Karl Pilkington is one-third of the team responsible for "The Ricky Gervais Guide to ... " It's the latest in the series of audiobooks from the trio, which also includes comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the creative team behind the British version of "The Office" and HBO's "Extras."

In a recent feature, we asked Gervais about the group's podcasts and audiobooks, and he credited Pilkington (pictured on left) as the main reason for their record-breaking success. Of course, as he does in most interviews, Gervais expressed that his admiration for Pilkington is based mostly on the fact that he sees his co-host as a mental defective and a sideshow act.

We thought it only fair to give Pilkington an opportunity to respond.

Ricky has referred to you as "an experiment – half-chimp, half-idiot, and he was sent to me to revolutionize the world of podcasting."
Pilkington: "All his quotes about me are never that great. 'Worlds Roundest Head'; 'Head like a f**king orange'; 'Half-chimp/half-idiot'; 'The stupidest person in the world.' But I'm used to it. He annoys his mate Robin by burying him in the sand on the beach and then waiting for the tide to come in. Then there's Nigel, who he wraps up in gaffer tape. They probably dream about just being called a chimp."

Click here for more on how Karl really feels about being the butt of the joke.

Ricky also claims you're the main reason for the series' success. Why do think he values you so much?
"I don't know why he values me ... He wanted to find where I lived, but I didn't want him to know as he would keep hassling me. After having some lunch with me, he asked what I was going to do. I made the mistake of saying I was going home. He said, 'Oh, I'll follow you then.' I thought he was joking, but every time I turned round he was there. I ended up running through the streets of London to try and lose him. It was like a human game of Pac-Man. I lost him in the end though."

What do you see as the key to your success?
"Ricky and Steve are the main reason people download it and then I'm an added bonus. I'm like the macaroon biscuit you get when you order a coffee in a fancy café. You weren't expecting it ... so you enjoy it. Problem is nobody loves the macaroon biscuit enough to then go off and buy a full packet for themselves, do they? They just like the freebie one which means people only like me when I'm with Ricky and Steve."

Ricky says that he calls you three times a day, because he can't get enough of you. What do you usually talk about?
"His calls are about nothing. When Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone I don't think he ever thought it would be used in such a wasteful way. I've known wrong numbers to be more useful in content. They are mainly him just saying, 'I've just done an interview and mentioned THE HEAD.'"

Who's smarter: Ricky or Stephen?
"Steve is probably smarter. Ricky just wears stuff that has been sent to him -- 'Flight of the Conchords' T-shirt, 'Simpsons' jogging pants, 'Sopranos' cap. He's like a walking TV Guide."

Who's funnier?
"Steve is funnier-looking. I don't see him that much either, so I never really properly get used to how he looks."

Which one is more frustrating to work with?
"It's never felt like work, so it's hard to answer that. We record the audiobooks in their office. It starts by me having to hang six duvets to soundproof the area. Not so much to keep the sound out but to stop the rest of the building from hearing Ricky scream, 'You gormless, shaven manc twat' at me. Steve sometimes helps to hang the duvets as it's easy for him to reach with him being so tall. Ricky never lifts a finger."

All in all, do you enjoy working with Ricky and Stephen?
"I never look forward to [recording] as I never know how they are going to go. To look forward to something, you need to know what you are looking forward to. Imagine if every time you had a meal, you ate something for the first time. It's like that. It's only after it that you know if you enjoyed it or not."