LANCASHIRE Telegraph comedy award winner up Tom Wrigglesworth makes a return to East Lancashire with a gig in Burnley tonight. We caught up with him.

THERE aren’t many Yorkshiremen who can boast the reception Tom Wrigglesworth receives when he visits this side of the Pennines.

But his modest approach to comedy has won him fans in all corners of the country — and none more so than East Lancashire.

“It probably helps that I take the mickey out of my Yorkshire family a lot,” laughed Tom, who won last year’s Lancashire Telegraph comedy award for the best performance at the annual You Must Be Joking Comedy Festival at King George’s Hall.

“I get away with it as not many of them have heard the jokes I do at Comedy Clubs.

"They come to my tours but not the run-of-the-mill stuff, so I can virtually say what I like.”

Tom hit the headlines last year with his hit show An Open Return Letter To Richard Branson. based on a train journey were he nearly got arrested after stepping in to help a pensioner who was being charged an additional fare for getting on the wrong-timed train.

The award-winning show, with performances at the New Zealand and Montreal Comedy Festivals, led to a change in the law and Tom even got a letter back from the tycoon himself.

“I got a lovely letter from Richard Branson," said Tom.

"His sister came to watch my show then, not long after, there was the letter.

"It said congratulations on my tour and wished me luck in the rest of my career.”

In an attempt to show his fans he is more than a “long haired do-gooder”, Tom's latest show — which goes on the road from January — is more about what he has done wrong in life.

Tested out at the Edinburgh Fringe, Nightmare Dream Wedding is based on his recent wedding in Las Vegas.

“It starts and finishes in a hotel room with me being sick. My wife is still speaking to me so it all ends OK,” he said.

Tom is busy putting the final touches to his new show but always finds time for an open mic set at the UK’s many stand-up comedy nights.

Tonight he’ll be dropping into The Jester Comedy Club at Burnley Mechanics — and he’ll be trying out some new material.

But sometimes, he revealed, the saying is true — the old ones are the best.

“The one where I give my dad his first computer lesson and he tries to ‘print the internet’ is probably going to make appearance.

"I’m not bothered how it goes down particularly. It’s an old favourite and I just like telling it.”

l THE JESTER COMEDY CLUB - Burnley Mechanics, Thursday September 30, 8pm. Tickets on 01282 664400.