The comedy star also said that although he liked his own company, he and Sir Ian McKellen once talked of buying a large country house together.But, he added, his friend “has got more houses in London now so he has got fed up with that idea”.As to how he would cope on the desert island, he said: “I have lived alone for a very long time and I quite like being alone at times.“Every now and again I feel I should have made a bit more effort to have a partner but that never really worked.”Richard, who first played Victor Meldrew aged 55, said people still shout his catchphrase “I don’t believe it” at him in the street.The sitcom attracted 17 million viewers but he added many think they are the first to say it to him and said: “I use to say ‘good.