Harry Hill reveals he was asked to return to work as a doctor at height of coronavirus pandemic

Harry Hill has revealed he was invited back to his old job as a doctor during the peak of the pandemic in the UK.

The comedian, 55, initially trained as a neurosurgeon and worked at the Doncaster Royal Infirmary before pivoting to comedy.

In an interview with Radio Times, Hill - real name Matthew Hall - said he had been asked to return to work at the NHS Nightingale Hospital.

“In the early days of the pandemic, it was all melting down radiators to make ventilators, the country pulling together and so on,” he said.

“I’d had a few drinks so I filled out the form and got an email back saying someone would contact me about my return to work.

“I broke out in a cold sweat.”

With his previous medical speciality being “respiratory emergencies,” Hill was asked to work at the Nightingale, a role that did not eventuate due to the travel time from south to east London.

“In the end it came down to them saying I could maybe do ‘track and trace’ calls on the phone,” he said, which also never came to be.

Hill broke through in comedy in the 90s, winning best newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1992.

He is known for his comedy series TV Burp, and has narrated the home video series You’ve Been Framed since 2004.

Read Harry Hill's full interview in the latest issue of Radio Times.