Comedian Mark Steel discovered that his biological father had left him a great gift - a theme for his latest comedy show.

Mark was adopted as a baby and grew up in Kent. He never knew his mother or father until many years later he tracked down his mum, but she didn't want to know him.

"But the one thing she did tell me was that my father was the World Back Gammon champion and worth millions. He belonged to the Claremont Club, an exclusive gambling club, where he mixed with really huge, nationally known figures. He met my mother at a party in London. It was utterly ridiculous and very funny. I had to write a show about this,'' said Mark.

Once on tour with the new show the comedian discovered that people were enthralled by his story.

"This was a blessing, my father bequeathed me a new show. Every night I think I can't say this, it is so ridiculous, people will think I made it up, but it's working and good fun so far,'' he said.

Mark is bringing his new show to Swindon Arts Centre in Devizes Road next month.

The stand-up comedian also enjoys his TV work. He says that with all the paraphernalia of a full camera crew behind him, he can play around a bit.

While filming The Mark Steel Lectures he wanted to illustrate how Isaac Newton calculated speed.

"I got hold of a gun, not a real gun, and fired it off to calculate the speed of a bullet. We shot at a bloke jogging in the distance and my son, who was eight at the time, always asked to see that bit,'' said Mark.

Even having a toy gun meant having a fire arms expert on set.

"It's all about having fun with the cameras and during the lectures we tried to think up jolly ways of doing things, but it is a palava and involves a camera crew of 15.''

Mark has been asked to write for a TV sitcom but he says it is all under wraps at the moment.

"We have been looking at a thing right now, and we have done a pilot but we are just waiting to hear,'' he said.

The comic is known as much for his political beliefs as his stand-up comedy and writes regular columns in The Guardian and The Independent. He has been voted Columnist of the Year 2015 and is about to hand over his crown.

"It was nice to get that, it was lovely to be given a column but I felt a bit of an outsider. I can see the award on my mantlepiece, behind my wife's birthday cards,'' he said.

The comedian will be heading down the M4 to Swindon on Sunday, May 17, and he is well aware of the Magic Roundabout as this is not his first visit to the town.

On the day of his previous visit The Times ran a story headlined: 'Swindon is the stupidest town in Britain.'

Mark was coming to present Mark Steel's In Town for BBC Radio 4.

Fortunately the comedian is well known for having a mind of his own and says that 'a few executives wives being asked the colour of an orange is not representative of the average intelligence of a town's residents.'

"I think most of the people asked thought what a stupid question,'' he said.

Who Do I Think I Am is at the Old Town Theatre from 8pm and tickets are £16 from 01793 524481. - Flicky Harrison