Jason Manford says he is relieved not to be home-schooling his children again.

The comic, 39, attempted to teach his six children during the first lockdown when schools were closed.

Manford has four children from his previous marriage, and two with his current wife Lucy Dyke.

“I’ve had a few things cancelled, a few things that were supposed to happen,” he said of his work.

Jason Manford
Jason Manford in a promotion for the release of the film Elf for Sky Cinema (Oliver Dixon)

“But at least I don’t have to do the home-schooling this time. It’s the thing that got me last time.

“It was hard work,” he told the PA news agency.

And he said of being a father-of-six: “I don’t know anything different now.

“The older ones help with the younger ones. Their two mums are both wonderful and very supportive. We’ve got a really strong support bubble in that respect so it’s mostly been a laugh actually.”

He said Christmas is going to be “really tough” because his family usually have “a massive Christmas dinner.

“There’s often 15 or 20 of us on Christmas Day, sat around playing games and we get the piano and the guitars and play.”

Manford is working with Sky Cinema to find the UK’s biggest fan of the film Elf in celebration of the movie streaming on the channel this Christmas.

The winner will receive an Elf-inspired Christmas home makeover kit, as well as £3,000 towards their favourite festive goodies.

“It was a bit of a laugh, we messed around. But also after the year we’ve had, it just feels like we need a bit of Christmas spirit this year,” he said of filming a promotion for the competition.

Elf is coming to Sky Cinema on December 8.