Jim Moir aka Vic Reeves battles empty nest syndrome after twin daughters leave home

The comedian and creator formerly known arsenic Vic Reeves and his woman Nancy Moir are settling down to a caller benignant of beingness without immoderate kids astir - with the youngest heading disconnected to university

Jim Moir is flying precocious with a caller accumulation of vertebrate paintings, but astatine location there’s a lawsuit of bare nest syndrome.

The creator formerly known as Vic Reeves is showing disconnected 50 artworks connected his favourite subject, including British birds from his Sky Arts TV amusement Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir.

The couple, joined for 21 years, waved disconnected their 18-year-old duplicate daughters Nell and Lizzie to assemblage this week, and are present coming to presumption with a quieter beingness astatine location successful Kent.

Jim, 65, said: “I’ve got 4 kids and these are the past 2 to leave. So there’s bare nest syndrome. Nancy was much teary than maine but I’m a pugnacious guy.”

The girls person inherited their dad’s performing genes, with Lizzie studying astatine the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and Nell astatine the International College of Musical Theatre, some successful London.

Jim changeable to fame arsenic a comedian and instrumentalist alongside Bob Mortimer successful the 1990s connected Channel 4 ’s surreal Big Night Out and BBC2’s Shooting Stars.

Both stars are present enjoying a much genteel gait of telly, with a 3rd bid of Jim’s Sky amusement being discussed, and Bob, 65, reeling successful viewers connected his deed BBC amusement Gone Fishing, which returns tomorrow.

While determination are nary contiguous plans for immoderate further reunions, helium loved coating with Bob connected a Christmas vertebrate peculiar past year. He said: “Whenever we meet, it’s backmost to however we ever were. But we’re old, aged fellas now.”

Jim, who gave up playing Vic Reeves astir 10 years ago, says his Sky bid is the champion occupation he’s had arsenic it combines his loves of art, birds and woman Nancy, 50. He said: “People deliberation I’m a comedian but creation comes first.”

His paintings tin present merchantability for upwards of £12,000, though helium did judge £100 worthy of sweets for coating the screen of the Kaiser Chiefs’ latest album.

His exhibition, Birdland, is astatine the RedHouse Gallery successful Harrogate, North Yorks, until adjacent Saturday. Jim chose the venue arsenic helium “loves a posh bluish town”.