Whilst promoting Jonathan Creek, Adrian was interviewed by the Daily Record.

Life’s Absolutely Fabulous

HE'S the star of legendary '80s hits The Young Ones and Bottom - these days it's his wife Jennifer Saunders who's hogging the limelight thanks to the worldwide hit sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.

But Adrian Edmondson isn't bitter - in fact, he's quite happy to ride the wave of Jennifer's success and take a back seat. Reports that the couple are worth an estimated pounds 11 million fortune can't hurt either.

"Sometimes it's quite nice to be Mr Jennifer Saunders, because there's no responsibility. Jennifer is the one who is expected to be funny to everyone. I can hover in the background without any pressure. When we are booked into a hotel in the States, we're always down as Mr and Mrs Saunders, but it doesn't bother me," says Adrian, 46. "I remember seeing a documentary on Tammy Wynette and she had five husbands, all called Mr Wynette, so I'm not the first. People expect me to be jealous of Jennifer, but what would you rather have - a superstar of a wife or one who just does the ironing?

"I'm proud of Jennifer. I don't regret not breaking the States with Bottom. There are only three British comics I know who have made it out there - Benny Hill, the Pythons and my wife.

"As for all this money we are supposed to earn, I don't know where I put it all," he laughs, pretending to search his empty pockets.

"I'm always shocked by the amount because it seems to go up by five million every time these lists are published. I don't earn that kind of money and neither does Jennifer. We're comfortable, but we are more interested in having fun than having a career and making piles of cash."

For the last few years Adrian has been busying himself behind the scenes, away from the camera - he has written his second best-selling novel, directed the Ab Fab spin-off Mirrorball in 2000 and toured with Rik Mayall in the live version of their fart-obsessed sitcom Bottom.

He has just completed writing and directing a 20-minute Harry Potter spoof, Harry Potter And The Secret Chamberpot Of Azerbaijan, for next week's Comic Relief fundraiser.

This week he makes his acting comeback on BBC1 to star alongside Alan Davies and Julia Sawalha in the fourth series of quirky mystery drama Jonathan Creek.

He plays arrogant, slimy TV producer Brendan Baxter, who recruits Jonathan (Alan Davies) as an investigator on his tacky new crime- solving TV series Eyes And Ears.

The show's presenter turns out to be Jonathan's old sparring partner Carla Borrego (Julia Sawalha) which leads to lots of squabbling as the unlikely duo investigate the baffling case of a policewoman who has been impossibly strangled to death inside an empty gymnasium.

"Brendan is a funny character and that's what drew me to him. This is a man with no morals, he's shallow and nicks most of his ideas from Japanese TV shows. He has no thought for anything other than ratings. People like that are a common problem. I've met a few - that's why we are watching so much crap television now," says the comedian, who shot to fame as anarchic Vyvyan in student sitcom The Young Ones.

"Another reason I wanted to do Jonathan Creek is that I love David Renwick's work - he's written me a fantastic little character." The son of a geography teacher, Adrian was born in Bradford but grew up in the Middle East. At Manchester University he studied drama, drank beer, got into fights and met best mate and comedy partner Rik Mayall.

The pair tour every other year with a stage version of Bottom. It may no longer be on our screens, but the show still sells out wherever they go.

In 1985 he married his fellow Comic Strip member Jennifer Saunders and they have three children, Freya, 17, Beattie 15, and Ella aged 12.

"I enjoy performing on stage more than anything," says the comedian.

"That is where I can really let myself go. You can't beat a bit of slapstick. People falling over, farting, it's all hilarious isn't it?" he asks, with a grin.

Adrian can't see a time when Bottom will ever return to TV.

He says: "We're too old. The BBC want young people - who aren't very funny. One show that stands out is The Office. It's very funny and David Brent is a brilliant character. Ricky Gervais sounds a bit of a prat in interviews, I can never tell if he's being ironic. Good luck to him. I was a mouthy git when I was younger, these days I'm happy taking it easy."