Jump on the Yorkshire Shuttle

It's the detail, the attention to detail, enjoying the minutiae of what makes Graham Fellows's characters live and breathe and have a life. John Shuttleworth is for Graham, I suppose, the equivalent of Alan Partridge for me. It has always surprised me that Shuttleworth has not become a national institution in the way my character has, because it's easily as good.

In some ways he does more work than me in terms of creating this other life, this other world, and its history. Graham knows historical details about John's past, invents a whole detailed past life for him, whereas I've always been a bit sketchy with Partridge. He creates a world where you feel his character is the tip of an iceberg that's very real, very tangible. He treats his characters with dignity. They're not grotesque, they're human beings - funny and tragic all at the same time. There is real pathos to his work, which is wonderful.

Graham has done so many things over the years, such as appear in Coronation Street and, of course, have a hit record as Jilted John. He also went to the same drama school as me, but we met at the 1992 Edinburgh Festival. We were both Perrier Award nominees and I won, fortunately. But there was only one vote in it. We used to hang out with each other, always had a mutual respect for each other's work, and we used to sit and drink and talk about each other's characters. So I have a real respect and affection for him.

He's someone I totally empathise with. It's a very competitive environment when you're performing, and there is certainly an element of Schadenfreude if other people don't quite achieve what they set out to achieve. But there are some people who are just so good at what they do that you can only take your hat off and stand in reverent silence. Or laugh.

John Shuttleworth: One Foot In The Gravy, Fri 20 Apr & Mon 21 May, Shepherd's Bush Empire, Shepherd's Bush Green, W12 (020-7771 2000).