Ivo Graham might be an old Etonian but while his former classmates become senior politicians and bankers, he’s travelling in buses around the country practicing his stand up.

The 26-year-old comedian is set to perform at the Greenwich Comedy Festival this September, having started his career at only 18.

It wasn’t a particularly glamorous, or even particularly successful, start for the teen in the tough world of stand-up.

He said: “I remember taking a bus to Chester and overnight bus back an 11 hour round trip and I was missing parties.

“I remember thinking to myself ‘why am I spending my weekends going to Chester and back to not be funny?’”

Ivo has moved up in the world since then, having appeared on Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week, and now enjoys the luxury of travelling in trains rather than buses when going to gigs.

Although perhaps not for long. “I might have to go back to buses when my young person’s card expires” he said in a worried tone.

As for the upward trajectory of his career so far, Ivo says he puts it down having “more time than talent” to practice his routines.

He said: “If you start young then you can find your feet when you still have a lot of freedom.

“I have an enormous amount of admiration for people who start in their mid-30s and have a family but leave their job to start doing stand-up.”

Ivo comes across as a young man who is just a huge fan of stand-up comedy in general, which was made clear by the excited tone of his voice when asked about other comedians at Greenwich he was looking forward to seeing.

He said: “Dylan Moran, he was my absolute favourite when growing up and he has a godlike status within the comedy festival.

“I’m not even sure who I am on with, it would be exciting to be on with him, as well as comedians like Dara O Briain and Sara Pascoe.”

This won’t be his first time at the Greenwich Comedy Festival, having travelled across the country from Bristol to Brighton (“I stuck the boot into Southern Rail when I was in Brighton and it went down very well there”), although he admits doing lots of comedy gigs means they can all blur into one.

He said: “I have performed at Greenwich Comedy Festival two years ago so this is my glorious return.

“I remember it being very wet and that made it seem rather bleak but that made the audience happy to be inside and laughing instead.”

Greenwich Comedy Festival runs from September 13-17 at the National Maritime Museum. Tickets are on sale at greenwichcomedyfestival.co.uk