VETERAN funnyman Jim Davidson looks back at 40 years in showbiz when his new show comes to Clacton next month.

It's a year since he last performed at the West Cliff with his Jim Davidson – Live! show.

Now the self-proclaimed "people's comedian" returns with a revealing and hilarious look at his own life.

"It’s looking back on my 40 years in showbiz," he said.

"It’s different. People say 'It’s classy. It looks like you put some thought into it!'

"It’s even got a soundtrack, like a film!"

"I’ll be talking about all the characters I’ve known during my life.

"The first section is all about the mad uncles and aunties I had when I was growing up in south-east London.

"No one was rich, but everyone seemed very happy back then.

"I talk about where it all began when I won New Faces in 1976.

"Whenever I think of that, I still feel fuzzy inside. I had an amazing sense of euphoria.

"I knew I had got to the start line. I always thought 'Give me a chance and I’ll succeed.' And that turned out to be true."

He also hosted classic BBC game shows The Generation Game and Big Break.

"The Generation Game was difficult to make because we wanted to make it different from Bruce Forsyth’s highly successful version, so I made it very unpredictable and slapstick like Tiswas. " said Jim.

"We filmed the crew on The Generation Game and made it more anarchic. We had a real laugh, and people loved it.

"Would I do it again? In a shot!"

He is trying to cut down on touring after co-founding the Care After Combat charity with Falklands veteran Simon Weston.

It looks after military veterans who are in the criminal justice system.

Jim will be signing 200 copies of his book No Further Action in the show interval to raise money for the charity.

"At Care after Combat, we are currently looking after 160 veterans," he says.

"Fifty of them have been released in the last 12 months and none of them have reoffended. We take care of them."

He hopes the show will leave audiences uplifted.

"I came from nothing, but I managed to make a success of my life. I want to let people know that they should never give up.

"Something bad will happen, but then something good will happen.

"I’d like to tell people that there’s always something else coming, no matter how bleak life may seem.

"You have to push on and get through life. Above all, I would like to give people hope."

Jim Davidson is at the West Cliff Theatre on July 30 at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £23.50 from the box office on 01255 433344.