Born in Liverpool, the only child of Communist parents, Alexei Sayle moved to London in 1971 to attend Chelsea Art School. He became the first MC of the Comedy Store and later the Comic Strip, becoming one of the most original and influential performers to emerge from the 1980s alternative comedy scene. Alexei started off as a memorably aggressive stand-up comedian in live venues and late-night TV before breaking into mainstream comedy and achieving a considerable reputation as both a writer and character actor along the way.