While most young kids get fixated on pop stars, it was comedians who Ash Frith used to idolise as a child.

“When I was a little boy, where some people might’ve used the shower head as a mic to sing in, I used it to imitate comedians, such as Vic Reeves’s stand-up routines”, says Ash, from Leigh.

Ash, who is 35, hit the comedy circuit in 2011, after his childhood friend – also a comedian – pretty much pushed him into it.

“I was doing general jobs I disliked, and stand-up was something I always wanted to do,” he says.

“Then my friend just sent me a text message, saying, ‘you are doing your first stand-up gig. You need to come up with five minutes of material.’.

“When you’ve got nothing, five minutes is a long time. It’s funny because I look back on that now, and I’m doing long shows which I need to trim back, but then it was pretty scary.”

Fortunately for Ash, he seems to have a natural funny bone, something he thinks he gets from his family.

“My dad is a very funny man,” he says. “He is constantly making jokes and so are his brothers. I think comedy was something that was encouraged in our family.

“My dad always watched lots of comedy and I was allowed to watch it with him, stuff I probably shouldn’t have been watching. I’d go to bed at night and secretly turn my TV back on so I could watch it until late, people like Frank Skinner, Paul Martin and Vic Reeves, and shows like Red Dwarf. I am a bit of a comedy nerd.”

Ash made a name for himself on the comedy scene fairly quickly.

“I was lucky things snowballed quite fast” he says. “I won a few little awards and the bigger gigs started coming, so I started getting paid for stuff early on. I still do bits and bobs for not much money, because I am still trying to get out there and get known.”

One of the more recent accolades was when Ash won the Southend Comedy Newcomer Award, sponsored by Rossi Ice Cream, in 2013.

It was another credit to his name, which has been steadily getting more exposure, and he has experienced some great highlights to date.

“One of these was when I supported Terry Alderton at the Palace Theatre, which was absolutely incredible,” he says.

“After I won the Rossi award, I got a call from Russell Kane asking me to support him on a couple of dates, in a theatre in Reading which seated 1,600 people, so that was amazing. I also supported him at Christmas, at his Christmas Comedy Hamper, which was a tremendous show.

“I’ve also been supporting Mat Ricardo and this year will be doing his whole tour with him, which goes all over the country.”

As a father who shares joint custody of his seven-year-old son Owen, Ash admits the tour is a bit of a balancing act, but he will still manage to do it.

“Obviously my son has to come first, but the show is on and off so I get to come home in between, so am able to balance it. I am really lucky.

“Owen loves what I do. He thinks I’m famous! I have a feeling he may go into it himself one day as he is always making up jokes.”

When Ash makes up jokes of his own, he says he always tries them out on stage.

“I only ever do it on stage,” he says, “There are a few clubs I play, like Outside the Box, where you will see everyone off the telly trying out their new stuff. Because the audience accepts this is a place where comedians try out new material, it’s OK. I have been MCing there and it’s been the best thing for me, because I can try out a few things before introducing the act.

“When it doesn’t work, oh it’s atrocious, it’s the worst thing! But the adrenalin is kicking in at that point so you usually find a way out of it, or just say, ‘OK, that one needs more work then’.

“Sometimes you just have to trust in yourself – you usually have an idea of what will work and what won’t, and if you don’t, something is wrong. Sometimes I will try a joke out on my girlfriend and she will say it’s rubbish, then when I am on stage and get a laugh from it, it’s hard not to look at her.

“Everything about my act is usually based on real life and looking at these ridiculous things I’ve done.”

n You can catch Ash next at the Joker Club Joker Club Comedy Night, in the Park View rooms, Chalkwell Park, Chalkwell, on Friday, March 27, from 9pm. Ash will be joined by Larry Dean, Tamar Kattan and Josh Howie. Tickets are £9 in advance. To book call 01702 483900 or visit wegottickets.com