Many of us saw him first on Last Comic Standing where this openly gay comedian made his television debut. Since then his career has continued to skyrocket with a hosting gig on Celebrity Fit Club, recurring appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, his own show on LOGO, and now he's coming back as a judge for this season of Last Comic Standing. ANT is hyper, irreverent, and downright fabulous. This is one of the funniest interviews we've ever done...

What inspired you to do stand up? Jagermeister! No really. I was drunk at the Improv one night heckling (as usual) when the comic that was performing got pissed. He told me that if I thought I could do a better job then I should do it. I took it as a challenge and well here I am. I performed at that club for a while until I went on Last Comic Standing.

How much of your routine do you draw from real life experiences? All of it. Very little of my stand up is made up. It comes from my life experiences.

You have been the host of Celebrity Fit Club since it's inception. How did you get that gig? Right after Last Comic Standing, VH1 approached me to host the show. I turned them down at first because I didn't want to host a weight loss show but after they introduced me to the executive producer, I fell in love with him and couldn't say no. I also felt I could relate to what the participants where going thru. I have been overweight myself. In the 80's I was at my highest at 236lbs. I am now at about 140lbs. give or take.

What about the show do you feel inspires others? It is when the celebrities hit their target weight loss and they had to struggle to do it. That is how most of America does it. Struggle. Losing weight is not easy and is a constant battle. I think that when the viewers see what the celebrities are going thru and that they don't give up it is encouraging to people. They can do it too.

Which cast members from last season do you think took the show most seriously? Maureen McCormick and Ross the Intern. Ross is totally hilarious. Stacey Kaiser, the new psychotherapist brought her daughters to the set one day. After the girls had left, Ross looked at Stacey and asked if her kids knew he was a man. He gets mistaken often by kids for a chick because of his round face and high pitched voice. Kids are cute and honest...and they just said to her... Mommy he looks like a girl. We died. He is so funny.

You've also lost a lot of weight since appearing on Last Comic Standing. What is the key to your success? NutriSystem and wanting a better quality dick. For every 50 pounds I lose, I get to go out with guys with an extra 2 or 3 inches. If they had told me this 10 years ago, I'd be Nicole Richie thin right now.

How much of a part did Celebrity Fit Club play in your weight loss? I was on the journey before Celebrity Fit Club, but doing the show is a good motivation to sustain my weight loss. I mean, I don't want to be the fat host of a weight loss show like Caroline Rhea from The Biggest Loser. Jeez she's ginormous. I bumped into her on a red carpet and I said, "Caroline, what's up with all the weight gain?" She said, "ANT, I'm retaining water." I thought, "Bitch, you're retaining pizza and burritos. Ain't no water here... Los Angeles is a desert not a dessert."

What advise would you give to those struggling with their own weight? Form a plan and stick to it. Be realistic. Pick a goal that is attainable. When I recently lost my weight, I did it in increments. I said I only wanted to lose 2 pounds... then from there I lost 2 more. I never once said I want to lose 43 pounds... that would be discouraging and a big mountain to climb so take it in small bites (pun intended) and you can do it. I also visualize a small Pacman inside me eating away the fat while I diet. It seems to work for me.

In past routines, you mention that your family wasn't necessarily accepting of the gay lifestyle. How do they deal with you being an openly gay celebrity? That is the key word. Because I am a celebrity they are cool with it. If I weren't, they wouldn't be. I guess it is hard to be mad at your gay son when he is buying you a house.

Being from New Hampshire and now living in Los Angeles, what was the biggest adjustment you had to make?

In Los Angeles, the guys are a lot more attractive and it's harder to trick them into going to bed with you. In New Hampshire, you didn't have to work as hard to get laid. I had never heard of pepper spray until I moved to the West Coast. That shit stings.

Tell us about your love life? How hard is it to find a date when you are a known celebrity? It is easy to find sex but it is hard to find a date. I get offers for sex everywhere from airplanes, night clubs, on the streets and even in the grocery store. Finding someone that actually just wants to spend time together or go out to eat is the hard part. I happen to be in an open relationship right now so I have the best of both worlds. It gives me the luxury of both.

How can our readers find out more about ANT? They can go to my official website: antcomic.com or my official myspace at: myspace.com/comicant

Do you have any new projects in the works that our readers may be interested in? I have been offered a show involving celebrities and magic. I have Last Comic Standing 5 on NBC premiering June 13th, where I will be a talent judge and of course Celebrity Fit Club on VH1.

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