HE’S gone from being the one with the tiger face in Phoenix Nights to award-winning radio presenter and in-demand stand-up.

Now Justin Moorhouse is out to discover who his true friends really are.

With his new show — Ever Decreasing Social Circles — Justin will take an audience on an amusing journey through his address book, finding out which of his 641 Facebook friends really deserve the title.

Fans need not worry that Justin’s gone from improvised stand-up to a totally scripted show.

“I’ll still be talking about things that have happened to me that day or reacting to the audience,” said Justin.

“If you stick completely to a script that’s more like a play and that’s not me.

“What the show does give me is a framework. I’ve a story to tell and I know how I went to start and how it ends. How I get from start to finish will vary.

From his appearances as Young Kenny in Phoenix Nights and his fledgling stand-up performances, Justin has remained charmingly open about his work.

“When I first started I used to just get up their and say things which I thought were funny.

“You can’t do that forever. You do need some structure.

"So when I decided I needed a new show to tour I sat down and started from scratch.

“It was a good discipline for me and it means that everything in the show is new.”

Justin took his show to the Edinburgh Festival, where he refined it over three weeks.

“I look at Edinburgh as a boxer looks at the gym before a title fight,” he said.

“You put all the work in there to get everything into top condition.

“The audiences there are brutally honest.”

Justin’s previous show, Who’s The Daddy, has made the basis of a comedy show for Radio Four.

He’s also been working with renowned film director Ken Loach on a movie about postmen, which is due out next year.

Loach is known for not working with a script, encouraging his actors to improvise throughout.

“For a comedian that is great,” said Justin. “It was such an honour to work with him.

"He will know how he wants a film to begin and end and he may make the odd suggestion to one of the actors about a scene or give someone a line. But the rest is improvised.

“At the end of the last day’s filming he gave all the cast a script. I haven’t read it as I want to watch the film.”

During filming Justin got to meet Eric Cantona, the Manchester United legend who has a part in the movie.

“I was star-struck. I couldn’t ask him for an autograph but he did write something for my son in French, which I think says: 'Remember in life there are more chances than you think.' How good is that? It was unbelievable.”

With a major UK tour and his own radio show, Justin is loving every minute of it.

“I’ve been doing this for nine years now and I’ve never once woken up in the morning and thought I’ve got to go to work today,” he said.

l Justin Moorhouse plays Opera House, Manchester on Friday, October 24 and King George’s Hll, Blackburn, on Sunday, November 9. Details from the box office on 0844 847 164.