Rock: 'Racial slurs made me a comedian'

Chris Rock has claimed that the racist abuse he suffered as a child helped make him a successful comedian.

The US stand-up said that the taunts he received as a black child growing up in an all-white school in New York made him retreat into himself and develop his humour.

He told WENN: "When I was bussed to a white school, I basically became a hermit. It killed part of me. I retreated into myself.

"It helped me become a comedian because it helped me live in my own head. And you know, you can tell by my experiences, I’ve seen the worst of people, at a young age."

Rock is playing two shows at London's O2 arena in May. Tickets for the gigs have already sold out.