Television superstar Basil Brush is in the Midlands next week with his High Skool Mania show. He talks to MARK ANDREWS about the pressing news stories of the day.

Do I call you Basil or Mr Brush?

You can call me anything you want as long as there’s money involved.

I don’t have much of that I’m afraid. I suppose I had better call you Mr Brush.

What are your thoughts on the outbreak of swine flu. Do you think it will affect the fox community?

I hope it won’t but you never know. It could turn into fox flu, we’ve got longer hooters than the pigs. If it does I will spend a bit of time in bed and soon it will all be over, and everybody will feel much better.

How do you feel about Wolves being promoted to the Premiership?

I’m mighty glad to hear it. Any team whose mascot has four legs and a big hooter is fine by me, The Wolves, The Foxes. It’s good to see Wolves are back at the top, they seem to have gone wandering a bit over the last few years.

I used to play left back, you know.

Really? Who for?

I used to get left back in the changing room when the team went out. Boom! Boom!

There used to be a pub next door to Molineux called The Fox, but a few years ago it changed its name to The Wanderer. What do you think about that?

I think it is terrible, it feels like I have been relegated. Perhaps they will rename back to The Fox.

Do you spend a lot of time in the Midlands?

I pass through the Midlands a lot in my car. It’s a Rolls Canardly. It rolls down the hill, and can ’ardly get back up. Boom! Boom!

I thought you would have had a Foxhall…

Good one that, but no… I have got my own chauffeur, a chap called Reg. When I want to go somewhere I shout Car! Reg!

Foxy in the bingo advert – do you see him as a friend or a rival?

I see everybody as my friends, and I taught him everything he knows. But I don’t see anybody as a rival, not even Lady Gaga.

Do you like Lady Gaga?

Oh very much so. We were together on the Paul O’Grady show recently, and we had dressing rooms next to one another. I spotted a hole in the wall, and thought about it for a few minutes, but then decided she could look at me if she wanted.

What did you think of the Budget?

I was very interested because I have been wanting to give Mr Gordon Brown my investment advice for some time. I wanted to tell him balloons are up, feathers are down, and nappies remain unchanged. Boom! Boom!

I invested some money in the Royal Bank of Origami and it folded, and I put some money into the Royal Bank of Karaoke and it went off-song.

Have you ever considered standing for public office?

I’m only 18 inches tall, so I’m probably not big enough to stand for public office. I like to do my bit for the environment though. People are always saying they have heard my jokes before, but I am recycling them.

What do you call a deer with no eyes?

I don’t know, what do you call a deer with no eyes?

I’ve no eye-deer. Boom! Boom!

Where do you live these days?

Well, at the back of the BBC there are some nice dustbins, but I’m on tour a lot at the moment, so it’s anywhere I lay my brush.

How do you still manage to look so young?

If anybody says I have had cosmetic surgery they are talking botox.

Do you keep in touch with your old co-presenters?

Oh yes, I keep in touch with them all. Mr Derek – do you remember Mr Derek? He’s doing rather well, and Mr Stephen is now working on Broadway, Ealing Broadway, that is. I have made a lot of stars who they are today, but I don’t mind, I talk to all the celebrities. Elton John is always asking for advice about his songs, and I still talk to Kylie and her little brother Danni.

Who have you enjoyed working with most?

I would say that is Barney Harwood, who has been working with me on Swap Shop. Do you remember Swap Shop?

I remember when Noel Edmonds was on it.

Yes, well they wanted Noel Edmonds to do it again, but he wasn’t available, so they had to look for somebody else who was short, furry and with a bad dress sense, and that was me.

What other programmes do you enjoy watching?

The Basil Brush Show, series one, The Basil Brush Show series two, anything with me in really.

I don’t watch that much television, but I do enjoy Britain’s Got Talent. I should be a judge on that. I know they’ve got two foxes in Amanda Holden and Danni Minogue, but I think they could do with another one.

Who is your tip to win it then?

I think that little boy who does the Michael Jackson songs will do very well, and I liked the juggler – although I think it is in the balance whether or not he will get through. And there is that lady who sang I Dreamed a Dream – I can’t remember her name…

Susan Boyle?

That’s her, well I hope her dream comes true.

Is she related to Billy Boyle?

I think you might be mistaken there.

What else have you been up to lately?

I think one of my proudest achievements was appearing at Rolf Harris’s 80th birthday tribute. I used to be scared of him because I heard he once Tied His Kangaroo Down, Sport, but he didn’t try anything like that with me. And then there was winning The Weakest Link.

Was Anne Robinson scary?

No, no, not at all. We’re two gingers together. Although only one of us is a natural orange, I’m not going to tell you which.

Anyway, a big Boom! Boom! to all the children in the Midlands, and I hope to see them at my show.

* Basil Brush’s High Skool Mania is at Lichfield Garrick at 1.30pm and 4.30pm on Sunday, and at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre at 2pm and 5pm Monday.