James Nesbitt has decided to take a break from acting - because he thinks the profession could cause him to have a breakdown.

The former Cold Feet star has complained that he has been working constantly for months.

Nesbitt told the Sunday Mirror, "In a way, acting is like being an undercover cop. You get a buzz out of fooling people into believing you are someone you're not. But you can crack up and break down if you do it too much."

The actor almost turned down an offer to star in a third series of BBC One's Murphy's Law, and only agreed after producers agreed to change the format of the show. Instead of his character, DS Tommy Murphy, being involved in new plots every week, one storyline will take up the whole series.