In February 1969 he started his own folk club, “The Boggery”, in nearby Solihull with his friend Les Ward. Carrott performed folk songs and as an MC. His banter overtook the songs and he became more a comedian than singer. He also worked as a musical agent (with John Starkey, who was his manager from 1974 to 1992), as Fingimigig, managing among others Harvey Andrews. He toured UK rugby clubs. He recorded an album in 1973 called Jasper Carrot – In the Club, which he sold from his van. The album contained the original “Magic Roundabout”, although mainly material used in his next three LPs (such as “Hare Krishna”, “Car Insurance”, “Bastity Chelt”, and “Hava Nagila”) plus the Fred Wedlock song “The Folker”.

He had a UK Top 5 chart hit in August 1975 with the novelty record “Funky Moped”, written by Chris Rohmann and produced by Jeff Lynne.

His first appearance on television was a half-hour show for BBC Midlands on 11 August 1975, in a programme about local football called “The Golden Game”. In 1976, he appeared in A Half Hour Mislaid with Jasper Carrott, recorded at Pebble Mill. His big break came two years later, when Michael Grade asked for a pilot programme for LWT. Grade liked it, and five further shows were recorded, which became his first TV series, An Audience with Jasper Carrott, in 1978. This partnership with LWT lasted until 1981; The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott (1979) and Beat the Carrott (1981) are the best-known live stand-up performances from his time with LWT.

In 1979 he published A Little Zit on the Side, a humorous autobiography. The follow-up, Sweet and Sour Labrador, mixed sections of stand-up routines with similar autobiographical material, much of it related to his world travels. Carrott was once a compère for the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986, which featured local bands such as Electric Light Orchestra and the Moody Blues, with a finale that included George Harrison from the Beatles. On 15 September 2007 he was inducted into the Birmingham Walk of Stars at the Arts Fest 2007 celebrations. The award was presented by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Carrott is the second inductee, following Ozzy Osbourne. Carrott was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Comedy Awards on 6 December 2008.

Also of interest is a book by Carrott’s former manager John Starkey, Jasper and Me (1993; Etsiketsi Books), which includes the line “He once said, ‘Ringo isn’t the best drummer in the world. He isn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles.’ ” This quote was credited to John Lennon until Mark Lewisohn discovered, in 1983, that it was Carrott who said it.

Carrott played Heinrich in the 1987 British comedy film Jane and the Lost City.

He is a supporter, and was a director, of Birmingham City. He was awarded an OBE in 2002 “for charitable services”. The University of Birmingham awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2004, following a similar award from Aston University in 1995.

Canned Carrott also featured a spoof police drama called The Detectives, co-starring Robert Powell, which later was made into a series. From 2002 to 2004, he starred in the sitcom All About Me. He performed in several of the Secret Policeman’s Ball charity concerts for Amnesty International, and returned to the stage in 2004 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham featuring classic routines from his career. He returned to singing for the musical Go Play Up Your Own End (written by Malcolm Stent, songs by Harvey Andrews) in 2005.

In 2005, he staged and appeared in the first Jasper Carrott’s Rock With Laughter concert. This became a regular at the NEC in Birmingham, usually in December and sometimes alternating with his “Jasper Carrott’s Christmas Crackers” events, but there have also been a few summer shows too.

Carrott was part-owner of the production company Celador, makers of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? In 2006, he and wife Hazel sold their shares for £10m when Dutch interactive television company 2waytraffic bought the group of companies behind ‘Millionaire’.

In summer 2007, Carrott hosted the Endemol-produced game show Golden Balls for ITV1. Promising ratings led to a second series in January 2008. A third series began in April 2008, and a fourth in October 2008. A fifth and six series were shown in 2009.

In August 2017, Carrott had a quadruple heart bypass operation.