At 22 years of age Matt Richardson is one of the youngest stand-ups on the UK comedy scene.

He’s the latest, babyfaced, comedian to cohost ITV2’s Xtra Factor and has appeared in ITV’s Celebrity Juice, BBC2’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks and BBC3’s Sweat the Small Stuff.

Richardson will be presenting his latest show, Hometown Hero, for the Funny Way to Be Comedy Club, at The Witham, Barnard Castle, his only northern venue, on Saturday, March 22

When and where was your first public appearance as a comedian?

NOVEMBER 5, 2009, at Oxford Brookes University – I took four pro plus to deal with my nerves then didn’t sleep afterwards. Bad move.

You’ve spent the past six months working on ITV2’s Xtra Factor – why was that so special for you?

I spent the whole time laughing, pretty much. I travelled the world and the country with really fun people, who I loved being around and got to make jokes. It was my break into telly and being able to tour. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart.

Who is the most impressive person you’ve met while working on the show and why?

Sharon Osbourne is pretty awesome. We got on very well and she was very motherly towards me (and told me so many filthy stories and jokes). I sang Teenage Dirtbag to Mary J Blige, she was pretty cool and up for a laugh when we interviewed her. When The Killers played the final we got to watch them soundcheck in an empty Wembley Arena – that was probably the most awesome memory of the lot.

Who has been your greatest comedy influence?

I used to go and see Russell Howard, Jimmy Carr (he was the person who, at 14, made me say ‘this is the job I want’) and I love Greg Davies. Pappy’s (the sketch group) show Last Show Ever was the best hour of comedy I’ve ever seen. So silly and rude and knockabout, but so, so funny.

You are about to set off on tour with Hometown Hero – what can the audiences expect?

I’ve done 18 dates so far, and have 36 on this leg of the tour. It’s hi-energy, fun, rude and stupid. I won’t change the world or teach you anything, but if you come and want to have a real laugh then it’s for you. I’ll spend most of it oversharing too much detail about my life.

Do you have a favourite chat-up line you can share with us?

I’m not really conventional with chatting-up girls. I suppose the one that makes me laugh is, ‘You must be a parking ticket, because you’ve got FINE written all over you’. My friend said it to a girl, when we were 13, and she cried.

What is the most stupid thing you have ever bought?

I wish I had a cool answer for this. When I was 15 I used to wear girls’ jeans, so probably those. Or, I saved up for six months at 16 to buy a fairly expensive guitar. It wasn’t even very good, it was just shiny.

Some comedians move over to the acting profession – have you any ambitions in that direction?

I think I’d like to do it in the future. I did an Anchor butter advert last year, It was only three days’ work in which I just needed to look hungry.

I like doing things I think are fun, and that other people might enjoy – so if something came along that fitted that, I’d do it. But I suppose I’ve accidentally fallen into the presenting path instead of acting.

What’s next after the Hometown Hero tour?

I’ve got a new TV show for eight weeks that starts in April and runs until after the tour – then a couple of months of stand-up and I’ll start writing a new show to tour in 2015/16

  • Matt Richardson, The Witham, Barnard Castle, Saturday, March 22. Box Office: funnywaytobe.weebly.com