Jack Dee: comedy's resident grouch on becoming an agony uncle

The UK comedian turns advice columnist in his new book. His key message? We should all take a deep breath. Ed Power finds out more

Jack Dee: "It is appropriate to perhaps fly the flag for stoicism, if that isn’t a contradiction in some way"

One of Jack Dee’s guilty pleasures is reading agony aunt columns. “I seek them out,” says the laconic stand-up and veteran of British comedy. “I’ve always been intrigued by the different nature of the problems people write in about. And also by self-help books. I read a lot of them.”

Dee is one of Britain’s most successful comics. So he clearly isn’t reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People or Who Moved My Cheese? because he needs help with his career. The fascination for him flows from what they tell us about human nature — about our hopes and fears, our desires and insecurities.