Ricky Tomlinson

Ricky (his reaction to the "Royle Family" script): Caroline Aherne wrote it and she wrote it with me in mind. She wrote it with Sue Johnson in mind. She knew exactly who she wanted. She wrote them parts for us. When I read it I thought this is either going to win all sorts of awards or we're all going to get locked up in jail for 12 months because of the language and the situation.

Ricky (about his 2 years in prison): It was a big part of my life. It taught me a lot and I learnt a lot, because for the first time in my life I had two years, in which to do anything I wanted. I had time on my hands something I've never had in my life. And so I'd fill the day by counting the bricks in the walls of the cell and watching the cockroaches or the mice or whatever and than I started to write, started keeping a diary and then started listening to Classical Music and started listening to Play for Today on Radio 4. I spent months and months in solitary confinement, didn't have to go anywhere or do anything in a way that time was very, very precious. It did it changed my life.

Ricky (on his tough childhood): It was tough but it was tough for everyone, so we didn't know it was tough at the time. It's only when you look back with hindsight that you think 'blimey that was tough', particularly tough for me mum and dad. Particularly my Mum she had three jobs, you know, she used to scrub floors, and work in a factory, work in a laundry and that was just to make ends meet.