Especially for Words Waywith!!!!!!

Eddie Izzard is as strong-willed and tenacious as a three-legged Mountain Rescue dog. When his brother criticised his first Edinburgh show - "Hmm, not very good, is it?" - Eddie knuckled down and spent a decade honing his craft, reaping the benefits when his surreal, rambling stand up routines won Emmy, Perrier and Time Out gongs. His dedication to his acting career has paid off too: he's currently earning rave reviews for his role in Virgin 1's hotly-tipped US import The Riches. And, let's be honest, there's nothing diffident about a man who's prepared to take to the streets in six-inch heels and an Emma Peel mini-skirt. Doesn't Eddie's hard work warrant a few moments of your attention? Read on for ten fascinating facts about the mirth-maker, thespian and self-proclaimed "action transvestite".

1. Eddie was born in Aden, Yemen in 1962. His family moved to Northern Ireland when he was a toddler, before relocating to Wales and eventually Sussex.

2. Eddie began a Maths and Financial Accounting degree at Sheffield University, but quit before he graduated to pursue his comedy career.

3. Eddie honed his stand-up skills as a street performer at London’s Covent Garden. His early fans, it's safe to assume, consisted primarily of American tourists and professional pick-pocketers.

4. Although Eddie knew he was a transvestite when he was four-years-old, he didn't buy his first item of women's clothing until he was 16.

5. How does Eddie choose his attire on any given morning? "I wear whatever I wish to wear just like a woman can choose to wear pants or a dress," he reveals. "But it's not drag. I refuse it to be called that. It's simply a dress."

6. Eddie is currently in a long-term relationship with a woman whose identity he refuses to reveal. "I've never really gone into my relationships because partners tend to say they'd rather not be judged on the things I say," he explains.

7. Eddie refers to his nationality as "British-European".

8. If Eddie could have any super power, he'd choose "the ability to change sex at whim". Hmm. Does a cameo role in season three of Heroes beckon?

9. In 2003 Eddie received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia for "promoting tolerance of other cultures and lifestyles" and "transcending national boundaries through his humour".

10. His stateside success notwithstanding, Eddie insists that he will never give up live performance. "At the moment I’m just concentrating on making a mark in LA," he says. "But I’ll do stand up forever." Amen to that.

Yes!!! Like you already know, I'm a huge fan of Izzard's comedy!!!!

He is one of the few comedians that can educate you and make you laugh hysterically at the same time!!!
I generally don't like storyteller type of comedians, but with Eddie, you know that no matter how long the story is that he tells, it is well worth the wait!!!! Pure genius when it comes to drawing the silly nature out of every aspect of life!!

It's also great that he is going to perform forever!! A lot of comedians use stand up as a stepping stone to Hollywood!! You can tell when watching Eddie perform that he is doing exactly what he wants to do!!!!

CAKE OR DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!