Alan Davies may be one of the country's most recognisable television faces as Jonathan Creek, but that doesn't mean he has it easy, apparently.
The actor, who juggles starring in the long-running series - recently returned after a decade-long hiatus - with his 'QI' duties as well as stand-up gigs, is not enjoying being an actor any more, because of the increased work load and time away from his family.
"Basically, you are not allowed to see your children while you are filming,’ he tells the Daily Mail. "You leave home at six in the morning, so miss them getting up, and then don’t get home until after they are tucked up in bed. And if you don’t agree to that, you don’t work.
Alan Davies with Sheridan Smith in 'Jonathan Creek'
"I don’t understand how 12-hour days and 11-day fortnights became the norm in the TV industry. By EU law you are only supposed to work 48 hours a week at most but, as soon as you go into this industry, you throw that away."
Apparently, his wage for the role he first performed in 1997 is not much of a compensation, either.
"They paid me less for the last series I did of Creek than they paid me for doing the show in the late 1990s and actually wanted to pay me less than the amount they finally agreed to."
As for doing any more of the show - which features Alan in the title role of the duffle-coated magic consultant turned businessman, who enjoys a lot of deduction on the side - it will depend on how it fits in with family life. The actor is married to writer Katie Davies and has two children, a girl and a boy.
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