Credited with being “the man who made ventriloquism look cool”, 39-year-old Paul Zerdin started his career aged ten when a family friend made him a puppet theatre – a hobby which quickly grew into an obsession. After going on to hone his craft in holiday camps and working mens’ clubs, he worked as a puppeteer on the Jim Henson Company’s Muppet Treasure Island, before winning LWT’s Big Big Talent Show.

His 2009 Edinburgh show, Spongefest, which combined comedy and ventriloquism, was a sell-out success and led to his first UK tour.

Zerdin brings his new tour to Worthing Pavilion Theatre on Friday, August 19. For tickets, call 01903 206206. He returns to Sussex on October 9 when he will be at the Brighton Dome as part of the Brighton Comedy Festival

Which film star/musician/artist/writer do you admire?

George Clooney. He does the big budget Hollywood movies that buy him a new house and then he does smaller budget independent films which are far more interesting.

Which TV programme couldn’t you live without?

Seinfeld. I’ve been a fan since it began and despite watching repeats in different countries all the time, it is just as funny. It never seems to date and there is always an episode I seem to have forgotten. It is so well written. No word is wasted.

Do you remember the first record you bought – what was it and where did you buy it?

Oxygène by Jean Michel Jarre at Our Price in Wimbledon. When I left school I did magic for quite a few years and used to practise my card manipulations and my Chinese linking ring routines to it in front of the mirror. A lot of magicians used it because it was so atmospheric. Looking back it’s a bit sad isn’t it?

Tell us about any guilty pleasures lurking in your CD or film collections…

My entire Jean Michel Jarre collection. Some of it does sound a bit dated but I love it. He was one of the early pioneers of electronic music. Its great music for driving.

Favourite film?

Superman with Christopher Reeve. The trailers said, “You’ll believe a man can fly”

and I came out of the cinema after I’d seen it and believed a man could fly. I jumped off a flight of stairs and really hurt my knees. The effects, the music – it still stands up pretty well today. Oh, and The Empire Strikes Back. When I saw Yoda for the first time I just wanted to run out of the cinema and buy a Yoda puppet.

Favourite book?

The Magic Far Away Tree by Enid Blyton – just a total land of makebelieve where anything is possible. A world that I like to try and live in as much as I can!

Is there a song or individual piece of music you always come back to?

Rubber Ducky by Ernie and Bert from Sesame Street – It’s funny.

What are you reading at the moment?

Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver and a biography of Richard Burton.

Tell us about a live music/theatre/cinema experience that sticks in your memory...

Being taken to the pantomime at Wimbledon Theatre starring Frankie Howerd when I was a kid.

I just remember being mesmerised by the whole performance and seeing someone from TV on stage in front of me. It was then, I suppose, I was first bitten by the showbiz bug.

Is there a book/record/film/play/ person that made you want to do what you do now?

Jim Henson, Frank Oz and George Lucas – the men behind the Muppets and Star Wars. If it wasn’t for all those films and shows I don’t believe I would be doing what I’m lucky enough to be doing for a living today.

If you get a spare 30 minutes how are you most likely to spend it?

Doing impressions of voiceover artist Peter Dickson [the voice of The X Factor] and writing hilarious new material for my brand new show next year.