Comedian looks unrecognisable without his string vest and grubby blazer - but can you guess who he is?

A comedian looked completely unrecognisable as he made a public appearance this week.

The star in question - who had a hit BBC sitcom in the Nineties - had his own show at Edinburgh Fringe this year.

While on stage for a recent interview he dressed casually in a blue-and-white shirt and red vest as he chatted about his career. 

But on his hit show the star was famed for wearing a white string vest and a grubby blazer.

So, can you guess who it is?

That's right, it's Gregor Fisher - best known for playing Rab C Nesbitt in the series of the same name.

He played the Scottish character whose angry middle-aged man rants and distinctive string vest look made him an instant hit. 

Airing from 1988 until 2014, Rab C Nesbitt has been described as 'Glasgow's greatest ever sitcom' attracting five million viewers at its peak. 

Starring Gregor as the series' titular character, Rab is an alcoholic Glaswegian who seeks unemployment as a lifestyle choice. 

The series covered topics including alcoholism, neo nazis and STIs and would frequently break the fourth wall as Rab addressed the viewers directly. 

Gregor, 72, was recently on a press tour for his Fringe show and spoke to BBC Scotland about his iconic character.

During the chat he revealed how he was initially reluctant to take on the Rab C Nesbitt role.

He said: 'I did try to resist it. I didn't want to be just known for doing that wee, fat Scottish thing. I wanted to have more of a breadth to my career.'

He is currently starring in his one-man Fringe show, An (Early) Evening With Gregor Fisher.

Gregor has previously confessed the role of Rab followed him so closely that people were shocked to discover he could actually 'speak properly'.

The star said he has struggled to escape the assumption that he is indistinguishable from the foul-mouthed, mesh-vested character when auditioning for new roles.

Despite a varied career, he remains best known as the Glaswegian rogue and is regularly told just how believable his portrayal is.

He told The Guardian: 'People would say to me, after I'd done an audition, "Well that's absolutely marvellous, I didn't realise you could speak properly".

'These people don't know what acting is.'

Rab C Nesbitt first burst on to the screen in 1988, introducing viewers to a proudly unemployed, frequently drunk anti-hero whose slurred dialect often left untrained audiences struggling to understand him.

Today he remains one of Scottish television's most notorious creations, drawing millions of viewers at its peak.

And despite the typecasting that followed, Gregor said he does not regret the drunken role that made him famous.

He said: 'Well, I was never going to play Romeo. Maybe on the wireless.

'Your career is your career is your career. We've all got bills to pay.'

Gregor has built a varied career beyond Nesbitt's shadow, earning acclaim with the National Theatre of Scotland in comedy Yer Granny and praise for his performance opposite Greg McHugh in the BBC sitcom Only Child, which follows a son caring for his ageing father.

He has also appeared in films including Love Actually and Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice - but confessed an actor's fate is not as simple as choosing your desired role.