FUNNYMAN Andy Kind carved out a career in comedy after realising a "normal job" was not for him.

The author and stand-up comic is returning to Bolton next week to host a concert and provide some laughs along the way.

Andy, who has appeared on BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and supported fellow comedian Tim Vine on tour, will be guest compere for the Salvation Army's Carol Concert.

It will be the first time the regional concert has been held in the town, in the charity's 149 year history, and will be at Victoria Hall, Knowsley Street, on Wednesday.

Andy, who lives in Rusholme, Manchester, said: "I've not done stuff with this particular branch.

"It's always nice to do something like this.

"There's going to be lots of good old-fashioned carols being sung.

"There's a brass band,

"I'm holding it all together as the compère and host.

"I've done a lot of stuff in Bolton.

"I've been a comedian for 10 years and I've been to Bolton many times."

Andy started doing stand-up in January 2005 and, by the September of that year, had gone full-time and has made a living from it ever since.

He said: "I came out of uni and tried to get a normal job and realised just how much I didn't want a normal job.

"No-one puts on a UCAS form, I would like to be a comedian.

"It was just not something that you thought about.

"I did a few sales jobs and I was terrible at them.

"I thought I will give it a go because there's nothing worse than regret.

"Everyone is quite bad when they first start.

"You just need the little morsels of success.

"You have to do your time in the trenches and work hard."

He won Anything for Laffs in 2005 and, in mid-2013, hurdled over the 1000-gig barrier.

In April 2011, his first book, Stand Up and Deliver: a nervous rookie on the comedy circuit was published, followed by sequel, The Gig Delusion, two years later.

He said: "I have just finished writing my third book — The Unfortunate Adventures of Tom Hillingthwaite — that's coming out in February and I'll be doing a book tour.

"I've just come back from touring South Africa and I was at the Edinburgh Festival.

"It's been a really busy year.

"Next year will hopefully not be as busy because, as much as I love comedy, I love my wife and daughter more."

Joining Andy in bringing festive spirit to the town will be the Salvation Army Divisional band, Sale Christmas Belles Ladies Choir and professional singer Ruth Betteridge, who performed alongside world-renowned opera singer Andrea Bocelli.

Andy added: "I will be chatting to the audience, I will be doing a few stories.

"You've got to keep it local and topical. It's that sort of place, a tight-knit community and they like to hear jokes about themselves.

"I suppose I am a storyteller really.

"If people come to my show, it's stories rather than gags.

"My favourite comedian is Frank Skinner and there was a guy called Dave Ingram, he comes from Bolton.

"He was a big hero of mine when I started out."

Andy has been behind a number of clean and Christian comedy initiatives on the circuit but does not describe himself as a 'Christian comedian'.

He said: "The phrase Christian comedian isn't a phrase I would call myself.

"The Christian bit defines me and not the comedy.

"I'm not trying to be clean — I'm naturally like that — I'm trying to be funny.

"I do lots of gigs in churches and they might interview me about my faith afterwards."

Alongside gigging and writing books, Andy works as a writer-for-hire and says he would love to pen a "good sitcom".

He added: "I think every comedian wants to do that.

"I would love to tour the States, just because I would love to try all the Man v. Food challenges."

The Salvation Army's regional charity Carol Concert will be at Victoria Hall in Knowsley Street on Wednesday, December 3 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available from The Albert Halls, Victoria Square, Bolton, and are priced £8 for adults, £6 for OAPs and under 16s. Family tickets are £25 (two adults and two children).