Comedy legend Ben Elton swears he won't be telling 'dad jokes' on his upcoming NZ tour

"The last time I toured I was still smarter than my phone," says comedy legend Ben Elton.

The Blackadder writer and comedian stopped by The Hits studio to talk about his upcoming New Zealand tour – more than a decade after the last time he visited our shores.

"I started off wiping bums and changing nappies and I ended up doing laundry of horrible student underpants," Ben said when asked about what he’s been up to for the last 10 years.

"I stopped touring because I wanted to be more of a family man," he explained. "And the reason I’ve come back is because they’ve all flown the nest, our nest is empty and my wife said 'let’s get back on the road and be rock and roll again'."

Fans can be assured that while he’s bringing his experiences as a father to the stage, Ben won’t just be telling "dad jokes".

"As a 60-year-old dad, I find I’m often talking like a dad," he said, "and I’m using some of that in my stand-up, the fact that I’m now catching up [to my kids]."

"No, [I’m not telling dad jokes], but I am taking the mick out of telling dad jokes, and in so getting perilously close to doing it. It’s a comedy balance, you've got to have nuance, I love a bit of nuance when I’m on stage."

Kiwis can see Ben Elton on stage for themselves in just a few months’ time, with the Brit set to perform live in Auckland on May 9, Christchurch on May 10 and Wellington on May 12.

Tickets go on sale at 1pm on March 3 at livenation.co.nz.