WELL-LOVED comedian Dom Joly is heading to Bradford for the first time next Wednesday, as he welcomes an audience to spend the evening with him at the Salt Beer Factory, on Bingley Road in Saltaire.

He told the Telegraph & Argus about how the persistence of one Bradfordian in particular has led to him travelling up here, and discussed the music from the city that he loves.

He also recounted tales about the beauty of historically hostile countries such as Lebanon and Syria and whether he prefers life on the box or on the stage.

Speaking about his Saltaire appearance next week, he said: "David "Nova" Nowakowski, from (Bradford band) Scars on 45 contacted me years ago, saying he was a big fan of my show, Trigger Happy (a camera prank series on Channel 4 that ran from 2000 to 2016).

"He wanted me to listen to his music but I get a lot of requests from people wanting me to do that.

"He was so persistent that I gave it a try and I absolutely loved it. He was up in Newcastle while I was narrating The Rocky Horror Show in Sunderland so we arranged to meet up for a road trip.

"It was only for 30 minutes but we went both ways and we just clicked. He asked me if I'd come to Bradford for a show and I said yes.

"On the trip, we chatted about New Model Army, a band from Bradford who are huge for me. They're a cult group and my friend's just made a film about them which I was in.

"I think they're Bradford's greatest export."

David, who is a presenter as well as a talented piano player, is hosting Wednesday's Q&A with Dom, where the comedian will talk about a wide range of topics, including his far-flung travels.

He released a book two weeks ago called The Hezbollah Hiking Club, recounting details of his recent three week trip across Lebanon with two close friends.

He enthused: "It was incredibly special travelling there because it's where I grew up.

"The whole point of the book and trip is that it is a love letter to Lebanon.

"It is not just a warzone and a lot of people don't realise that I can go skiing or to the beach within an hour.

"We went along the Lebanon mountain trail but we hadn't put a lot of thought into it. The first two days were absolutely terrible, as we had no mountain hiking experience, but it got better.

"We even took in my old school in Beirut, which was founded by Quakers from Darlington. I always thought I was the most famous old boy from there, but it turned out a certain Osama Bin Laden was also a pupil.

"He was 16 when I was six, so unfortunately there aren't any photos of us together."

"As well as Lebanon, I have a lot of time for Syria. It's the most beautiful country I've been to. Ironically it's where we used to escape to for peace when there was trouble in Lebanon.

"People are quick to write it off and it never got a lot of visitors. It never really bothered me as I don't like tourists."

Bringing the chat closer to home, Dom gave a definitive answer to whether he prefers being on television or on the stage.

He said: "I do like both but beyond the Rocky Horror Show, I've not done a lot of live stuff.

"What I'm good at is being on the telly and I love seeing and being a part of the edit.

"I love making programmes and that was another way I connected with Nova. He's a big Trigger Happy fan but he actually admitted that he prefers another show of mine, World Shut Your Mouth.

"So many things can go wrong when making TV like that, but I actually prefer that show myself."

Dom will be discussing all of this and more at The Salt Beer Factory next week from 7:30pm. Tickets for the event are still on sale at

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-dom-joly-tickets-61644824329

and cost £15, plus £1.58 fee and VAT.

As well as David's interview and the audience Q&A, there will be a meet and greet session.