Lee Mack has revealed that he will “do anything” to play Doctor Who – or even to get on the show as an extra.

The comedian recently made his West End debut in The Miser, in which he stars alongside Griff Rhys Jones. At a comedy masterclass with Mack and Barry Cryer at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival, Richard Osman asked Mack whether he would like to do more acting.

“Yeah,” replied Mack. “Genuinely my big thing and the reason I’m in The Miser is because I always ask myself one simple question when I’m offered anything: Will it get me nearer to being Doctor Who or further away?

“I genuinely do. Because it’s the only show we [my family] all absolutely watch, we don’t watch it on catch up, we watch it on TV.

“It’s always been my favourite show and I am on a mission to get on Doctor Who.”

Osman also asked Mack whether he would play a baddie if he couldn’t be the Time Lord.

“I’ll be a hand,” said Mack. “A green thing coming on the screen, just to say I’ve been in it. I’ll do anything. If I’m in a play they might go: ‘Oh, he’s an actor, let’s get him in Doctor Who.’

“I think very simplistically.”

Lee Mack was speaking at the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival alongside Barry Cryer and Richard Osman