© Rex Features / Geraint Lewis
The actor and comic, best known for playing Mark Corrigan on Peep Show, admitted that satirical programmes did not appeal to him.
He told TV & Satellite Week: "I grew up watching Terry and June and I'm still very fond of it for that reason. If anything inspired me, it must have been watching that.
"The title sequence where Terry's deckchair collapses under him while he’s holding his drink was a formative lesson in why things that aren't supposed to happen in real life have to happen to make comedy work."
The star will host 10 O'Clock Live, Channel 4's weekly topical news show which premieres next Thursday, alongside Charlie Brooker, Jimmy Carr and Lauren Laverne.
> Mitchell picked 10 O'Clock over Bubble
