Funnyman Tony Hawks rides into town

Tony Hawks, the eternal bachelor, famous comedian, notorious TV personality and successful author, best known for his off-the-wall projects, has sold up in London and moved to deepest darkest Devon.

Not only that, the 54-year-old has got married and now has a 10-month-old son Arlo. The transformation is complete, and to make matters worse, he’s deliriously happy.

No wonder his publishers snapped up the premise for his latest book Once Upon A Time In The West Country, as incredulously as they did his previous titles about travelling round Ireland with a fridge, or playing tennis with Moldovan football players.

“I just didn’t have the drive to get married and have kids earlier in life. I had too many other things to get out of my system but now I won’t take on anything that takes me away from home for too long. I just dont want to. It doesn’t feel like a sacrifice. I’ve done such a lot in my life already,” he tells me from his home near Dartmoor.

Our interview the day before had been cancelled at the last minute, Tony being called up to do an episode of Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue in Manchester, so we ended up trying unsuccessfully to snatch a few minutes at Wigan Station as he meandered home.

The next morning is better, he’s back in sunny Devon, eating breakfast with his new wife Fran and son Arlo. About to commence a mammoth stand-up tour while promoting the new book, it’s a busy time for Tony, but he’s happy to promote what he’s doing, being a bit more choosy about what he takes on these days.

Having spent years flogging himself half to death on the merciless comedy circuit, his book Round Ireland With A Fridge launched him into the comedy stratosphere and he’s been happily writing, touring and travelling ever since.

Which brings him to Oxford with an appearance at the Oxford Literary Festival, as well as a night at The Glee Club, perfectly exemplifying what he does now, a well orchestrated balance between highbrow and popular culture.

“That’s the funny thing. I’ll be on stage at the Oxford Literary Festival talking about my book and being interviewed but I can’t repress the comedian. If someone asks a funny question or drops something, the comic in me just wades right in there. I can’t help it.”

So was it a relief to get off the comedy club circuit? “No, I did the circuit and relished it. It was my income, so come weekends I was always doing gigs and stuff. It wasn’t a slog but it did eventually reach a point when I thought ‘I’m tired of this’ because by then it means you’re not at your best, or giving it your all. That’s when you need to pull the plug on things even if it does cut off a nice steady stream of income, but that’s good for you too because it pushes you.

“So I sat down and wrote Round Ireland With A Fridge which was a massive success (it sold over 800,000 copies) and I got so many emails from men delighted that someone had gone out there and followed their silly dreams and plans. Because that’s the hard thing about life, you get trapped, yet the book seemed to enable other people to go off and do their stuff.”

Hollywood then climbed on board, but Hawks resisted, eventually pulling the plug on the film project and withdrawing from the deal.

“They only wanted the concept so the story would have been unrecognisable and I walked away. It was my baby, so we went and made a low-budget film instead which was true to my principles, and I was pleased with it and got it out of my system.”

Is it something he regrets? “No I never look back, only forward and fortunately I’m not particularly interested in super yachts,” he chuckles. Besides, he’s hardly slumming it, having admitting that, after living in London, selling up was a lucrative move.

Off-the-wall: Comedian Tony Hawks cycling in his beloved Devon

His book is therefore more personal than many of his previous incarnat- ions, unusual for a man who has so closely guarded his privacy until now. “I don’t mind that it’s quite personal. In Round Ireland With A Fridge there was a scene where I slept with a girl in a dog kennel but I kept it in because it was ridiculous and it’s what happened. And while it may have made me look like a grubby urchin, I was just telling the truth. Some people may have judged me, but my philosophy is to try not to worry about what other people think of you, as long as what you write is entertaining.”

The Devon locals soon cottoned on to Tony, though, and before he knew it he was up on stage in the village hall entertaining the masses. “It made me realise that I don’t need to be on stage in front of thousands of people. I take pride in whatever I do. The same buttons are being pushed. I still get the same adrenaline rush.

“But that’s the strange thing about being three- and-a-half hours away from London. It means you only do the things you really want to do. It makes me wonder if I’ve ever been into it [comedy] properly. Even at university it was more like dipping my toes in but not swimming out the whole way.”

Perhaps that’s because he has so many strings to his bow?

“I’ve never felt like a comedian, I just do a bit of comedy. I like to do things that are entertaining but I also like getting away from it and having a life that’s entirely separate from comedy.”

Well, he’s managed that now. “I know,” he says. “I am very contented. It goes against the grain, doesn’t it? It’s not normal. Comedians are supposed to be uptight, but coming down here and living like this is a reality check. I just have to look out of the window to get a sense of perspective.

“So I don’t mind what happens now. My philosophy is not to map out life in terms of what I want, but just to go with the flow.”

Tony Hawks will be appearing at Oxford Literary Festival at 6pm on Saturday and Oxford’s Glee Club at 7.30pm on Sunday
oxfordliteraryfestival.org
glee.co.uk/oxford