JIM Davidson. The name has always conjured up "adult only" comedy, a succession of glamorous wives and nick-nick jokes.

But, arguably Britain's most successful stand-up comedian has more to him than meets the eye, as a new autobiography* reveals.

This is certainly an honest kind of book which reveals how the comedian's career has fallen into two parts. There is the bit which starts in 1976 where, as a winner on talent spotting programme New Faces, money and opportunities (of every kind) were showered on him.

Then, the next, much later part where he re-invented himself as a family entertainer with The Generation Game.

Add to this TV career his creation of the British Forces Foundation to raise money to entertain the troops and you already have an interesting cocktail of a person.

Unfortunately, Davidson found an interesting cocktail of his own for a time, drugs and drink. And he is completely honest about the unhappiness which brought him to seek this particular kind of oblivion.

Now, however, with all this apparently behind him, he appears to have his life together and is a definitely mellower Jim.

You don't have to like him -- larger than life persona are often difficult to empathise with -- but you have to admire him. Tenacious, hard-working and gutsy, he is undoubtedly a survivor.

* Close To The Edge, published by Ebury Press, at £6.99

Angela Kelly