'Throwing acid is wrong - in some people's eyes.'
That's a sample of the jokes you'll hear if you're going to see Jimmy Carr at Portsmouth Guildhall tonight (and he's back on Saturday November 8).

He's written a book about humour and calls himself a joke technician, admitting he's 'obsessed.'

'My favourites are the jokes where the laughs roll around the theatre, followed by oohs as people realise what they're laughing at is a little bit wrong.

'Rude jokes are titillating in the same way as pornography and that makes it curiously intimate. There's one joke in the new show that you couldn't do at the start. I have to break down their moral sensibilities before they're ready for it.

'It's only in interviews where you suddenly feel like the bastion of taste and decency.Putting comedians in charge of what you can and can't say is like giving the job to the Least. Responsible. People. In. The. World.

'There are certain rules that are simple as a comedian; don't be racist, don't hate anyone, don't say anything with malice.
But in terms of protecting minorities and social rights, I'm literally just saying the funniest things I can in the shortest possible time.

'I plan my gigs so that people come away going 'those were very funny jokes' rather than 'he was a very nice man,' just because that's what I like.

'I love jokes. I love material you want to use the next day because there's no higher compliment to a comic than people telling their mates your jokes.'

The comedian who's known for his insulting humour and acid-tongued put-downs, reckons he's really approachable in real life.

'Wherever I am, people come up, say hello and have a chat. I'm not a movie star or a singer or someone who's impossibly talented; I'm just a bloke with some jokes. It's nice; it makes the world very friendly.

'If I'm eating, people wait until I've put down my knife and fork before they come over. It's great. The nicest thing is when you meet young guys and girls coming to comedy for the first time.

'What's slightly strange is that they're clearly expecting me to insult them. It must be difficult if you're a beloved comedian like Peter Kay who has to be super nice the whole time. For my audience, it's a pleasant surprise to find I'm polite.'

Despite his arrogant act, he claims people just don't get intimidated by him.

'In showbusiness I'm the lowest tier aren't I? Just one step above the clown. If you do well at stand-up maybe you'll go on to do something else. No famous actors go, "you know, I really fancy doing a bit of stand-up."

* Jimmy Carr is at Portsmouth Guildhall tonight and on Saturday November 8. Tonight's gig is sold out, but there are still some tickets available for November. Call (023) 9282 4355.