SWINDON’S own comedy boy wonder, Ivo Graham, is growing up, but before he flies the nest of youth he is returning to his home town with his Fringe sell-out show Educated Guess.

Ivo grew up in the pretty village of Aldbourne and remembers the parties on the green. He is still a keen Swindon Town supporter.

“I still follow Town on Facebook even though I live in London now. I troll round the country hoping that Swindon are away to Lincoln or Port Vale or wherever, when I am playing those towns,’’ said Ivo, who is a regular on the BBC 5 radio show Fighting Talk, which takes a comic look at the world of sport, and the guests compete for points with their punditry.

Educated Guess is coming to the Swindon Arts Centre and is based on the nostalgia of school days and how they prepare you for adulthood.

“Every show I do has a different theme, and this one is to shake off the topic of my schooling at Eton and being the pompous Oxford University ass,’’ said Ivo.

“Next year I will be more grown up. I’ve just got engaged,’’ he said proudly.

The comedian’s sharp wit has landed him spots on BBC’s Mock The Week, Live At The Apollo, Live From The BBC, Dave’s As Yet Untitled, Comedy Central At The Comedy Store and The Weakest Link.

“Ann Robinson ruined me, she reduced me to an ant, but I am pleased to be humiliated by such a queen of the put down. We stand-up comedians do TV to get an audience,’’ laughed Ivo.

The comedian started doing comedy at university at the age of 18. He was the youngest ever winner of the So You Think You’re Funny award for new acts at the Edinburgh Fringe. He was also nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2010 Chortle Awards.

He is currently writing his own sitcom and is in talks with the BBC Big Talk Productions, about screening it.

“It is in an early phase, but is loosely based on Eton, well a posh boys’ boarding school, which was what I shied away from originally, but I am more confident to address that now,’’ he said.

Mock The Week is always a tough gig for comedians as the material has to be totally topical.

“We find funny angles on topical events, I enjoy the challenge and thrash through,’’ he said.

As well as touring, Educated Guess will be at the Soho Theatre in London in October.

The comedian says that he doesn’t have any particular rituals or superstitions before he goes on stage, except to drink a Pepsi.

He does have respect for the Edinburgh Fringe and has taken three shows to the famous festival including Binoculars in 2013, Bowties and Johnnies in 2014 and No Filter in 2015.

“They went down oaky he said, no one pulled up any trees and the reviews were fine.’’

All three transferred to London for a run at the Soho Theatre.

Like many comedians Ivo works on his Edinburgh Festival shows and then does warm up gigs to try out the gags before honing the performance that will be spread at the Fringe feast of comedy.

He said: “I need to warm the shows up with various work-in-progresses around the country, where they are magically transformed from an ugly duckling of good intentions to a (hopefully) rather beautiful swan of compelling arguments and amusing jokes.

“Kind audiences for these are always appreciated.’’

Ivo remembers his first play Binoculars in 2013 and how special it was taking it to the Fringe.

“It had some routines I was really proud of and also that exciting feeling of announcing oneself to the world, well a crowd of mostly family and friends in a basement, in an hour-long form for the first time,’’ he said.

Ivo will be heading for the Underbelly Festival Southbank this summer and back to Swindon next week.

Tickets to see Ivo in action on Wednesday, May 30 from 8pm at the Devizes Road theatre in Swindon’s Old Town are £14.50. They are available from 01793 524481 or visit www.swindontheatres.co.uk. - Flicky Harrison