Comedian Jimmy Carr has answered his critics following revelations about his tax affairs and claimed his accountant got him to sign up after explaining the tax scheme in a style eerily similar to the 70's quiz show 3-2-1.
"The accountant started things off by putting a Jersey on the desk and then read out a clue which said 'To everyone else it looks a black hole. But you'll end up just like Ashley Cole'."
"I was thinking, black hole; that must mean the bin. But a black hole could also refer to this countries national debt. Why pour money into it? It will disappear and never be seen again. Why not end up like Ashley Cole? He gets paid a fortune, goes on about giving 110% and gets to knob Cheryl. So I thought, why not! I can pay more than my fair share and get my leg over into the bargain."
"The accountant then explained what it all meant. The Jersey represented when the scheme would be based. I could put my fortune there and get to keep 110% of my earnings, avoiding the financial black hole. Not quite sure where knobbing Cheryl fits into this, but I was so distracted by that mental image that I signed up anyway."