▁to ▁London ▁and ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁furn iture ▁mak er ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁His ▁business ▁failed ▁and ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Fire ▁Island ▁for ▁another ▁summer . ▁ ▁Fl an agan ▁res umed ▁education ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 5 , ▁beginning ▁with ▁a ▁GC SE ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁going ▁on ▁to ▁a ▁foundation ▁course ▁in ▁arts ▁and ▁social ▁sciences ▁and ▁a ▁degree ▁at ▁City ▁University , ▁which ▁he ▁began ▁aged ▁ 2 9 . ▁ ▁Fl an agan ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁train ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁by ▁taking ▁the ▁Post grad uate ▁Cert ificate ▁in ▁Education , ▁but ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁purs ue ▁teaching ▁as ▁a ▁career , ▁later ▁describing ▁the ▁experience ▁as ▁" the ▁unh app iest ▁year ▁of ▁my ▁life ▁... ▁everything ▁that ▁was ▁wrong ▁about ▁the ▁school ▁system ▁when ▁I ▁was ▁young ▁was ▁still ▁the ▁same ". ▁ ▁Com edy ▁career ▁Fl an agan ▁became ▁a ▁professional ▁com ed ian ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁after ▁att ending ▁a ▁comedy ▁course ▁at ▁Jack s ons ▁Lane ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁His ▁earliest ▁comedy ▁gig s ▁were ▁un pa id , ▁so ▁he ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁painter ▁and ▁decor ator ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁He ▁m ined ▁his ▁up br ing ing ▁for ▁early ▁com ic ▁material . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁he ▁performed ▁in ▁the ▁Big ▁Value ▁Com edy ▁Show ▁at ▁the ▁Edinburgh ▁Fr inge ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁four ▁head line ▁acts , ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3