Hal Cruttenden: My Six Best Books express.co.uk

HAL CRUTTENDEN, 48, is a comedian who has appeared on Mock The Week, Live At The Apollo and Have I Got News For You. His Chubster stand-up show is at the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh from August 1, then tours from September. halcruttenden.com/tour.I usually get jealous of anybody in my industry doing autobiographical work because I haven’t done the things they have but I find Fry incredibly comforting.I’ve never met him but even though he’s a very high-achieving man, he’s accessible, charming and honest.
I love Billingham’s crime books for holiday reading. I started reading them because he used to be a comedian and I did a few gigs with him. Loads of the characters are named after comedians so I wondered if he’d named one after me.I’m still not in one.
Caimh is a comic and this is one of the funniest crime books you could read. It’s about gangsters and tough cops in Dublin. I was surprised how good it was because I have read friends’ books before and gone: “Jesus!”