As well as his comedy career, Djalili is also an in-demand character actor and has appeared in films as diverse as Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean. He does worry about how many Middle Eastern actors only seem to get to play "Arab scumbags".

"You're either asked to play someone who shouts and screams or a gun-wielding terrorist," he says. "You have to wonder if this is how the rest of the world views Arab people? It can be very frustrating, but I think as we do move towards a more multicultural society, the roles being offered people who look like me will change. The typecasting will go the way of all typecasting."