Des McLean has revealed how his mimicry and impersonation skills at Radio Clyde earned the seal of approval from legendary Scots comedian Billy Conolly - and set him up nicely to play Bertie Auld.

Celtic supporter McLean has been wowing audiences up and down the country with his portrayal of Hoops legend Auld in Jim Orr's play Bend It Like Bertie.

The funnyman readily admits that he learned his craft at Radio Clyde when he used to regularly prank celebrities by impersonating Scottish comedian Connolly.

McLean co-hosted the Clyde 1 Breakfast Show for six years alongside George Bowie, winning three prestigious Sony Radio Awards for the creativity of the content.

His Connolly impression was so good that he caught out many an unsuspecting star including fellow Celtic supporter Rod Stewart, Scots actor Sean Connery and former Rangers boss Walter Smith.

Even Connolly conceded that McLean was his favourite comedian after they bumped into each other at their beloved Parkhead.

McLean has also played Tommy Sheridan on stage in the play I, Tommy, which Scots actor David Hayman described as 'extraordinary'.

McLean reckons that he just developed a knack for voices and impersonating people's mannerisms and has receive critical acclaim for his portrayal of Auld.

McLean said: "When I was on the Radio Clyde breakfast show with George Bowie we would do famous prank calls and stuff and that's where the voices and mimicry came from really.

"We phoned the Vatican, Joan Rivers, Quentin Tarantino, Billy Connolly, Sean Connery, Rod Stewart and Walter Smith - you name them we phoned them. Nobody was safe.

"I must have had the Billy Connolly impersonation down to a fine art as I met him at Celtic Park one day and he said to me 'McLean, ya wee fucker. You do a very cruel impersonation of me... but it's brilliant, I love it!'

"We wound up Rod Stewart one time with me acting as Billy and we gave him it tight for not giving the Big Yin an invite to his wedding. Rod was backpedalling and apologising. It was absolutely hilarious.

"The more I did the voices the more I realised I was good at them and it all kind of took off from there. When somebody asks me to do a mimic or an impersonation I have got to get it spot on. People didn't know they weren't actually talking to Billy Connolly whenever I phoned to prank them.

"That's why I put my heart and soul into getting everything about Bertie Auld right. Billy always said that Bertie would have made a great stand-up comedian - and he would have you know.

"He was a born raconteur. I always wondered why Bertie never spoke on the after-dinner circuit.

"The Auld family told me I had nailed the impersonation of Bertie and that was particularly humbling to hear. The Celtic supporters have also been very kind and complimentary about my portrayal of Bertie on stage, so that's good enough for me!"

READ THE FULL BIG INTERVIEW WITH DES MCLEAN HERE

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