Jim Royle swaps sofas

As Jim Pratt in Playing the Field

Ricky Tomlinson's life hasn't always been centred on the glamorous world of film and television.

In fact he spent the early days of his career working on a building site.

Then two years in prison followed, before he was able to make his mark as a stand up comedian.

Now he's revealing all in his biography, simply called "Ricky".

You can see our interview with Ricky Tomlinson by clicking on the link above

It might be hard for any man to come back from a spell in prison - most of which was spent in solitary confinement - and rebuild their life and career.

But Ricky went on to achieve success, that you could be forgiven for thinking might have evaded him.

He was jailed after the national building strike in 1971, convicted of conspiracy charges having organised flying pickets and refused to give evidence against fellow strikers.

Regarded by many as a political prisoner, he was known as one of the Shrewsbury Two.

When he was released from jail in 1975 he was blacklisted by the building trade, and labelled a subversive by MI5.

So he launched a new career doing the circuit of pubs and clubs as a stand up comic.

Ricky became more established but maintained his roots very firmly in his home city of Liverpool.

By now he was married with three children and the turning point in his career didn't come until he was forty.

The director Alan Bleasdale cast Ricky in Boys from the Blackstuff and the ensuing Thatcher years provided him with plenty of opportunities to ply his (new) trade.

He took parts for Jim Allen, and Ken Loach but became a national face when he was offered the part of an arrogant trade unionist Bobby Grant in the new Channel 4 soap Brookside.

1998 saw him pair up with former Brookside actress Sue Johnston in the BBC Two comedy the Royle Family which became the perfect vehicle for Ricky's unique brand of comedy and personality.

The film roles have followed including Mike Bassett: England Manager in 2001

He openly says that the role is 99% based on him and sees Sue Johnston cast as his screen wife for the second time.

The Royle family has firmly established Ricky, and provided some long overdue security and wealth.

January saw him married for a second time - to long term girlfriend Rita Cummiskey.

Not that Ricky's letting stardom go to his head - he's come a long way in thirty years, and almost certainly wouldn't want to turn back the clock.