Eddie Izzard has revealed the secret of his success - he was driven by a desperate need for "affection" after his mother died when he was a child.
The British funnyman has painful memories of his childhood after losing mum Dorothy to cancer when he was aged six.
And he is adamant the tragedy spurred him to success in his chosen career as a stand-up comedian - because he needed to replace the love he was missing in his home life.
Izzard tells Sky News, "After mum died I thought that the applause of the audience is something I (could) swap for a mother's affection. That's how I analyse it."