AWKWARD SITUATIONS FOR MEN.

People who follow my stuff might know of my column in ShortList magazine, and the book – and therefore the show – is based on those…

I’m thrilled and a little intimidated, but the team I’m working with is really excellent, and we’re in talks with some other very exciting people who’ve been involved in some of my favourite stuff ever. So we’ll see. I’ll give it a good go, for Britain!

More info here…

I’ve been pretty busy these last couple of months, working on some brand new projects for next year… if they come off, they’ll be lots of fun. For me, anyway. I hope they’ll be fun for other people, too.

In the meantime, here are some other things coming up…

On Christmas Day here in Britain, traditionally we all sit quietly in our living rooms and listen to 5Live in the morning. And this year, that tradition is in safe hands, as me and RICHARD BACON attempt to make Christmas better from 9am.

On New Year’s Day, it’s time for me and the ace RICH GLOVER to deliver our New Year’s Day Special on 6Music, and I think it’s fair to say this has become one of the strangest things we’ve done. There are songs. Plenty of songs. And if you keep listening, there are plenty more.

In January, we’ll be holding the fort for ADAM & JOE on 6, plus I’ll be looking after things for DERMOT O’LEARY on Radio 2, and hosting the backstage coverage at the O2 for the NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS on ITV2 with SARA COX.

Plus the usual bits and bobs. More on those other projects soon… Cheers!

A childhood ambition realised! Although I am neither Sonic the Hedgehog nor the exciting Dr Robotnik.

I play instead Shaun, a character who, as luck would have it, has exactly the same voice as me.

It was a very exciting process, involving various men in London and Montreal handing me pieces of paper and playing me other voices down the line… and then having around a million photos taken from very different angles, looking grumpy and smily and wise.

Assassin’s Creed 2 comes out on every format imaginable in November… for more info, click here…

Why not come along? I’ll be in the likes of Leeds, Dundee and Bath, talking about Friends Like These, and… well… whatever you like.

Dates on the left!