Radio Times

We dared to quiz the mocker-in-chief. Some of his answers are printable…

It's the magnificent seventh series of Mock the Week. For the unlucky few who haven't seen it yet… It's basically five gay guys doing games that they've culled from the Mensa tests. And we all hate it. No, it's basically Whose Line Is It Anyway? meets Have I Got News for You.

Do you prepare gags in advance? Well, you know what the news stories are, but you don't know what people are going to say about them. But because it's quite a long recording - about three hours - there's a lot more improvised stuff in there than you would think.

You're known for a certain brand of near-the-knuckle humour. How much of what you say gets cut? A lot. And I'd imagine a lot more will be this year. I've just started trying some new stuff on tour and the whole front row walked out. [He did tell us the gag in question, but it's just too offensive to repeat.]

What's surprised you that you're not allowed to say on TV? I've learnt loads. There's now a new thing where you can use f**k but not as a verb. You can use it as an adjective. So you can go, 'You know what I like? Nookie. It's f**king great.' Ross and Brand have made a massive difference.

With politics in disarray, is now a good time to be a satirist? It's good because it feels like everything is starting to fall to pieces. That's good for political comedy. New targets? I was glad recently to see Anne Widdecombe standing for Speaker of the House of Commons. Not only because she has a weird voice but also on the basis that the media keep repeating that she's "still" a virgin. Like that status is going to change any time soon. If she was the last woman on Earth I would… [CENSORED]

Your autobiography's coming out later this year - My S**t Life So Far. Sounds an uplifting read. I think it's surprisingly jolly. People forget sometimes that it is an act. So a lot of my opinions are pretty negative, but I'm actually surprisingly non-judgemental. I'm pretty bleak, but I've got a sense of humour with it. I think the most important thing is that you tell your kids that everything is going to be OK. Before you mercy-kill them. "Drink up your bitter milk." Ha ha!

You've said you're going to give it up in two years. Why wait two? You mean why not just retire now? It's sort of the compulsion to do it while hating it that makes it good. Obviously most people love it, but it's definitely what makes mine good - there's some tension between not wanting to be there and really feeling compelled to be there. So providing that's still there I could still do it. I'm going to do a last tour. I've already written two hours of it. But I think after that…

You know what it is - after 40, very few comedians are very good. Very few anybodies are any good at anything. The focus really goes. I think I need to do some more sophisticated work. Most stand-up doesn't have much sophistication to it. I've got a couple of pilot scripts for TV shows that I'm quite hopeful about. But the touring's a bit of an anchor on the soul.

One final question: when you crack America have you any plans to do a live DVD in Hollywood? I see where you're heading with this one because the secondary school I went to was called Holyrood. So that was a tough summer when Frankie Goes to Hollywood were topping the charts.

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Are you a Frankie fan? Looking forward to the new series of Mock the Week? Post a comment below and let us know.

Is shocked that some people are critising Frankie. Its comedians like him and Jimmy Car, that are worthwhile going to see. Not like that Russel Howard - Comedy for Kids. Yes hes outspoken, sometimes crude and pokes fun at minorities. But for those who oppose i refer you to the interview, quote 'it is an act'.

i have read half way through your autobiography,and you sound like a whore demanding the rate for the job,somebody who has sold off the last remnants of your humanity.so sad,you could have been a great man,a trenchant social critic,but you sold out to being a mediocre success story.one day a blinding example will intensify your self contempt.sic transit gloria mundi.

IM a HUGE Frankie fan…and GAY with it too.. ( he should be delighted with that!) not only is he fabulously sexy in that ginger totally horny, stubbly beared kinda way, he's so damn honest about the world too.. Honest in a humourous way- that he acheives the means to transcend the banality and tedium of the buls*** of life and especially in relation to the 'politacal' arena of human existence.. that stretches from the intensly private and personal world to the ostensibly public arena where the real art of LYING gets it platform.. thank God we have the genius of Frankie's take on it all… it makes me feel deeply relieved he's in the world with me! Dont for f***'s sake give up Frankie! cheers yaull.. D xx

Frankie Boyle is so funny, love it

I'm a woman and I don't find what frankie says offensive because he doesn't specifically target women, he's crude and vulgar about everything. I find him very funny and can't wait to see him on tour/ read his book.

I really enjoy Frankie's Humour. Off the cuff every time.Please don't retire, I am sure you will always have something to say, with caustic comments.

I love Mock the Week and Franky Boyle makes it for me. He is just SO funny! OK he is a bit near the knuckle sometimes but we are all adults, right?

It is a comedy programme on late at night, if you dont like it then don't watch it .. simples!

O.K so he's funny, but there are five other funny guys on the panel. For heavens sake ease off a bit and let the others strut their stuff

I am shocked to the core that so many dullards have written here to complain about some of his gags, are you on crack?! It has been said already, but if you don't like the comedy.... Don't watch! Mock the week is massively groundbreaking, and yes, Frankie Boyle is darker than dark, but to be totally honest the show would not be the same at all if it wasn't for him.

Next time he makes one of those "dubious" jokes and the camera pans to Dara looking aghast, or he makes a comment that causes the next comedian to not even be able to talk, just have a little listen to the audience; are they silent and shocked, or are they laughing uncontrollably?!

As has already been said, if you want to watch comedy, watch and embrace and if you don't, watch Newsnight!

PS - He is unbelievably funny live!

Frankie is a wonderful comedian and I love his style of comedy. He's not a misogynist either but is a warm, genial bloke, my husband met him briefly. His humour's bleak yes but if you don't like it then don't watch. I'm looking forward to reading his soon to be released autobiography. If he does retire from stand up comedy I don't see any to take his place.

The other week I listened in disbelief to him make a joke about how emotionally damaged women from difficult family backgrounds were a more attractive option than stronger women, since these fragile women were likely to be 'dirtier' in bed. I mean… do men who appreciate a joke like that have hearts?!

Much as it pleases me that there's little chance of him ever sleeping with ANY woman who heard him say that, it's worrying to that the BBC deams it fit to broadcast brazen mysogeny like that in the year 2009. I would urge other women to e-mail the BBC and make your voices heard.

i refer to the morons below who sit and analyze the humor of a man who really could not give a f*** about what you think! his does it for a reaction and he is good at what he does, if you want comment on the political views of ann Widdicome watch f***ing newsnight not a comedy show!!

go to you tube an watch the cut seen's of mock the week worth a watch

I read that Frankie Boyle made extremely crude jokes about the Queen. No doubt many consider this an example of him being brave, fearless and saying things other comedians won't go near. Sorry, but if he was really brave he would tackle religious fundamentalists, for example. But then again, his views on women are rather similar to theirs, so it's unlikely he'd do that.

First we had comedians who thought being bigoted was funny or who relied solely on filth to get a laugh even when there was no wit or humour in their acts. Then we moved on and those comedians were relegated to history (or considered only fit for morons) by a new breed of 'intelligent, sophisticated' satirical comedians. Now we are going backwards - the only dfference being that a sprinkling of political jokes are added to justify the rest. I hesitate to use the words sexist or homophobic because they have been over-used and devalued, but much of Frankie Boyle's 'humour' relies on pure nastiness, usually at the expense of women or unfortunates who are not attractive (e.g he doesn't have a go at Anne Widdicome for her opinions or personality, but for being an unattractive virgin. Yeah, how cutting edge, how brave Frankie). Someone else posted a comment urging Frankie to 'tell it like it is' OK, Frankie - this is how it is; anyone can get a laugh by breaking taboos and going all out to shock for the sake of it. You are a very funny man who is misusing his talent to get cheap laughs by being cruel, mysoginistic and, frankly Frankie, revolting. Where's the humour? Where's the wit?

Brilliantly funny, the bloke who talks about going backward to adolescent sniggering (10/7 10:32) has signed himself Colin Oscopy.

HAHAHAHAHA... have I missed the point?

By the way there are still Bike Sheds and indeed Schools. Just cos you're an old fart doesn't mean there aren't fourteen year olds laughing at what you laughed at when you were 14. Or maybe you were in chess club at dinnertime

I can't wait for his book! Will be the funniest thing ever - love the title too! Say it like it is Frankie!

Its great to see someone like Frankie saying the jokes that we all like to laugh at.I am sure there is nothing deliberatly racist,sexist or any other "ist" that the PC brigade love to pick up.I thought Mary Whitehouse had gone and forgotton.Well done Frankie keep up the humour there isn't much to laugh at these days.

As far as I'm concerned, thank God for Frankie Boyle - I tend to think the same way, say what's on your mind, and deal with it afterwards. These days, people are so scarred to say anything, because they'll be labelled with some form of "ist", be it, sexist, racist, fatist, whatever - the point is, people are so afraid these days, it's a shock, but a breath of fresh air when someone DOES say what you're thinking.

It's about time that someone does shake up the status-quo, and quite frankly, with some of the people that he mocks on television, they deserve it.

Oh, and Colin...The comment, "If you can't make a joke without being foul mouthed, then you're not funny." is in someways true, however, you only have to look at someone like Billy Connolly, who does use a certain amount of vulgarity in his act, yet, he is generally considered to be the best stand-up comedian of all time - yet, no one comes down on him for it. Just a thought.

Comedy is all about breaking boundaries and of course, making people laugh - Frankie does both perfectly.

Frankie is indeed the dark heart of Mock the week and its all the better for it. Folks need to grow up, this isnt the forties... Leave the non cussing to Will Smith.

I can't believe the recording is three hours! It just makes it a real shame how much they must cut to drop it down to thirty minutes. Even if half what they do is rubbish (and I wouldn't for a moment think it is), that still means they have to remove two-thirds of the remaining "good" stuff to show us the fragment that they do.

BBC - please extend the weekly show to sixty minutes.

If you can't make a joke without being foul mouthed, then you're not funny. I heard recently an opinion to the effect that alternative humour had allowed the BBC to grow up. In my opinion exactly the opposite has happened - we've grown backwards towards the back of the school cycle sheds, where adolescent sniggering at rude words and topics is the domain of the immature.

I laugh out loud many times during the show, even if some (no, most) of the jokes are pretty inappropriate. The guy is a legend.

I do love the thought that Frankie Boyle goes to America and ends up in a sitcom and makes it huge success. When Billy Connolly went out he did a sitcom and as I remember the children (is this a rule for sitcoms to have kids in?) loved him but the script writers missed the point.

Why retire when the news just cries out to be mocked.