I went to see John Bishop and ended up crying, but not with laughter

If you go to watch a comedy show - and it's any good - you might expect to shed a few tears, but usually caused by fits of laughter, not sadness. However, at John Bishop's latest show at the Empire this week, there were both.

The Scouse comedian was in Liverpool on November 5 as part of his 'Back At It' tour. After two years spent TV presenting, stage acting, podcast hosting, dog walking and decorating his spare room, John is back doing the thing he loves most; standing on stage and making people laugh.

Addressing a full-house at the Empire Theatre, he called the show "a love letter to Ireland, a love letter to his mum, and a love letter to stand-up comedy". After making it clear, several times, even though Liverpool were playing Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, that anyone on their phone was a "tw*t", Bishop told the audience to enjoy the show because "if that mad b*stard [Donald Trump] gets in tonight, this might be the last night out you ever have." Well, here's to the last night out we ever had!

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Bishop explains why we haven't seen him doing stand-up comedy in the past couple of years, and why he chose the Empire as a location for his tour. The comedian has gone international, with shows in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

In fact, he was in Philadelphia in July, just days after the attempted assassination attempt on Trump in the same state. Though he said the jokes he made about the attempt didn't go over as well there as they did here.

The 57-year-old, as usual, comes across likeable, relatable and down-to-Earth; you don't feel like you're watching a famous comedian - just another funny Scouser. During the two hour show, he opens up about his unlikely friendship with Hugh Boneville, snogging Sir Ian McKellen and suffering with "the Manopause", all the while using wit, nostalgia and the occasional dark joke to keep the crowd laughing.

Bishop talks about his Irish ancestry and shocking ancestors - along with their crimes. A self-named "plastic Paddy", he looks back at the time he chose the Irish Potato Famine as his specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind even though he knew "f**k all about it", and switching rugby allegiances from England to Ireland.

Throughout the show, we learn things we never knew about Bishop - things which many in the audience can also relate to. He's able to easily talk about serious subjects in a light-hearted manner.

Towards the end of the show, he speaks about his mum, who died last year. While holding back his tears, many in the audience - myself included - also began to tear up until he suddenly brings us all back with an outrageous joke - a common theme throughout the performance.

John Bishop's 'Back At It' is more than just a comedy show. Yes, it's extremely funny, but it's also personal and emotional. The comedian opens up in a way that we have never seen before, but does so with his usual man-of-the-people humour and relatable wit. It's a reminder that, whatever obstacles you may face in life, comedy is the greatest cure.