Often described as the compère beyond compare, but before becoming a fully-fledged playwright, panellist, performer and stalwart of the Edinburgh Festival, Arthur worked as a road sweeper, dustman, market researcher, teacher and advertised chicken burgers in supermarkets dressed as a fox.

A career in comedy was the only one that could follow a build up like that. He was one of many stand-up performers on the alternative comedy scene in the Eighties.

Twenty years on he still performs in much the same manner, perhaps ironically, he now describes himself as a "semi-professional" comedian.

To BBC radio and TV audiences, his career has been split between appearing on top quiz shows and fronting the funny section in Loose Ends. On TV, he's been a regular Grumpy Old Man and Countdown wordsmith.

His plays include the award-winnin An Evening with Gary Lineker, My Summer with Des and The Bed Show. He has presented Radio 4’s Excess Baggage and Radio 2’s The Smith Lectures and is a regular guest on Loose Ends. He describes himself as Radio 4’s “bit of rough”.