Master of the cringe but inwardly very shy, there a few greater enigmas in the world of comedy than Simon Amstell. Chris Price chatted with him.

It was those toe-curling moments as host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Popworld which made Simon Amstell such compelling viewing on TV.

His jibes on Buzzcocks famously prompted Ordinary Boys singer Preston to storm off mid-show and he was rumoured to have made Britney Spears cry on an episode of Popworld. He quit Buzzcocks at the top in 2009, to many people’s surprise, after being credited with revitalising the show and picking up several awards.

When he came back with his own sitcom in 2010, Grandma’s House, it revealed a much darker side to Simon. He seemed insecure, frail even, playing a version of himself as an openly gay television presenter searching for meaning in life. It turns out the time holed up in a TV studio co-writing the show also gave Simon time to think – or over think – about himself. The result was his new stand-up tour, Numb. Taking a deep look inside himself, it unearthed some of the reasons why he made his name by making other people feel uncomfortable.

“From writing stand-up I have realised that part of the need for me to make other people feel awkward is because I feel awkward myself,” said Simon, 32.

“If I am making other people feel like that, then I can relax a bit. It never came from wanting to, though. I want to be entertaining in a joyful, silly moment. I don’t want to make people feel uncomfortable. I want everything to be a bit silly. Whether it is my TV show or at a party, everything is about being silly and peculiar. I think any attempt at formality is an odd thing. We are all going to die at some point. It seems strange to be overly concerned or formal about everything.”

The reflection must have had a positive impact, with Grandma’s House beginning a second series on BBC2 last month. Renowned for avoiding interviews, Simon is relaxed as he talks from his London home. Yet the outgoing personality which made him famous on Channel 4’s Popworld didn’t come about by accident.

“I was very shy as a child until my concerned parents sent me to Saturday morning stage school,” said Simon.

“I learnt how to be extroverted on stage. I was more comfortable being on stage talking to people than being at a party.

“I didn’t know how to be in that space without fear but now having written about it and performed it in this show, I have performed that anxiety out of me nicely.”

Simon lets out a nervous laugh before insisting his new show is not therapy and is, in fact, both funny and easy for him. “It is not very hard. It is incredibly freeing. After shows, I reflect on how amazing it is to do this thing where I discuss my feelings and make them funny on stage for people.” Despite the laughter therapy, there is still a feeling of emptyness emanating from Simon. He feels like he should be a bit further along the road to stardom than he is after writing and staring in Grandma’s House and there is no doubt his stardom has waned since leaving Never Mind the Buzzcocks. It seemed like an odd decision considering his tenure won him the 2006 Royal Television Society Award for Best Entertainment Performance and two British Comedy Awards for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality and Best Comedy Entertainment Series.

Why did you leave Never Mind the Buzzcocks when you were winning so many awards?

“What I was doing on the show was only funny when it was unexpected for me to be cheeky and silly. When it became the expectation that I would say something naughty, it wasn’t going to be funny much longer. I couldn’t have done another series.”

Are you happy with the level of success of Grandma’s House?

“I was worried what people would think when it first came out and then, in the end, it didn’t affect anything. I thought either I would have to leave the country due to the terrible shame of it being awful or be one of the most famous people in the world and neither happened. In the end, I made exactly what I wanted to make and nothing mattered. Most reviews were positive by the end but nothing changed. I thought my life was going to change in some way either positively or negatively and it just carried on. It was a really strange thing.”

Are you not unnecessarily doubting yourself?

“I do over think things. That is a key problem in my life. We are probably the only animal on this planet that doesn’t trust instinct because we are so intelligent. We are so stuck in our brains and yet our feelings can often be true. If we just shut up for a minute and think how we feel about something, then whatever you need, sorts itself out.”

So what about the future?

“We’ll see where it goes. I used to think I had to be in control of everything but actually if you are aware of your feelings and instincts and the things around you, you can roll along quite happily.”

Simon Amstell performs at Tunbridge Wells’ Assembly Hall Theatre on Monday, May 21. Tickets £21. Box office 01892 530613.