TV breaks can be a big boon for up-and-coming comics.

For those of us who take a keen interest in the many and varied strands of the comedy industry, commercial breaks can lead to some awkward moments. One minute you're sitting there half watching the ads while your mate/spouse/parent pops to the loo, the next you're shouting at the telly going "Look! It's..." - then you shout a name that no-one else in the house has ever heard of.

Yes, they may not shout about it themselves, onstage or in the online CVs, but alternative comedians will often try to boost their earnings by taking other jobs, and some of the most sought-after jobs involve TV commercials. A role in a 'proper' TV show or film would no doubt be preferable, and more credible (well, depends what it is). But when you're on the way up, taking a flutter on an advert audition can be incredibly helpful.

It's a nice gig - while it lasts. Let's face it, nowadays very few of us actually sit and take in the ads, apart from rare occasions where you're watching something live. Sport, say, or Bake Off, or the new Game of Thrones: stuff where you can't gamble on avoiding the spoilers. But even then, as soon as the ads start we'll probably have a quick scroll through Twitter, or browse the games on Ladbrokes Bingo, or wander round eBay and take a massive chance on a random purchase that we'll only remember buying when it turns up three weeks later.

You mark our words, one day all ads will just be a huge slogan writ large on the screen for 30 seconds, so it still gets into your head even when you're fast-forwarding. Which won't leave much room for comedians needing little acting gigs. Still, for the moment it's a seriously handy boost.

You may not realise that the ad breaks are doing their bit to support the comedic arts. But right now there's a usually-visual comic in a gambling ad pretending to be savvy about football; a member of a youthful sketch group playing a waitress for a car insurance company; and a well-known TV and radio face (is it still 'face' when it's on radio?) appearing in an ad for, er, something to do with financial data. His latest live show was quite a creative leap, so that ad may well have been a handy backup plan, just in case.

More? In recent years we've seen a movie-loving comic memorably crop up as a frogman, in a long-running commercial for an employment agency. A kid-friendly comic appeared as a milkman delivering to a former Spurs and England striker, apparently (we missed that one, but it sounds a corker). And a fairly well-known west-country act extolled the virtues of a very west-country type of alcoholic beverage. And got a bit of stick for it.

Now, as soon as you talk about comedy and adverts, a famous line from an acerbic American comedian comes to mind, about how appearing in one affects your artistic credibility - perhaps we'll come back to that another time. The thing is, it's alright if you're making a decent living doing stand-up, but a big one-off financial boost like that can do wonders for a more leftfield performer. Commercials can fund creative - and yes, uncommercial - work.