I have had three outstanding teachers. But in terms of what I am doing now, Steve Bonnati, my A-level art teacher at Carmel sixth-form college in St Helens, has had the most influence. Steve was the person who got me interested in pottery. It was the first time in my education I was doing something because I really wanted to do it. He had a lovely approach to teaching. He was the sort of teacher who inspires you, who makes learning available to you, who doesn’t force it upon you.

There was always a great atmosphere in the room; it was almost like a youth club. You could stay there and work all day, but it never felt like you were doing any work. He was very easy-going and laid back. He never told you off, but could leave you with the feeling that you’d let him down, which is far worse.

I got to the point at college where I had fallen in with a bad crowd; all my subjects had dwindled and the principal wanted me out. But Steve stuck by me and said: “He’s got something to offer.” He stuck his neck out for me. I reckon the principal thought: “That’s no way to work”, but Steve got fantastic results. I love it that he was bit of a thorn in their side. He totally went against the college’s way of teaching, yet he had a fantastic success rate.

When I was 11, I went to a seminary school. Educationally it was OK, but the romantic idea of being a priest - of being a Christian and helping people - none of that seemed to come into it. And you start to realise what celibate means.

After four terms I went to West Park school in St Helens. Mr Higgins, who taught history, was a bit old-school. Even though it had been banned, you still got slippered, and he was the oddest-looking guy - like one of the characters from the Anthill Mob in Wacky Races - but he was a brilliant teacher. He also coached the volleyball team. For any school in St Helens to have a volleyball team was unheard of, and I captained it for a while. I found out afterwards that he had been offered jobs at other schools but he stayed at West Park; I liked him for that. He must have thought: “This is where I’m needed most,” rather than joining a stuffy institution. He passed away recently.

Mrs Rowlands, my English teacher, was fantastic. What I loved about her was that she was very open and talked to us as adults. Once, we had to read a piece of literature aloud, and I read The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. When I finished, she started clapping really slowly, as if to say: “Now that is how to read a piece of literature.” She was trying to be nice, but all the time I was thinking: “Please stop - if you only knew how many slaps I am going to get at break time.”

I went to Middlesex Poly to study ceramics. I put my heart and soul into my final year but only got a third. I got a bit disillusioned with pottery after that. Then I made a programme about a pottery convention in Amsterdam. I did this thing we used to do at Middlesex, the one-minute teapot challenge - to make a fully functioning teapot in 60 seconds. Someone at the Vamp;Asaw the programme and had one of the pots fired for its collection.

Steve Bonnati has been up to see me at the Edinburgh Festival several times, which has been fantastic. In 1997, when I was nominated for the Perrier, he was there with another guy from college, Jim Fogerty, who didn’t teach me but was a great character. I’m on stage going, “It’s a great pleasure for me tonight because the man who made all this possible is here and I’d like to welcome him on stage now,” and Jim Fogerty shouts out:

“He’s in the bogs throwing up.” So I’m just left there going, “Well, there’s my inspirational teacher. He’s just been a little bit poorly, but he’ll be with us in a bit.”

Comedian Johnny Vegas was talking to Harvey McGavin

THE STORY SO FAR

1970 Born Michael Pennington, St Helens

1982 West Park school, St Helens

1986 Carmel college, St Helens

1989 Art foundation course, St Helens Gamble Institute

1990 Middlesex Poly to study ceramics; graduates with a third-class degree

1995 First stand-up show as Johnny Vegas

1997 Debut show at Edinburgh Festival, including on-stage pottery; nominated for the Perrier award

2000 Victoria and Albert museum buys one of his pots for its collection

2001 First acting role, BBC2‘s Happiness

2002 Regular guest on Shooting Stars, BBCChoice; launches www.good2eat.info, a website for schools on food hygiene