Flirty minded Julian Clary looks for love in York

In his show Position Vacant: Apply Within, Julian unashamedly flirts in the face of conformists everywhere by welcoming a selection of eligible bachelors onto the stage to win his hand in marriage.

Julian’s standing has only been enhanced by his victory in Celebrity Big Brother last year, when his natural acerbic wit won over millions of viewers. “There was a phenomenal opportunity for comedy with that bizarre collection of people – thank God we were able to have a laugh!” he says.

The comedian has developed a second career as a bestselling novelist, but still loves performing. “It is an addictive thing. Getting a laugh is very good for my soul and for my ego. I genuinely look forward to it after nine months at home writing a book. I could never just write books. I need to go out and feel the love.

“My good friend Paul Merton once said to me, ‘You might as well go on tour because you would be doing exactly the same thing if you were just sitting at home.’ Stand-up is just being yourself in an exaggerated form. You’re making yourself feel good, as well as everyone else – it’s a win-win situation.”

He explains what York can expect when he arrives with Position Vacant: Apply Within. “When I first dreamt up the idea for the show, my partner had gone to LA and I didn’t think he was coming back. Initially he went for six months, but he ended up staying 18 months. So I thought, ‘I’ll show you!’ He’s back now, of course, but the idea of looking for love remains.

“The show is like an open audition. We get a lot of people up on stage – up to eight. No man is safe, even though they don’t all have to be men. Like Sticky Moments, there is a series of elimination rounds. I have a cattle pen with a white picket fence and a prod so I can herd them into it. The eventual winner has a gay marriage with me, conducted by a ‘bishop’.”

“They really have to earn the right to marry me. The winner is hoiked backstage to spend time with me at the end of the show.”

• Julian Clary – Position Vacant: Apply Within is at the Grand Opera House on Sunday, May 26 at 8pm
• For more details and to book, go to the Grand Opera House website