Copyright: ROB McGibbon clearly stated in print and online… not that any news outlet or journalist gave a four X!
Despite numerous requests for interviews from national newspapers to mark her 50th, Denise chose to do this interview exclusively with Rob McGibbon so that she could have confidence in the accuracy of the text. It was then syndicated to the wider media to gain maximum coverage…
Looking slim, fit and sexy, Denise van Outen strikes a raunchy and assured pose in a stunning exclusive new photo shoot with Karis Kennedy to mark turning 50.
The actress and TV star, who hits 50 today, has released the photos to celebrate how she is embracing the new decade with gusto.
In an exclusive interview, the Chicago performer and former Big Breakfast presenter reveals how she is striding into her fifties feeling “blessed” that so many aspects of her life are in the best shape ever.
In the wide-ranging talk, Denise opens up to reveal how:
– regular therapy sessions have given her a stronger mental health balance
– she has joined celebrity dating app Raya and is relishing the freedom of single life
– her acting and showbiz career is burgeoning in multiple new directions
– is preparing to fulfil a lifetime ambition to scale Mount Everest
Essex-born Denise – who has a 14 year old daughter called Betsy with ex-husband Lee Mead – is now gearing up for a year of celebrations to reflect hew new-found joie de vivre.
Denise on: Fitness, mental health and hitting the big 5-0…
“I feel great and I’m really happy about turning 50. With age, comes wisdom, and I’ve learned a lot of things about caring for myself better. If I think back to how I was at 40, I can see that I definitely make much more of an effort to look after myself now.
‘I have always kept myself physically fit because you have to be healthy in a career like mine. But these days I have a better balance and variety. I train in the gym and I play sport, like golf. I really look after myself and I only drink sporadically. I was a party girl in the 90s, but not too much because I was always working. I monitor my drinking and I’m more moderate now. If I go and party, I do it more during the day because I like a good night’s sleep.
‘But the big difference these days is that I also look after my mental health. I never really did things like this in the past, but as you get older, you realise it’s so important to look after your mind, as well as your body. I used to think therapy was a very sort of “American” thing, but I have since discovered that quite a lot of people do it – and I think it’s great.
‘I went into therapy about two years ago and have a session every two weeks – either on Zoom or face-to-face. Sometimes it’s just once a month. It depends what’s going on and how much stress I have in my life. It’s great just having that time to just sit down and discuss how you are feeling.
‘I have really close friends that I can speak to, but we all have really busy lives, so it’s nice to speak to somebody who is totally impartial. I’m a big supporter of having therapy because this is where you can talk about certain situations that are affecting you, or if things are getting too much.
‘I have been working in this industry since I was seven and I have been in the public eye since I did The Big Breakfast when I was 23. There has been a price to pay for all that. You sometimes feel like you live in a bit of a bubble and it makes you a bit closed off. Over the years I’ve felt like I can’t open up about how I’m feeling, but now it’s different. I can talk now and get my head around what is happening to me.
‘Back in the 1990s, anything I said or did would end up in a newspaper, so I became quite guarded and had trust issues. I decided that it was really important for me to start to address some of the situations I’d found myself in and change how I was affected by them.
‘Therapy has been really good for me and has helped me learn a lot about myself. I think the work I have done on myself has helped shape the person that I am at 50. And that is a totally positive thing.’
Denise on: Single life and the joys of being footloose and fancy free…
‘Anyone who has ever read a newspaper will know a bit about my love life! I have been single now for seven months and I’m really loving it. I think I never really ever allowed myself the breathing space between relationships to just enjoy the freedom of being single.
‘My parents have been married for 55 years and they have always been the benchmark for me when it comes to relationships. I hoped my love life would be like that, but obviously things have turned out differently. I’m OK with that. We live in a different age.
‘The thing is with me, I’ve always put everything into a relationship. I make the person I’m with the main focus – but I forget about me. I’ve had some relationships where I haven’t been able to fully be myself. A lot of women will relate to that. But I feel differently about it all now. I am older and wiser and because I have had my fingers burnt a few times, I now know what I don’t want.
‘This makes me feel really excited about the new decade and about the prospect of falling in love again. Since I was young, I have always either been set up on dates by friends or I’ve met someone through work, so I have never ever really done the modern way of dating until now.
‘I’ve always thought that a dating app would never be for me, but I joined Raya a few months ago. It’s known as “the industry” dating app and is for celebrities and people in the media.
‘I’m on there as myself and it has been fun. I’ve been going on dinner dates lately and I’ve met some really lovely guys. Some haven’t felt like a romantic connection, but I’ve made some friends, so I’m enjoying it.
‘I’m in a nice situation because I’m not in a hurry to find someone, so I don’t feel any pressure and it’s not as if I’m not looking to start a family, so the man doesn’t feel any pressure either.
‘Turning 50 feels like a very exciting new chapter in my life. I actually feel the sexist I’ve ever felt. I think with age, you don’t worry so much about what people think, you are more assured of who you are. And you know what you want.
‘It feels liberating to be single as a 50-year-old woman – totally liberating. I’m allowing myself to just go on dates and enjoy them for what they are. There was a time when I felt like I couldn’t really do that. I don’t feel pressured to rush into anything. When the time’s right, then I will be ready to meet “Mr. Right”.
‘Until that happens, I’m just going to sit back and go with the flow. I’m not gonna force anything. I feel like I can make the right choices now. This is the new me – single and ready for fun.’
Denise on: A busy career and new challenges ahead…
‘I’ve been in this business since I was seven and I have always worked. I’m a grafter and I come from a family of grafters. I used to feel guilty if I took my foot off the pedal, but I have got to the stage now where I have finally learnt to step back a little bit and make the right choices with work. I’m not just doing everything that comes my way.
‘I love my job, but it can be stressful at times and it can be overwhelming. I’m a single mum to a teenager, so I am constantly having to juggle things. There’s a lot to think about.
‘Part of being 50 and this new decade is making sure that I take time out and do all the right things that give me a fulfilled life. A lot of that means spending quality time with family. My parents are getting older, so I’m really prioritising seeing family members.
‘I’m very lucky that I get to do amazing things with my job, but sometimes just going for a nice walk every day and just being with family is far more valuable and that’s what you should embrace.
‘I also want to travel more and do fun things with my daughter. We’re basically best friends and she’s at an age now where we can do more together. We’ve gone through the hard part, so now is the time for more fun.
‘You realise as you get older that you should just embrace your age because you’re lucky to still be able to enjoy life. I lost one of my very close friends when she was only 52 to a brain tumour. When something like that happens you realise it’s a possibility for all of us, so you should grab life. I’m seizing the day and I’m seizing new opportunities.’
Denise has many ventures on the go. She now DJs at high profile events and will host a residency in Ibiza this summer. She has also set up her own DJ talent agency called Discoliscious and will release a self-penned dance track this June under the same name.
On top that, she is bringing back her Proud Cabaret burlesque show for one night only in August. Then, for two nights only in September in Southend, she will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Some Girl I Used to Know, the one one-woman play she co-wrote and performed to critical acclaim.
Soon after that play, she will release her first solo album, which contains a mix of covers and original songs she has written. Many are inspired by experiences from her life, which is why it is titled A Bit of Me – the name of her autobiography published by Penguin in 2022.
Denise is also re-uniting with Johnny Vaughan – her sidekick from The Big Breakfast – for a special television project to be announced soon.
On top of the work schedule, she will also begin plans to fulfil a lifetime ambition to climb to Basecamp on Mount Everest.
Denise added:
‘I seem to have spent my life spinning plates. Now I have decided to have a year of doing all the things I love – like the play and the music. Work will always be a top priority because it brings me so much joy and right now I’m back to really loving my career. I’m in a good place because I have so many different things going on.
‘I’m reuniting with Jonny Vaughan, but I can’t say at the moment what we’re doing. I’m sworn to secrecy under NDAs and all that, but we’ve got something really exciting for television that we’re announcing soon.
‘Alongside all the work, I am going to fulfil some personal challenges. I won’t be able to complete it in the next year, but I am gong to start planning to climb to Base Camp on Everest. That has been on my bucket list for ages.
‘I love trekking and leaving the commercial world behind to get back to nature. No phone, no glamour, just a rucksack. I’ve trekked in the Himalayas twice. I did Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief and I’ve done the Great Wall of China and Peru. I love the physical challenge of these things, so there will be a lot more of that stuff in my 50s.
‘On my actual birthday, I’m having a family meal, then I’m flying straight to LA that night. I used to live in LA, so I’m going out to see all my old friends there. I’m also going to Vegas to see Adele perform. I have known Adele since she was young.
‘I feel really fortunate to have reached a place of real happiness at this stage of my life. I’ve got amazing friends. I’ve met some incredible people through work and I’ve still got my old school friends. I’ve got a really good group of people around me and I have a lot of fun. Life is all about having the right mix of work, family and friends, so I feel totally blessed.
‘The cherry on the cake will be when I do meet a really good man. It’ll be nice when someone comes and sweeps me off my feet, but we’ll see. I’ve learned that you can’t force anything in life and everything’s about timing. I know it’s a cliche, but if something is meant to be, it will happen. I’m not in any rush. I’ve got a lot of fun to have before then – and that fun starts now!’
Some of the extensive national media coverage from this interview. …
Text copyright: Rob McGibbon.
Photos copyright Karis Kennedy Photography
This is a slightly extended version of the article that appeared in the Mail on Sunday newspaper…
Our jolly, mahogany-tanned captain glides the dingy tender to some rocks, then directs his group of excited day-tripper explorers to head for an indiscernible path between the tall reeds.
I lead the way with fearless vigour and a few minutes later we emerge at a beach of cinematic beauty, with alabaster-white sand and a glimmering sea of the palest emerald.
But the magical desert island spell is instantly broken by a vexed Italian woman striding towards us, clutching a walkie-talkie and snapping orders in comically accented English. “NO stop! NO towel! NO sit! Walk!” She then instructs our bemused troupe to follow her.
Welcome to Budelli island’s Cavaliere beach, a stretch of sand so precious that it requires its own security guard.
Budelli is one of more than 60 islands that make up La Maddalena Archipelago, a protected national marine park just off the coast of northern Sardinia. The entire area is gasp-out-loud gorgeous and has been a magnet for flotillas of sea-faring tourists for decades.
However, mindless souvenir hunters have stolen so much sand, shells and stones over the years that local authority officers are now stationed on a few ecologically fragile beaches during peak season. Fines can hit 3,000 euros for removing irreplaceable treasures.
I first went to Sardinia in 1977 (yes, I go that far back) and have re-discovered it in recent years as the idyllic European family holiday destination. It has everything: perfect weather, sea and beaches that match the Caribbean, delicious cuisine, plenty of culture and history, and a warm welcome wherever you go. And it’s only two hours from Gatwick.
We are here this time to discover the lesser-visited north and are using the hotels of Delphina Resorts, the island’s oldest hotel group, as stepping stones. It has eight luxury coastal properties in this region and is still owned by the two families who founded it 30 years ago. It has won numerous industry awards, most notably for its environmental initiatives.
Our first stay is at Capo d’Orso, a discreet hotel of only 80 rooms hidden amongst a woodland leading down to the sea. From the hotel, it is a short walk to a legendary local landmark – Roccia dell’Orso (Bear Rock) – a natural rock sculpture that has formed into the shape of a bear during the past million-or-so years.
After a gentle 500 metre ascent up steps, we stand beneath the belly of the beast and look down the Straits of Bonifacio that separates Sardinia and Corsica. An impressive vista. Safety ropes are on hand in case the wind gets too strong.
A short drive away is the port town of Pilau where we take a 15 minute ferry to La Maddalena island itself (60 euros with the car). We drive the length of the island in only 20 minutes and marvel at stunning coves that appear around almost every corner.
After Capo d’Orso, we take the SS125 and head to Le Dune resort on the far west. It is less than 50 miles across the entire width here, but we happily drag out the drive for most of a day to take detours. Driving is so easy and a joy in Sardinia. During a 10-day stay we did not encounter even one traffic light, let alone a traffic jam. As for speed cameras – Ha! – such malevolent, money-making machines belong to another, sadder world altogether. I think they call it Britain.
One stop along the way is to Aggius, a beguiling little town celebrated for its stone houses and for crafting the finest rugs on traditional looms. Sadly, the rug shops were closed when we arrived – the old fashioned lunchtime shut down – but we had the pleasure to stumble upon another local legend: Paolo Sanna, the doughnut maker. A cheerful and sprightly 81-year-old, Paolo has been frying his hand-made doughnuts from a little kitchen off the main street in the centre for the past 60 years. He rolls and fries one for me – one that is big enough to feed three. We happily devour it in the shade whilst sitting on slabs of granite with faces of angels chiselled on their sides. Sweet bliss – and the best two euros I have ever spent.
Le Dune, a sprawling resort on the far west coast, has copious sporting facilities and activities for children of all ages. It is perfect for families and is right beside Li Junchi beach, a stunning, uninterrupted stretch of 8km of white sand. Unfortunately, this is red-flagged for two days due to strong winds, so we head back to more tranquil waters on the northern coast.
On the way, we stop at Santa Teresa – Sardinia’s most northerly major town – and climb over and in-between enormous grey granite boulders to hike down to the sea’s edge. Here, we dunk our tired feet in the cool water and gaze at Corsica, just seven miles away.
A dreamy boat trip is really the only way to appreciate the beauty of the Sardinian seas and our next hotel has the perfect answer. Valle dell’Erica – the five star jewel in Delphina’s portfolio – has its own elegant 1927 wooden sailing boat called La Pulcinella exclusively available for guests.
It was aboard La Pulcinella that we visited Budelli and cruised around other islands, dropping anchor at breath-taking bays, to then dive off the side and swim in warm, crystal clear waters. A delicious lunch of seafood pasta and crisp local Vermentino white wine is served on board. On the way home, our deckhand flags down a passing Algida branded speedboat (Italy’s version of Wall’s ice cream), so we can buy Cornettos. A truly unforgettable day.
Most of our time at Erica, is spent kicking back on the serene Licciola beach, or in its spa and salt water swimming pools.
As we say goodbye to Sardinia, a member of the reception staff says with the warmest of smiles: “Stessa spiaggia, stesso mare.” She explains that this is a typical Italian summer farewell, imparting a simple wish to see you again next year at “The same beach, the same sea”. The phrase derives from a vintage Italian song of the same name that has had many popular cover versions over the years, most notably by Piero Focaccia in 1963.
Well, if the holiday gods shine on us again, we will definitely be to Sardinia – and we promise not to steal any of it!
Visit Delphina Hotels & Resorts at www. https://www.delphinahotels.co.uk/index_en.html
This interview with Dame Mary was for The Definite Article column in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine. It was conducted over the phone in November 2012 and was published on 15th December.
The prized possession you value above all others…My home in Surrey. It was left to my late husband Alexander [and business partner Alexander Plunket Greene who died in 1990] by his great aunt, who designed it and had it built in 1928. We moved here not long after we got married in 1957. It’s a beautiful house that is full of wonderful memories and remains my sanctuary. This is where I am happiest.
The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…I have always loved painting and drawing, especially still life and flowers. There’s a part of me that wishes I had developed that side of my talent more and exhibited, but work was always so frenetic. Also, I am such a private person that I recoiled at the thought of showing my art, as it is quite revealing of myself.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…I would have breakfast in the garden at home with my partner Anthony Rouse, then we would be transported to the Pembrokeshire coast in south west Wales for a bracing swim. The water is so wild and wonderful there. I love swimming and don’t mind if it’s freezing cold because that makes you feel so alive. We would then go to Lake Como, Italy, for a superb al fresco lunch at Il Pomodorino with my son Orlando and his wife and my three grand children – Lucas, 10, Allegra, eight, and Massimo, seven. I’d have risotto and some chilled white wine, then we would all walk, swim and relax in the afternoon by the lake. I would end the day staying at La Colombe d’Or hotel in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, in the South France.
The temptation you wish you could resist…Wine, especially Pouilly Fume. I have always enjoyed not resisting temptation. Isn’t it the fun part of living? But I am 78 now and you have to be careful, so I try to resist drinking too much.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance…The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling touched me deeply when I was a child. I am a great animal lover and this story reminds you of the potent effect animals have on our lives.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day…It is not in my nature to want to spy on people. I can tell everything I need to know about a person from just looking at what they are wearing, or how they have done their make up. Why snoop around?
The pet-hate that makes your hackles rise…That funerals have to be big happy celebrations! There seems a need these days for everything to be jolly, but whatever happened to sadness? If you are being true to your feelings, I don’t think there is anything wrong with a bit of wailing.
The film you can watch time and time again…Gone With The Wind. I have lost track of how many times I have seen it, but I still can’t resist dipping in again whenever it is on television. I love its grand scope and it’s kind of sexy, but in a romantic way. I always love Rhett Butler [Clark Gable] saying “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn’. I will never tire of that scene.
The person who has influenced you most…Alexander. I met him when I was a teenager at Goldsmiths art school and he had the most incredible influence on my life and career. He was tremendously outgoing and confident and had amazing ideas. He was like dynamite. He encouraged my designs and launched the business. Without his drive and fearlessness I honestly don’t think I would have achieved half the things I did. He was a wonderful man.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint…The Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli. She was daring and brilliant and one of the truly great designers on the 20th century. I got to know her a little towards the end of her life in the late 60s and early 70s, but I’d love to go back in time to see how she was inspired when she was at her peak in the 1920s and 30s.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child…Smile. It is so easy to do, yet so easy to forget. Smiling brings warmth and love into your life.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…I absolutely adore cows. They are the most fascinating, gentle and beautiful animals. Their eyes are so amazing. I have ten that live in the land around my house and they are adopted by us. I love to talk to them. There are few things better than falling asleep in a field and being woken up by an inquisitive cow.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…My wedding ring. It was a chunky gold circle handmade for me by the jewellery designer Gerda Flockinger. It was always a bit loose and three years ago it fell off in a car park outside The Volunteer pub near Dorking. It was nighttime and I couldn’t find it. I went back the next day, but it was gone and I was heartbroken. If anyone can return it to me I will be forever grateful…
The unending quest that drives you on…Curiosity. I like to keep my mind active and up to date with the latest fashions and make up. I hope to never lose that sense of needing to know.
The poem that touches your soul…I love poetry and I have written quite a lot, but the Lord’s Prayer is the most perfect piece of poetry and surpasses all poems. I always feel at peace and moved when I recite it. I love nothing better than sitting in a quiet church on my own, just thinking.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase…That I am a confident extrovert. Even now people associate me with those glamorous photos from the 60s, but I am actually incredibly shy. Somehow I become a completely different person when I need to give a talk in public and can do it no problem. It is a strange contradiction because that is not me at all.
The event that altered the course of your life and character…Visiting Japan in the early 70s had the most incredible influence on me because its culture is so different. It changed the way I designed and my entire perspective on life. I found the women particularly fascinating. I virtually commuted to that country for many years and it took my career onto an even bigger world stage. I also discovered sushi, which I love to this day!
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…I would find an ingenious way to embezzle one of the big bad banks and distribute the money to family and friends – keeping a healthy slice of it for myself!
The song that means most to you…Bring Me Sunshine by Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. Alexander used to sing it to me whenever things were going wrong and it always cheered me up. It is so funny and silly that it helps you get everything into perspective and be happy.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…Getting my OBE in 1966. I had never imagined I would be getting an award from the Queen. It was such a huge honour and I distinctly remember going to the Palace. As the Queen pinned it on me, she said simply, “More exports please!” It was typical of her to get right to the point.
The saddest time that shook your world…Alexander’s death. He was only 57 and it was ghastly losing him. He was such an exuberant, wonderful man and I still miss him. Andrew was also a great friend of his and misses him, too.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…I long for my garden to be complete. Working in it is one of my joys and I spend a fortune on planting and keeping it looking special. Obviously, it will never be finished because it is forever changing with the seasons.
The philosophy that underpins your life…Find time to stop and really appreciate your life. Ensure you enjoy it!
The order of service at your funeral…I don’t like to think about dying because I am still having so much fun. I went to Vidal Sassoon’s funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in October and it was the best funeral I have ever been to. The music and the readings were just perfect, faultless. His family did the most amazing job, so I will leave the decisions to my family. But I will be happy with a small, private funeral at a church that is dear to me near my home. I would also like my ashes scattered in my garden.
The way you want to be remembered…As the girl who made clothes and make up that brought a touch of fun and colour into people’s lives.
Barbara Mary Quant was born on 11th April 1930 in Woolwich, London. She died at home in Surry aged 93 on 13th April 2023. RIP.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon
This interview with Paul was for The Definite Article column in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine. It was conducted over the phone on 6th November 2017 and was published on 2nd December.
The prized possession you value above all others…My five dogs – Olga, Bullseye, Eddie, Boycie and Conchita. They’re all rescue dogs, each with very different personalities. They follow me around everywhere at home and are really comical. They make me laugh and I love their company. If there was a fire, they’d definitely be the first things I’d save. I’m about to get another one from Battersea Dogs Home – a pregnant mongrel, who was found abandoned on Hampstead Heath. I’m going to give her a happy ending.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend…Messing around and not having a game plan for my life when I was a teenager. I lost valuable years of education and had no real goal or anything to aim for. I finally found a job I loved in Social Services when I was 22, but up until then I was a bit of a drifter, which was such a waste.
The temptation you wish you could resist…Staying up too late. I will read a good book, or start writing, and suddenly I find I’m still going at 3am or 4am. At other times I will stay up watching rubbish television, which by the early hours is always really horrible and violent programmes about serial killers or post mortems. Staying up late makes me feel like death the next day.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance…The Complete Essays of Michel de Montaigne, the 16th century French philosopher. They are full of little nuggets of wisdom that make you think about life. I keep a copy nearby, ready to dip into, and I always feel better for reading it.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day…I would go to various friends’ houses and cause chaos by pretending to be a poltergeist. I’d smash a few things and do some levitation, but I’d be much scarier around the people I’m not so keen on.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…No.1 is always any cruelty to animals, but I also hate ticket machines at railways stations. They give you about 30 different options for a ticket when all I want is a single or a return. You need to do a bloomin’ course to know how to operate them. They are hell and I end up in a blind fury.
The film you can watch time and time again…Wild Strawberries from 1957 directed by Ingmar Bergman. It’s about an old man recalling his past as he makes his last journey. It is beautifully shot, superbly acted and very moving. I see something different in it each time. I generally watch it in January, when things are flat after Christmas, because it really suits the mood.
The person who has influenced you most…My whole family unit – my mum and dad, my uncles and aunties. They were all such great characters and so full of humour. They had a one-liner for everything and were always giving me good bits of advice. Having such a warm childhood surrounded by so many colourful people gave me a great grounding for life.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint…Rosa Lewis, who was the most famous chef in Europe in the 19th century. She was an eccentric and a formidable character. I’d go to her Cavendish Hotel in London to eat one of her feasts and talk about her life, but she was a real snob, so I’d probably be far too common for her.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child…Try not to worry, it will all turn out well in the end. I’d encourage them to enjoy their childhood and not waste time worrying. Kids are under too much pressure these days, especially from social media.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…Herbology. I’ve been making my own potions since my 30s and love it. I’m pretty good and can mix infusions that cure all kinds of ailments or illnesses. I’m completely fascinated by it and have stacks of books on the subject.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…My hair colour. It was originally reddy brown until I got a flash of grey at the front in my mid-20s. Then it went salt ‘n pepper and now it’s as white as snow.
The unending quest that drives you on…Curiosity. I am constantly wanting to learn about new things. I know curiosity killed the cat, but it keeps me alive. If something grabs my interest, I will then read up on it so I know as much as possible.
The poem that touches your soul…First Fig by the American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. It only has four lines, but is beautiful: “My candle burns at both ends/It will not last the night/But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends/It gives a lovely light!” I remember reciting it to myself in hospital 15 years ago after the first of my three heart attacks. I had been seriously burning the candle at both ends and I thought I was about to pay the piper.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase…That I am delicate because of my past health issues. My cardiologist examined me recently and was puzzled. He said: “I don’t know how you do it, but you’re in great health!” I’m 62 now and I’m as tough as old boots. I think health is all about mind over matter.
The event that altered the course of your life and character…Getting up as Lily Savage for the first time to compère a talent contest at the Elephant and Castle pub in Vauxhall in 1978. It’s a Starbucks now, but it was the roughest pub in London back then. I had no idea what I was going to say, but it just flowed out and people loved it. I was working in Social Services at the time and had no plan for a career on stage. It was done in a moment of madness and was actually the first time I had even spoken into a microphone, but it was a revelation. The next day I had loads of phone calls from other places wanting to book me and my career took off.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…I would mix up a lethal poison that would kill all the rotten, maniac leaders in the world. I don’t want to mention any names in case I end up with a needle in my foot from an umbrella.
The song that means most to you…You’ve Gotta Have a Gimmick from the musical Gypsy has followed me like a shadow throughout my career. It was part of my act for years, so I can hardly bear to hear it these days, but I will always have a soft spot for that song because it served me so well.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…For starters, I wouldn’t go near any airports! I can’t stand them anymore because the security has gone beyond a joke. They even checked my glasses the last time. What did they think I had in them, a laser gun? So I would have the Orient Express re-routed to take me, my partner Andre and a group of friends to Scotland. Our day would begin with a fabulous dinner on the train, then I would sleep like a log because I always sleep well on trains. I’d wake up in Scotland and have breakfast as the beautiful landscape flipped by. We’d fly to the Isle of Skye by helicopter to have lunch at The Three Chimneys restaurant, which is wonderful. I’d have a dozen oysters with brown bread and a bottle of Guinness. In the afternoon, Andre and I would visit three wildlife rescue charities that are very special to me – Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Borneo, where I’d catch up with an orphan I love called Archie, then Wildlife SOS in India to visit the elephants, and finally one called CROW in South Africa. We would have dinner in Vienna at Hotel Imperial, which is like a stately home. I’d have a glass of red wine and goulash soup followed by some tafelspitz, which is boiled beef with carrots. It sounds disgusting, but is delicious and comes with a horseradish and apple sauce. We’d end the night listening to a jazz band and watching a burlesque show in a seedy underground club in Berlin, drinking the best absinthe whilst surrounded by a bunch of unsavoury characters.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…Around my 30th birthday were particularly happy times. I had a nice flat in Central London, Lily had taken off and I was enjoying a very sociable, hedonistic time. It was all so much fun and joyful.
The saddest time that shook your world…The death to my long-term partner and manager Brendan Murphy in 2005 from a brain tumour. I nursed him for six weeks and it was hideous to see him suffer. He was like a brother and a soul mate, so it was a bleak time. I stayed strong for him, and physically had to carry him all the time, as well as keep working, but I exhausted myself and promptly had my second heart attack not long after he died.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…I always wanted a bright red Lotus Europa Mark II, but there wouldn’t be much point because I can only drive an automatic. I’m also told that they are death traps.
The philosophy that underpins your life…Get on with it is my mantra. There’s no time to be messing around.
The order of service at your funeral…I’d have it at a small historic church on Romney Marsh, Kent. I want to make sure everybody is weeping throughout, so my cortege will be led by the Salvation Army band playing Nearer, my God, to Thee, then Tom Jones will sing St. James Infirmary Blues backed by Jools Holland and his band, and then Mica Paris will sing one of Mahalia Jackson’s gospel funeral songs. To cheer everyone up I would be carried out to a New Orleans jazz band playing When the Saints Go Marching In. I want my glass-topped coffin laid in forest and guarded by seven dwarves day and night!
The way you want to be remembered…As someone who tried to help animals.
Paul O’Grady was born on 14th June 1955 in Tranmere, Cheshire. He died at home in Kent aged 67 on 28th March 2023. RIP.
Felicity Kendal, 75, spent much of her childhood in India on tour with her father’s repertory company. She shot to fame playing Barbara in the BBC sitcom The Good Life in 1975. She is about to tour in Michael Frayn’s farce Noises Offand is writing the follow-up to her 1998 bestselling memoir, White Cargo.
First stage play I saw
My family’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream — but I was nine months old, so does that count? I was the Changeling Boy to my mother’s Titania and my view was from a basket. My childhood was spent watching Shakespeare plays from the wings or performing in them all over India. The first play I saw that was not ours was a school production of Richard II at the Doon, a posh boys school in Dehradun, in the north. It was an open air production with a forest as the backdrop. My sister Jennifer, who was 13 years older than me, played Queen Anne and King Richard made his first entrance on a real stallion. Fabulous!
First film I saw at the cinema
This will date me. The original Walt Disney Peter Pan from 1953 when I was about seven. My aunt Mary took me to see it in Bangalore. I loved Captain Hook and his wicked smile and Tiger Lily, but I thought Tinker Bell was a pain in the arse. One of my very few regrets in life is that I turned down the Peter role in a great production at the Coliseum in 1976 because I was having problems in my love life. Damn. Whoever that boyfriend was, he wasn’t worth it.
First actor I admired
Paul Scofield playing Timon in Timon of Athens at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1965 when I was 19. I went on my own and sat up in the gods. Paul was mesmerising. He was physically beautiful and I remember him striding the stage like a panther, his voice filling the theatre. He had such charisma that he commanded concentration from the audience. I went again the following week, even though I had so little money.
His performance gave me the determination to fight to get into the business. I went on to work with him three times — in Amadeus, Othello at the National and in Heartbreak House. He was very special and I loved him dearly. I flatter myself that, as much of a recluse that he was, I became one of the few who could claim to be his friend.
First TV show I never missed
I was never that interested in television when I was young because I saw it as second class compared to theatre or films. Plus, there weren’t many televisions on tour in India. Back in England, I first lived with my mother’s family in Solihull and they watched TV every evening after supper. It was me and my three cousins, my aunt and uncle, all crammed into a tiny front room. The Avengersand The Man from U.N.C.L.E were firm favourites — but if there was anything remotely sexual my uncle felt so uncomfortable that he’d get up and go to his study.
First sitcom that made me laugh
Dad’s Army was unmissable. All the cast were fantastic, the scripts were to die for, and the comic timing was blissful. They made it all look so effortless. My favourite was John Le Mesurier as Wilson. I called him Eeyore because he was always the gloomy one. Comedy is all about timing and great scripts, which is what we had in The Good Life. I have done a lot of comedy over the years because it is fun and lifts my spirits. That’s why I’m doing Noises Off.
First book I loved
A thrilling biography about Mary Queen of Scots, simply called The Queen of Scots by Stefan Zweig. I remember reading it in my early teens on a voyage from Bombay to Singapore. Our theatre company always travelled in the cheapest cabins and I could not wait to crawl on to my top bunk, open the book and disappear to the 1500s. It was a total escape.
First album I bought
We only had a very basic portable gramophone in India and we had very little money, but when I was about 14 my sister Jennifer gave me an LP of Albinoni’s Adagio for Strings in G minor. I listened to it endlessly and I still love it. It is haunting and beautiful and it takes me straight back to those years. Jennifer died of cancer in 1984 when she was only 50, which was awful. She was the star of our family and that piece of music always reminds me of her, so it is particularly moving. It makes me want to cry.
First famous person I met
Nehru [the Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru] when I was about six. He came to our production of The Merchant of Venice in Delhi. He always invited my dad to lunch whenever we were in Delhi. I also met the Maharani of Jaipur — Gayatri Devi — when I was 12. She invited our company to tea. She wafted into the room on a cloud of glorious jasmine perfume. To this day, she is still the most beautiful person I have ever seen. I didn’t know at the time that she was famous, but I was stage struck.
First time I cried at the cinema
The first film that made me cry as an adult was Brief Encounter with Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. They gave such subtle, beautiful performances — a masterclass in the lesson that less is more when acting in films. Being real is what works, not hamming it up.
Felicity Kendal is in the 40th anniversary production of Noises Off, opening at Theatre Royal Bath on Sep 22, then touring until Oct 29
I smiled wryly the other day whilst relaxing on my windswept Devil’s Island when I read on Press Gazette that a militia of 80-plus fellow islanders are waging a desperate campaign for Twitter to recognise them with the Blue Tick verification badge.
The skirmish has broken out because these humble freelancers have been rejected, despite Twitter’s grand gesture last May to let more people of “note” into its fancy blue club – including freelance journalists. Golly, the honour.
It was the unabashed neediness underlying the campaign that tickled me most – not least because I could relate to this embarrassing affliction. About six years ago, my faltering ego took me in search of a Blue Tick. I was miffed that certain staff journalists, ones who delivered a fraction of my output for far less high-profile publications, had a hallowed Tick of acceptability. How so? I want one.
I can’t remember exactly how I applied, but I got rejected and I gave up being bothered long ago. Then I read that even lowly freelancers – the Morlocks of the media – might now be allowed out into the sunlight, to step inside beyond the light blue velvet rope. So, I thought I’d try again.
On Tuesday, I faithfully loaded links to recent cuttings – Daily Mail, The Sun, Metro. Not too many to choose from, it has to be said. Foolishly, I also added a scan of my passport (Dammit! Idiot! Oi, Twitter, delete this private document, or at least explain what you are doing with it on your server farm).
About twenty minutes later, I got exactly what I deserved: REJECTION. Ahhh, the freelance’s most consistent companion. Twitter’s pet bot had lovingly emailed a brief, sniffy dismissal:
‘This account will not be verified at this time because the evidence provided did not meet our criteria for notability. As a result, we could not reliably verify that the account associated with the request is a notable person, organisation or brand.’ Try saying that to my mum.
Twitter bot added archly: ‘If you believe the account (that’s my career you’re talking about) may be a good candidate for verification in the future, we encourage you to submit again after 30 days. Thanks, Twitter.’ Now run along and fuck off.
Ha! I immediately updated my Twitter profile (10 years, 20.6k tweets, 2,502 Followers, folks) to celebrate the fact that I am officially not ‘a notable person, organisation or brand’. Proud. And then I did what all self-starting freelance journalists should do: I dusted myself down, spotted an angle for a story, and pitched the idea for what you are reading now to the editor of Press Gazette. Freelancing is all about turning a negative into a positive. Optimism is oxygen. It leads directly to heating and food.
So, exciting times ahead. I have now got a month to prove my ‘criteria for notability’ and re-apply for a Blue Tick. Maybe I can upload all my cuttings from national newspapers since that first shift on The Sun in October 1986. You see, I actually do have them ALL! Sad, but true. They’re in huge scrapbooks, or paper files, or boxes. I’m leaving this hard-won archive of journalistic genius to the British Library or the V&A – whether they want it or not.
But maybe I can narrow down the area of ‘review’ for Twitter’s bots to a few bite-size chunks of work, like my 400-plus celebrity interviews for the Daily Mail’s Weekend mag from 2011-18, or those easy-peasy long pieces for The Sunday Times Magazine. Or maybe I can just lob in a few hundred spreads with the ‘stars’ of London’s Burning and Bad Girls for the red tops throughout the 1990s.
Nah. Of course I’m not going to re-apply and today I encourage all freelance journalists to do the same. Don’t fall for this vanity badge bauble. It’s just a crass humblebrag to your mates, a little ‘ooh, look at me’ swagger. It is definitely not a calling card of credibility that will secure more work from editors, as one campaigner laughably suggests. No one has ever rejected a feature idea from me because I don’t have a digital blue thingy on Twitter. It was because the idea was not for them.
In fact, I am going one step further – I am launching a rival badge of authenticity, something that will ONLY be awarded to journalists. Comedians, politicians, doctors, lawyers, rappers, candlestick makers and, influencers – especially influencers – need not apply. This will be the journalists-only club. And what could be better or more credible? Staffers are welcome. Freelancers go to the front of the queue.
This badge will be for the people who create the content that becomes the news. I have been freelancing for national newspapers since February 1990 (after I told Kelvin MacKenzie to shove the job) and if I have learnt one thing, it is this: no newspaper, magazine, radio show, or TV bulletin, stands a chance of getting produced if it were not for the loyal army of long-suffering freelance journalists.
So, comrades, hold your heads up high. Kiss goodbye to the silly Blue Tick and say Hello to the ‘Blue-J’. The powers behind Press Gazette are on board and between us, we will authenticate all applications – personally, not robotically. With your support, we hope that this will become the global kitemark of journalistic excellence to be displayed on your social media profiles.
When I started writing this piece, I noticed that my dear showbiz light acquaintance Joan Bakewell was blue badge-less. Now, she’s done a bit of journalism in her time, so I wondered why. I emailed her and she promptly replied:
“Rob, It has never occurred to me to be concerned….or to apply. I don’t even know what the blue tick signifies. People have such fancy notions of themselves! Joan”
Ha! Good on you Joan. I will invite her to be the honorary president of the J-Badge Club and I hereby invite all 80+ of the desperate Blue Tick brigade to apply and become our founding members. Be proud to be part of a group that actually stands for something: JOURNALISM.
ENDS!
Dame Joan Bakewell has been a leading broadcaster, journalist and author since the 1960s, when comedian Frank Muir dubbed her “the thinking man’s crumpet”. Now 86, she was awarded a life peerage in 2011 and took the title Baroness Bakewell of Stockport to reflect her Northern upbringing. She has been married twice and famously had an eight-year affair from 1962 with playwright Harold Pinter, which inspired his 1978 play Betrayal. Bakewell lives alone in Primrose Hill, North London, and has two children from her first marriage, Harriet, 59, and Matthew, 57 and six grandchildren, aged 18-26.
My day begins with a rigid routine that gradually gets ragged as the day continues. The alarm goes off at 6.50am, which gives me time to fetch a cup of tea and come back to bed to listen to the Radio 4 news at 7am. I have Earl Grey – always decaffeinated because I have a lot of adrenaline of my own. I’ve not had caffein for at least ten years, so if I ever have it these days without knowing I’m as high as a kite.
I never listen to the Today program after the news because there’s far too much testosterone for me at that time of the morning. I have The Guardian delivered, so instead I read that cover to cover, except for the sport and pop music.
I am very much a morning person and wake up with lots of energy and buzzing with ideas – well, probably more attitude, than ideas. I go on Twitter and send out a few tweets in response to the news, as a way of getting any irritation out of me. I also respond to any comments from friends on Twitter, as a way of staying on touch.
Just before Christmas, I moved into my new home after living in the same big house for 55 years in Primrose Hill. Moving was a great trauma and a lot of stress, but it is important to make the move at my age before it’s too late. I had moved into the old house with my husband Michael in 1963 when the area was really shabby and unfashionable. The house cost us £12,500, which was a lot of money then and we needed a mortgage, but I will not say what I sold it for.
I have downsized to a very large former artist’s studio, which is just a ten minute walk from where I used to live. It is far easier to organise and manage, so I’m loving it. I have even prepared a small bedsit in the attic area for a carer, should I ever need one. It’s best to think ahead.
I take three pills each morning: two supplements – Omega 3 and Glycocyamine for my bones – and Statins to stop me having heart trouble. For years, breakfast was marmalade on toast, but recently I started having granola with fresh fruits, honey and yoghurt. I spend most mornings working from two desks I have on a mezzanine level overlooking the main room – a large one for general work, such as writing book reviews or speeches, and the smaller one for household bills and Thank You notes.
As you get older, you have to rely on people to help. My housekeeper and friend Frances turns up every weekday at 10.30am. She has been with me for 20 years and sorts me out. I work from a MacBook Air laptop, but I’m not particularly techie, so I have a man called The Mac Doctor who is a delight. If something goes wrong, I scream down the phone and he comes round and saves me.
Two mornings a week, from 8-9am, I go to the same pilates class I have been doing for 25 years at a studio a short drive away in Belsize Park. This has kept me agile and my posture in good shape. There are six of us in the class and we have become good friends.
I usually have something light and simple for lunch at home – a bowl of homemade soup, avocado with smoked salmon, or some cheese and biscuits. Quite often I will fry up leftovers from another meal. I was a war child, so I hate to throw anything away. I always listen to the World at One with Sarah Montague – and then it is time for my daily snooze!
I have been having an afternoon nap ever since doctors advised me to rest during the day when I was pregnant with Harriet in 1959. These days, I even have one whenever I’m on location filming for television. Storyvault Films, the production company I work for, really look after me and always fix up a local hotel room for my nap. If there isn’t one nearby, they bring a fold out bed, with sheets and pillows, which they put up in a Winnebago. I have a mediative technic that helps me neutralise my brain and sleep for 20 minutes. I believe in the great merit of a snooze because I come out bouncing and refreshed and will keep working happily long into the evening when everyone else is flagging.
My afternoons on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 2.30pm are spent at the House of Lords. I drive there in my red Mini Cooper, which is an extension of home. I crawl through the traffic thinking, listening to the radio and working. I park at the House where the Mini looks a bit lonely alongside all the big Audis and Lexus’s.
I was invited to be a working peer by Ed Miliband and I was more frightened when I was giving my first speech than I had ever been when broadcasting to millions. You are talking to an extremely learned lot who are very authoritative, but is a collegiate atmosphere and I enjoy dealing with ideas and engaging with interesting people. I get a sense of fulfilment going there.
I chose my title Baroness Bakewell of Stockport because I felt that it was important to go back to my roots. Initially, I thought of using Camden Town or Primrose Hill, but that would hardly authenticate any views I wanted to express about the great Northern Powerhouse! Besides, my roots are important to me.
My younger sister Susan and I were brought up on a new plot of houses on the outskirts of Stockport that had been built on the road to Macclesfield. The development remained unfinished for years because of the war, so we could turn left out of our house and within a matter of yards be in fields and then the countryside. It was a wonderful place to grow up. Susan died from breast cancer when she was 58 in 1997.
I had a complicated relationship with my mother Rose. She was a highly intelligent woman, but she had married young, as they did in those days, and felt completely unfulfilled in her life. She was depressed, although no one described it as that then. I just thought she was being difficult. She died from leukemia, also at 58, when I was 28.
At about 4pm I need a sugar rush, so I go to the River Restaurant at the House and have a cup of tea and a scone with cream and jam, or a piece of chocolate cake. Work there usually finishes at 6.30pm, unless there’s a debate, and then I creep home. Often I go out to dinner with friends, either locally or in the West End. I will have a glass of white wine, but don’t drink much these days. I also go to the theatre a lot and enjoy the opera. One of my great indulgences is using taxis. I either hail a black taxi in the street, or book one with the same local radio cab company I have been using for years.
I’m a news junkie, so my day ends with watching the headlines and the newspaper review on the BBC News Channel, and then I’m in bed by 11.15pm. I always have a couple of books on the go, so I will read for a while before nodding off. I’m a good sleeper, so I will be out until the alarm goes. I used to like a small brandy as a nightcap, but I have stopped that because, like most old people, I do not want to get up in the night.
“I’m not someone who looks back. 90210 opened some doors and I don’t regret doing it, nor do I have any illusions that the interest in it will go away”
A note on the text from Rob McGibbon: This interview with Luke was conducted during lunch on the last day of filming of The Beat Beneath My Feet in October 2013. It was written for The Independent, which commissioned it, then spiked it.
I was an Associate Producer on the movie, which had a screenplay by Michael Mueller and produced by Scoop Films. I had fluked into the film a few months earlier after an impromptu social meeting with Raj Sharma, the founder and owner of Scoop. He told me that he had just green lit a new film, but was really struggling to cast the lead role. I asked him to summarise the plot. After he had finished, straight off the bat, I said: “You need an American, someone who was really hot in the 1990s. What about Luke Perry?” It would prove to be a moment of divine casting inspiration – as well as deep relief that all those pointless years in showbiz journalism had not been entirely wasted. Raj was intrigued by the idea. Three weeks later, he took me to dinner and announced with a shrill of excitement: “You won’t believe this, but we have signed Luke Perry!” From that moment on I was heavily involved in the film. This included interviewing Luke, and, quite unbelievably, “starring” in the last scene of the film “with” him. My quote marks.
The director John Williams was in desperate need of a new extra for the final scene, but it was getting late. We had about an hour left to shoot before the film had to wrap and John wasn’t happy with the member of the crew who had been lined up for the part. He scoped around the school hall where we were filming and suddenly his eyes alighted upon me. He came over and scanned my blue Geox bomber jacket and my two-tone burgundy brogues. He then muttered a sentence that had never been directed at me before, nor since. “You have a great look.” I instinctively looked behind me. He then explained what I had to do in the scene. He noticed my alarmed look, then asked pointedly: “Are you up to that?” Er, yeah sure. I was to be Luke Perry’s guitar wrangler, backstage at a big rock concert. The scene involved Luke walking towards me, followed by the steady cam. I would shake his hand, wish him good luck, and pass him his electric guitar. Easy. Well, until a loud, beefy bloke aggressively shouts “Action”. Luke very kindly did a rehearsal with me before the camera started rolling. “You just do it anyway you feel is right, my friend,” he said. I immersed myself in character and impressed him with my natural talent in passing an object to another human being. It is fair to say that I nailed it. Well, I didn’t cock it up. In the final cut of this scene, my right elbow and hand get star billing. At least I can say, without any sense of hype, that I worked on a film with Luke Perry and that he was great to work with.
In all seriousnesses, he was. Luke was a generous actor, who was encouraging and kind to all the cast, most notably Nicholas Galitzine who was making his first film. But, beyond that, Luke also brought a vast amount of support to the production team, many of whom were very new to the business. He had no airs and graces and happily put up with his “luxury Winnebago” for the shoot, which was a particularly decrepit camper van. He was a shy and intense character who preferred to keep a distance, but he was also quick to muck in and help when help was needed. Once the film wrapped, we took over an upstairs room of the pub where we had been filming and Luke got straight behind the bar. He served drinks to all the crew for many hours. I had a brief chat with him before I left and he gave me a quick hug and thanked me for suggesting him for the part. He was a good guy with a big heart.
Interview by Rob McGibbon at The Bedford, Balham, London, October 2013.
It’s one of the last places you’d expect to find Luke Perry, the cool dude from Beverly Hills, but here he is high on the roof of a vast and fetid pub called The Bedford in Balham.
The sunny glamour of the 90210 zip code is replaced by the grey urban reality of SW12 9HD, but he’s gamely climbing sloping slate tiles during a photo shoot so the distant London skyline can fill the background. To his credit, Perry doesn’t even flinch when the photographer shouts, a touch gauchely, “G’on, gimme a mean James Dean look.” This was the impossible celluloid comparison he was saddled with twenty-five years ago. Evidently, it still shadows him.
Numerous moody scowls later, Perry squeezes in opposite me on an abandoned old picnic bench table and begins constructing a roll-up with Golden Virginia. A screen of pub tea-towels flutter on the washing line near us and trains from the station below clatter by. It begins to drizzle. Surely, that James Dean tag gets on your nerves?
“Hey, I’m easy, man,” he says in a husky drawl, with an insouciant smile. “There ain’t nothin’ new under the sun for me with that kind of stuff. I maintain a relaxed line.”
Perry’s resigned calmness is understandable. He lived through the mayhem of teen heartthrob fame and has the wardrobe of white crew neck T-shirts to prove it. And his face bears testament to that. The James Dean quiff has thinned and receded noticeably since those pin-up days, while the frown lines in his forehead are deeply etched.
He is also craggy around the eyes but, for 47 (soon to be 48), Perry has worn pretty well. The face is still angular and he remains lean, toned and handsome, not to mention, inescapably cool. He is affable and likeable, but is instinctively guarded and wilfully remote.
Throughout the 1990s Perry played rebellious Dylan McKay in that seminal teen series with Jason Priestley and Shannen Doherty. He chalked up 199 episodes and posters of him papered the homes of besotted girls around the world. Fans often besieged his parents’ home in the mid-West hoping he’d turn up.
The years since then have been mixed, both professionally and personally. There has been no stellar Hollywood movie career that many predicted, but unlike some of his fictional classmates he has never stopped working, which is no mean feat considering the typecasting inflicted by such a huge TV series.
American TV series and made-for-TV movies have been his staple out-put, as well stage work, including The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway and When Harry Met Sally in the West End in 2004. Life away from the screen has had its challenges, too, not least when his ten-year marriage to Minnie Sharp ended in divorce a decade ago. They have two teenage children – Jack, 17, and Sophie, 13.
You sense that bringing out the ashes of Beverley Hills 90210 could be a touchy subject with Perry, but he bats it away easily. “I look back on those days fondly,” he says. “I love those people. Jason [Priestley] is still a dear friend and we hang out a lot. We even vacation together with our kids. I’ve lost touch with most of the other guys, but hey it’s a long time ago, we’re all busy getting on with life.
“Any of the negative stuff that came from the show is far surpassed by the positive. I learnt so much about acting and filming and it changed everything for me. It was quite a ride and the association with such a big series has hardly been unkind. A lot of people watched it and loved it. Who I am to complain?”
But how about the pretty boy label, surely that has been a pain and hard to escape? “I don’t know how to answer that. If I had a succinct response, I would share it with you. I don’t think about those things because it seems you’re talking about someone else. I’m an actor. It’s as simple as that.
“Besides, I don’t really see the downside and, if there is one, I don’t concentrate on it. I’m not someone who looks back. 90210 opened some doors and I don’t regret doing it, nor do I have any illusions that the interest in it will go away. I mean, we’re talking about it now, even though it has nothing to do with what I’m doing here.”
Fair point. So what brings him to the dubious delights of Balham? Perry is here playing the lead amongst a group of unknown actors in The Beat Beneath My Feet, his first foray into a low budget British independent film.
The Beat Beneath My Feet is a comedy drama with Perry as a broken down American rock guitarist called Max Stone, who has faked his death after tragedy and financial ruin destroyed his life. Stone re-surfaces in South London, where he is recognised and blackmailed by an obsessive teenager called Tom, played by newcomer Nick Galitzine.
Tom is hell-bent on becoming a guitarist and their unlikely friendship makes for a moving and entertaining story that has been receiving a positive reaction on the independent film circuit. The movie launches at London’s Raindance Film Festival later this month.
But what on earth draws a star like Luke Perry to such a small movie and how does he swap Beverley Hills for Balham?
“I’m very comfortable in places like this,” he says, gazing across the rooftops. “I come from a very working class, blue-collar area in Ohio, so these smells and inner city vibes are as familiar to me as a place like Beverly Hills. Besides, I have a real love for all aspects of London. After-all, my ex-wife is British.
“And me doing this film always comes down to the same thing: Am I moved by the story? I read the script and it moved me. There have been moments on this where I have felt this character flowing through me and that has touched me deeply. I have felt overcome with emotion and those fleeting moments are the best you can hope for as an actor.
“Sure, it would be great to have an extra 50,000 dollars to spend on certain things, but that won’t necessarily make the scene any better. The only down side to this movie has been the food – it’s not been great!”
Clearly Perry has been doing well enough to indulge in projects that creatively appeal, so how are things looking for his career in general? He is predictably laid back:
“I’m somewhere between my last job and my next one. That is always the way I have looked at this business. My last job is behind me, my next job is out there somewhere in front of me. I just keep going like that and I’m lucky to be able to do things that interest me.
“I choose how much and what I do, but that doesn’t mean I get the pick of everything. Maybe Tom Hanks gets that trip, but any actor who says otherwise is full of sh*t. I just keep on going.
“As far as I can see, no movie can make your career and no movie can break your career. It’s all just one after the next. As long as people watch this and see something they haven’t seen before, then I’m happy. If the movie also makes some money, well, no-one is ever p*ssed when that happens.”
And, with that, Perry runs a hand through his hair and heads back for filming in the pub below. He hunches into the collar of his coat and ambles off looking, it has to be said, very much like James Dean.
Following a stroke, Luke Perry died in hospital in Los Angeles on 4th March 2019. He was 52.
In 2002, writer Rob McGibbon was unexpectedly hit by gout. Years of secret suffering has followed, but here he explains how he turned the agony into a catalyst for positive change…
I have a painful secret: I get gout.
I will save the pain until later, but first I need to explain why I have kept this god-awful affliction quiet.
The problem with gout is that it makes people snigger. It’s hard to think of another serious condition that encourages such mirth, but it’s true, you get mocked. I vividly remember when this first happened to me, early on in my 16 long years of intermittent hell. I had to interview a celebrity, who should remain nameless – but won’t because it’s so annoying when people say that: it was Nigel Pivaro, Terry Duckworth from Coronation Street.
I limped into our meeting and naively told the truth about my condition, as my left foot throbbed inside a loosely-laced trainer. He laughed throatily, then lapsed into a pantomime skit of a bonkers, cheeky-puffing old General: “What-ho, Brigadier, have you been attacking that orful port at the club?” I’m all for heartless laddish banter, but I was a touch taken aback.
Nigel was not alone. That same week, I mentioned gout to one or two friends and they all reacted flippantly. As I cancelled golf, a mate started chuckling and cut away from the phone to yell this hilarious breaking news to his wife. Ha ha. It was clear that gout is for lightweights.
This early reaction made me feel embarrassed, so I decided to keep it private, except for those closest to me. Whenever I have had to venture out with obvious signs – crutches, or a severe limp are a giveaway – I have fudged the reason or reluctantly lied. Michael Barrymore was impressed I got crocked doing the Iron Man and my neighbours must think I’m more injury-prone than Frank Spencer.
To be fair, the jokes from friends have eased, but the disparaging ignorance of others is widespread. My most recent gout attack was last November. I told a friend – 35 and working in the shallows of showbiz – why I was really cancelling dinner. “Gout?” he replied, genuinely challenged. “I thought people got that in Victorian times, or during the plague”. It was time to break cover.
Gout has a PR problem. For starters, it’s such an odd, blunt word that actually sounds silly and light. It might help if it was re-branded to something longer and more medical. Things certainly aren’t helped when newspapers insist on using Henry VIII to illustrate every gout article. It is often described as the “disease of kings”, so mad Henry is our poster boy. Heck, even the current (edition of Tatler has gout in its 32 things that define what you need in 2019 to be upper class. Terribly funny.
The unavoidable reason why gout sufferers are ribbed is its age-old association with port-nosed boozers and gluttonous high living. Mea culpa – I’m pretty certain they’re the main reasons why I suffer, but it isn’t necessarily quite so simplistic. I have had four gout attacks brought on by strenuous exercise, such as football or long bike rides. Here comes the science bit. Concentrate…
Gout is inflammatory arthritis, the super-max kind with extra wincing on the side. It’s not the achy stuff that makes old folk grumble. It is caused when your blood is over-run with uric acid, which is generated when the body breaks down purines. Purines are a protein that is contained in a sweeping array of foods and certain lines of delicious alcohol – especially beer, red wine, and good ol’ port.
Uric acid settles around a joint and turns into urate crystals, which creates a gout attack. Trust me, it is horrendous. The big toe is the most famous location, but it also hits knees, elbows, even fingers. Ankles are popular. Gout particularly loves my left one.
Now for the pain: mine often begins suddenly across the top of a foot and panic sets in as it gradually spreads to the toes. Within five or six hours, the entire foot and ankle is transformed into a hot, bloated, pulsating red sausage of agony.
Traditionally, the fierce grip of gout finally arrives in the dead of night. My wife will hear me dragging a foot across the floorboards and mutter “Oh, nooo”, but she’s used to it. I was on crutches with gout when I proposed in Paris in 2006. Our celebratory ascent to Sacre-Coeur did wonders for my upper body definition. A year ago I dragged a gouty foot around Athens and a party-heavy New Year trip to New York in 2015 saw me convulsed in discomfort throughout the entire flight home. I thought my foot would explode. I needed the beeping golf cart transfer from the gate at Heathrow. Humiliating.
Forget sleeping with gout. You must lie there as motionless as possible, watching the dawn arrive with a foot dangling off the end of the bed to cool it down. Nothing must touch it. I mostly spend the first two days forcing the foot as often as I dare into a washing up bowl of icy water. It twitches as if hitting an electrical charge.
I have a set of crutches are on standby and if I’m lucky, this acute phase lasts 48 hours and then I can get around with a limp. All trace is gone within a week-10 days. The trouble is, at the same time you are also hit with flu-like symptoms and fever because your system is all mashed.
My gout nadir was in 2011 when it holidayed in my left knee. The entire joint ballooned. I couldn’t bend it, or put weight on it, and the slightest wrong movement left me hugging the kitchen island or a bannister, eyes closed, panting through gritted teeth. No pain killer was strong enough. I was on crutches for two weeks and unable to walk comfortably for close to two months. I finally emerged back onto my modest social scene to gushing praise for my leaner, detoxed glow. Gout boot camp. Don’t ever try it.
I have had 24 attacks since 2002, mostly in my ankles. I know all this because I have kept a gout diary – my contribution to “misery lit”. The first doctor to see me in A&E said with certainty that it was “cellulitis”. The next attack came three years later and again there was confusion with the diagnosis. Following five more attacks spread over the next number of years, my GP finally agreed with what I already knew.
A private consultant later explained that I have a genetic pre-disposition to gout that renders my kidneys unable to flush out uric aside fast enough. At times my body is like a cup of tea that cannot absorb any more teaspoons of sugar – except it’s acid. That metaphor cost me £250. Feel free to pass it on.
When you join the gout club, you get a watchlist of foods that have varying levels of purines. It is shockingly long. Red zone: offal, game, oily fish, seafood, yeast. Amber: all meat and poultry, spinach, asparagus, peas, beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, fizzy sweet drinks. It goes on and bloody on. You wonder what’s left. Salad, yoghurt, fruit, pasta, eggs and veg, that’s what. Super. Then it gets to the contraband that really matter, at least to me: beer and wine. And, of course, port, which I hate anyway. Spirits are fine, but I don’t drink those.
It’s all a bit depressing at first. You think you will never demolish a steak with a bottle of claret again, or a seafood platter served over ice in a sunny harbour. And how on earth can you pad up with your mates for a glorious day at Lord’s, the Home of All-Day Drinking. Alarm bells ring in your head just as things are getting merry. Anything north of three pints these days and I start to worry and stop. In the grand schemes of things, this is hardly the greatest burden, but the daft old ways of getting legless now take on a sinister reality, which can be a bore.
You soon learn to keep out of the red zone of food and alcohol except on rare occasions and staying dry for at least a few days a week is vital. Conversely, being hydrated (buckets of water) is essential. But there are plenty of upsides to all this and, bizarrely, gout has had a positive impact on my health.
My GP says that I am in decent shape for 53, so I should be OK in later life, when my hard-drinking pals will probably be dropping like addled flies. That said, gout has chewed arthritis into my left ankle, which means I’m unlikely to enjoy golf and tennis in my 80s. I’ll worry about that if I get that far.
These days, I get one attack a year, two if I’m desperately unlucky, or stupid. I reluctantly started taking the drug Allopurinol in 2010, after finally accepting that lifestyle change was simply not enough. Two little white 100mg pills a day helps neutralise the uric acid, but it is no panacea. I have tried endless supplements to reduce the acid, from sodium bicarbonate, to concentrated cherry juice, cranberries and Vitamin C. These days I just have a nip of apple cider vinegar each morning out of a tequila shot glass.
Medical research on gout seems to be sketchy and largely out of date, but all indicators suggest it is on the rise. Apparently, one in 40 people in the UK get it, mostly men. I find this extraordinary, especially given the amount of inveterate boozers I know, because I have yet to meet a fellow sufferer. Maybe they’re all keeping it secret. Hopefully, they won’t feel the need any longer.
As for the image of gout, I hope it can change. Maybe you can avoid the crass jokes. Simply say: “Ooh, you poor soldier. When you’re up and about let’s have a beer.” That little hope of a better day will ease the pain.
Copyright Rob McGibbon. Please do not use any of the above article or photos without proper permissions. 2019
This is an extended version of my interview published on 17 June 2017
The prized possession you value above all others…I would be lost without my whimsical mind and imagination, so they are incredibly precious. In terms of objects, I love my book collection. I have about 50,000, which includes countless editions on comedy, comedians, clowns and showbusiness. I am a performer at heart and these books feed my mind and soul. We are having an extension built to our house [he shares with his fiancée Anne Jones] in Knotty Ash, outside Liverpool, that will become my library. The books are symbols of my passion for entertainment.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend…I wish I had learnt more about the use of the English language, so I could write coherently like leading authors such as Charles Dickens and Mark Twain. I was very bright when I was a kid and I did well at school, but to write creatively is a great skill. I am a prolific note taker, but that’s about it. I have notebooks going back 20 years and I find it fascinating to read what I was thinking decades ago.
The temptation you wish you could resist…All kinds of sweets, especially Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles. I always have a family-size packet on the go in the car. I’m up and down the motorway like a yoyo, so I eat far too many sweets. I also love ice cream – vanilla or strawberry.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance…The Coral Island by R.M Ballantyne, which I read when I was about six. It’s about three boys shipwrecked on an island in the South Pacific and it took me off into another world. Like any boy I craved adventure and I wanted to be heroic like those boys. I was lucky because God blessed me with the ability to read from a very young age. I was four when I started consuming books.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day…I’d go to the Office for National Statistics to verify how they work things out. One day they’re saying something is bad for you, then three weeks later they say it’s fine. I never know what to believe.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…Bullying driving on the motorways. I do about 30,000 miles a year – it used to be well over 100,000 – and I see some terrible, reckless driving. There’s always some daft Hooray Henry driving too close making you pull over. Motorways should be a safe and speedy way to travel, but some drivers make it dangerous.
The film you can watch time and time again…The Producers with Mel Brooks is beautifully acted and always makes me laugh. Brooks is a truly great humorist and one of the giants of comedy.
The person who has influenced you most…My parents – Arthur and Sarah. My dad was a very funny man who loved variety theatre. He would come home after a show and sing the songs or tell the jokes to me and my brother and sister. He made us laugh so much. My mother was also very special. She always said, “Kenny, I don’t care what you get upto, so long as you wear a clean shirt.” I have never forgotten that – and I always have a clean shirt.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint…William Shakespeare. His plays are full of poetry and imagery, with words that are like little miracles. He gives such a wonderful insight into the world and the human spirit. I’d ask him if he really wrote them all.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child…Always follow your dream. If you work hard and do everything with enthusiasm, it will come true. The secret of happiness is to plant a seed and watch it grow. Plant the seed of your dream and cultivate it.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…Philosophy. During the past couple of years, I have enjoyed reading the great philosophers. I have been trying to understand what “it” is all about, the meaning of life and such like.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…The ability to swim with confidence. I was terrified of water when I was kid and hated putting my head under water because it was too claustrophobic. I got over it with lessons in the 1980s, but now the fear has come back.
The unending quest that drives you on…To keep breathing and staying alive! I’m 89 now and I want to keep spreading a bit of happiness. My energy is good and I have no intention of slowing down.
The poem that touches your soul…I love the religious quote: ‘However black the clouds may be/In time they’ll pass away/Have faith and trust and you will see/God’s light make bright your day.’ I recited it for my first audition when I was young – before I was a teenager – and I have never forgotten it. I enjoy going to church every week and those words remind me to believe in God, the Lord and creator
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase…I am very grateful that the British people treat me well and I don’t know of any preconceived ideas they may have that are wrong. I am often mistaken for George Clooney and a woman once came up to me and said, “Hello handsome – can you tell me the way to the opticians.”
The event that altered the course of your life and character…When my dad took all the family to my first show at the Shakespeare Theatre of Varieties in Liverpool when I was seven or eight. I sat there wide-eyed and I knew then that I wanted to be a performer. I was totally inspired.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…At my age, any thought of crime does not appeal. I might steal a kiss from a pretty girl, but that’s about it.
The song that means most to you…My song Happiness has become my signature tune and means a lot to me. I sing it at every show and I’ve done it thousands of times, but I still love it. I love life and that song is a celebration of being alive and enjoying all the wonderful things that life can bring.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…I have travelled all over the world in my time, but these days I prefer to be in Britain. East-West, Britain is best is my motto. So I’d be happy having a quiet morning at home. Our house was built in 1782 and I have spent most of my life there, so it’s where I’m happiest. I am a great tea drinker, so I’d have a few cups for breakfast with some Shredded Wheat. I’d then read the paper – Daily Mail, of course! – and try and find something funny to put into my show that night. Later, I’d take my black poodle Rufus for a walk. Britain has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, so I would probably head somewhere in Yorkshire. Rufus is lively and affectionate and is about the seventh black poodle I have had over the years. I’d have soup – pea or oxtail are my favourites – for lunch, then spend a few hours looking through some rare books in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. My life is ruled by my gigging diary and I am happy with that, so then I would get ready for a show. I would pack up the machine – a Mercedes – then head for the motorway. There are so many wonderful theatres across Britain, but my favourite venue is always the one I’m performing at that night. I feel blessed because I spend my life around happy people who are out for a night to have fun. I am completely in love with showbusiness, so I will enjoy myself playing a gig.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…Being made a knight in the Queen’s Honour List this year was a huge moment. It made me feel special and I am grateful to all the people who helped make it happen. Prince William gave it to me. Now I am getting measured up for some armour and I’m getting a horse.
The saddest time that shook your world…Losing my parents was hard. They were absolutely wonderful people who gave me the most fantastic childhood and so much good advice and support. Bereavement is very personal. It was a lonely time in my life, but my faith in God helped me through.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…I want to live until I am 120 and then get shot by a jealous husband.
The philosophy that underpins your life…The man who never made a mistake, never made anything. I tell this to young people who ask me about going into showbusiness. Never be afraid of making mistakes because that is how you learn. It is called experience.
The order of service at your funeral…You definitely won’t get me answering this one. No. No. No. I am to busy living to think of that.
The way you want to be remembered…He gave us happiness and laughter.
Sir Ken was born in Liverpool on 8th November 1927. Following being hospitalised for a chest infection, he died at his home in West London on 11th March 2018. He was 90.
RM says: Interviewing Ken for something as specific as The Definite Article was like trying to herd cats. He zipped around tangentially, or fenced away sensitive subjects with jokes. But he was fun and a gentleman. He called my mobile on the day it was published some weeks later and left a wonderfully nuts and appreciative voice message. Such manners in showbiz are rare. We spoke later and he invited me to one of his shows. I wish I had gone, but the dates never aligned. What a character, what a legend.
This is an extended version of my interview published on 27 June 2014
The prized possession you value above all others…My home in South West London. I moved in eight years ago and I call it Il Castelluccio – The Little Castle. It’s a 1950s property, not overly big, but it is in a cul de sac so it is very quiet. My garden is full of fruit. I have prunes, pears, quinces, and plums. The house is probably worth over £1m, but I do not care about such things. I live here alone and this is where I find peace and silence. It is my sanctuary.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend…That I no longer have any communication with my ex-wife Priscilla and her children and grandchildren. They were my stepchildren and such a happy part of my life for so long, but something has happened and I cannot explain what. It is hard for me to understand. My philosophy in life is never to hurt anyone, but something has happened and it makes me sad.
The temptation you wish you could resist…Asking so many questions about everything! I believe that man’s ability for knowledge is infinite, so I am always curious to learn more. But sometimes maybe it is better to not have an answer and to enjoy a bit of mystery.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance…Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. They are such fascinating books that work on so many levels – for young people, as well as adults. They are incredibly complex and challenging to follow, but I love the fantasy and losing myself in the stories.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day…I would follow a traffic warden around London and cause chaos as he or she gives out tickets. I’d like to find out what goes on inside the head of a traffic warden because it seems to be the most nonsensical occupation. I cannot understand why anyone would want to do it.
The pet-hate that makes your hackles rise…Ignorant people who have no appreciation of the world or their fellow humans. I have to take a deep breath when I came across ignorance because it makes me so angry.
The film you can watch time and time again…Il Postino is the most beautiful and touching film and it always moves me. The acting is wonderful and the story takes me back to happy times in my childhood in Northern Italy when my father was the local railway stationmaster.
The person who has influenced you most…My mother, Maria. Throughout my childhood she was so full of life. She was tender, but also very strong and always ready to defend her nest of six children. My mother gave me my values and taught me a lot about cooking. She died about 20 years ago and there are only three of us children left now.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint…The great actor Peter Ustinov. I met him briefly at a party in the 1990s and he was such an interesting, intelligent man with a great sense of humour and he was an incredible mimic. He had an amazing life. I’d love to go back to the early 1950s when he was playing Nero in Quo Vadis [released in 1951]. I loved him in that film. He could speak many languages and I can speak five, so we might have fun chatting in multiple languages.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child…Think big and don’t be disappointed if things don’t go as you plan. Just try again. Everything in life is possible. I came from small beginnings and have fulfilled many dreams.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…One of my great passions is whittling – making walking sticks. I started when I was a boy and I now have about 300 in my collection. I am even a member of the British Stickemakers Guild. I find it relaxing and satisfying to create a beautiful object with my hands and the small old knife I always use. I love the feeling of the wood and I particularly like to work with hazel because it is so straight. Another passion is searching for mushrooms. I go into the woods, with one of my favourite walking sticks, and find the most delicious mushrooms to eat.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…A four-inch high bronze statue of a little girl holding lilies, which was given to me when I was about 18. She was like a little angel and I loved that piece, but it was stolen during a house move about forty years ago. Even though it’s so long ago, I still miss her!
The unending quest that drives you on…To totally understand food, but I think it’s an impossible quest. I also wish I could cook Chinese food. It has the most incredible spices and flavours, but I can’t do it. My friend Ken Hom is pretty good and he has taught me a bit, but I believe it has to be in your blood to do it properly.
The poem that touches your soul…I Love You So Much by the German writer and painter Joachim Ringelnatz. I lived in Vienna for three years in my 20s and I met a girl called Inge there. She was my first true love and that poem reminds me of her. All this time later, I still think of her!
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase…That I am grumpy and aggressive. My face is not entirely sympathetic and some people think I look like a Mafioso! In reality, I am a jolly and gentle person. People often meet me expecting me to be rough and they say they are happily surprised to see that I am friendly.
The event that altered the course of your life and character…The death of my little brother Enrico when he was 13 and I was 23. He drowned in a lake near our home. He got cramps after swimming so soon after eating. It was devastating for all the family. My mother never recovered and, in many ways, I don’t think I have ever got over it either. I ended up leaving home to escape the grief and it has affected me since on so many levels. It made me question the motivations of the Catholic Church, as well as the existence of God, so I have stopped believing in both.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…I would organise a spectacular robbery of the secret treasures from the Vatican, then give the proceeds to the poor.
The song that means most to you…I Would Like to Kiss You. It’s an old Neapolitan song, which was recorded by Pavarotti, Bocelli and many others, but I remember it from when I was really little and my father Giovanni singing it to my mother. He was an old romantic.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…My day would begin quietly in my garden listening to the birds. I would have some porridge and coffee then some fruit from my trees. Then I would meet up with my girlfriend Sabine and go on an adventure deep into the Amazon rainforest to meet a tribe that is lost to civilisation. I only hope they are a friendly tribe! Later I would go for a walk in my favourite woodlands in Hampshire to pick mushrooms. I cannot tell you exactly where because mushroom pickers like to keep their best locations secret! Sabine and I would spend the afternoon on a stunning island in the Caribbean. I would soak up the sun and go snorkelling to look at turtles. Lunch would be a big salad with fresh fish and tomatoes dipped in the salt water of the crystal clear sea. Delicious! After lunch I would relax in a hammock with a big Havana cigar, then have an afternoon nap. Then I would go to a small fishing village beside the Back Sea and eat my way through a kilo of Beluga caviar. Then I would watch penguins bringing fish home to their young off the coast of Australia, which is an incredible sight. Sabine and I would watch the sun go down during a safari in Africa, then arrive at a tranquil lake in Kerala in India for a spicy dinner. I don’t drink much alcohol, but I would end this day with a nice malt whisky nightcap.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…The day in 2009 when I finally awoke from depression. I had been in a dark and difficult place and I had tried to kill myself [Antonio stabbed himself in 2008], but after going into The Priory hospital I slowly got better and the heavy cloud lifted from my life. I am a different person today. I am happy and I know how precious life is. I want to live, not die.
The saddest time that shook your world…Enrico’s death. I was like a father to him and his educator. He was so cheerful and wonderful. He followed me around and we had a really special friendship. I would practise throwing a javelin and he would run after it and bring it back to me. He would be 67 now. Sadly, that awful moment I saw him in the mortuary is an image that will never leave my mind.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…To organise all the photos from my life. I must have more than 10,000 but they are all over the place, in boxes and drawers. I would love to be able to sit down and look at them in the order they were taken. I thought that was something I would do in my retirement but I am 77 now and I have no plans to retire. Maybe it will never be done!
The philosophy that underpins your life…MOF MOF: Minimum of Fuss, Maximum of Flavour. I made that phrase up decades ago when everything in cooking seemed to be so complicated. It has been the mantra for my cooking ever since.
The order of service at your funeral…I won’t have a church service because I have stopped believing in God, but I want my body laid out in my coffin on a bed of sliced truffles, then carried into the crematorium by six beautiful women. I then want a big party in the foothills of Mont Blanc in Italy, where my ashes will be put into a huge firework rocket. During the party, this rocket will explode high in the sky and scatter me across the beautiful countryside.
The way you want to be remembered…As a jolly fellow, who was good to people and enjoyed the simple things in life.
Antonio was born in Salerno, Italy, on 19 April 1937. He died following a fall at his home in West London on 8th November 2017. He was 80.
Antonio was a big-hearted, passionate and sincere man, who inspired so many young chefs, not least Jamie Oliver.
This is an extended version of my interview published on 26 September 2015, which was conducted in Michael’s study where he wrote at his home in Little Venice on 24th August
The prized possession you value above all others…The original Paddington bear toy. He is a little teddy bear that I bought for my ex-wife Brenda from Selfridge’s on Christmas Eve in 1956 as a stocking-filler present. He was sitting on a shelf all by himself and I fell in love with him. I called him Paddington and some time later I was looking at him and wondered what would happen if a real bear arrived at Paddington Station. I put a few words down on paper and it caught my fancy. That little bear was an inspiration and he changed my life. I keep him very safe.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend…Not buying a flat in the Montmartre area of Paris that I rented for 35 years. I was offered it about ten years ago, but decided to keep renting. I used to go there for a week every month to write and always loved it because no one bothered me. But last year the daughter of the original owners, who had died, decided to move in.
The temptation you wish you could resist…Ferrero Rocher chocolates. I love the nutty soft centre and I like to have a box on the go when I am writing. I will eat four, then make myself stop. They are very moreish.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance…It’s not a book, but a weekly magazine called I used to read it by torchlight under the bedclothes from aged about nine and it had a big impact on my life. They were such marvellous stories and great characters. It was the first time that I appreciated good story telling and it taught me the power of repetition in writing.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day…I would wander around freely listening in on people’s conversations. A piece of snatched conversation can be very good for a story and it has helped me often over the years. But it is never good to be caught eavesdropping, so this way I could relax.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…Cold telephone calls in the evening from people trying to sell me something. They are often a foreign voice and they start off by saying, “Good evening, Mr Bond, how are you tonight?” I would be much better if you didn’t call me during my dinner!
The film you can watch time and time again…The Third Man. The screenplay by Graham Greene is excellent and Orson Wells is wonderful. You never know when someone is going to pop out of a window or a manhole. I love the Ferris wheel scene.
The person who has influenced you most…My grandfather, on mother’s side. He came to live with us in Reading when I was a boy after his wife died. He thought very highly of me – more than anybody else! I would wait at the window when he was due home from work and run down the road to meet him as soon as I saw him. He gave me confidence in myself. He drummed into me that you can do anything in life, if you concentrate and do it to the exclusion of anything else. I took his advice when I came to write. I gave up all sorts of things and let it take over.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint…John Logie Baird, the man who invented the television. I would love to watch a modern day TV set with him and discuss what has happened to his invention. Imagine what he might think.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child…Politeness costs nothing, but it can be worth an awful lot. Politeness has been thrown out the window these days. When I was small, if any elderly people came along my dad and I would move to one side, raise our hats and let them pass. I used to think, Oh good, people will do that when I am old, but they don’t. I have a walking stick, but it feels like I need it more as weapon!
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity…Bricklaying. Like Winston Churchill, I have always found it to be mentally restorative in times of stress. It is satisfying and sets the mind free.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again…A little toy dog my girlfriend Nora gave me when I joined the RAF aged 17. She had made it from wire and fur and I carried it around in my breast pocket for four years. It went everywhere, but one day in Cairo I sent some clothes to the laundry without taking it out and it was gone for good. I was so sad.
The unending quest that drives you on…To keep writing. I will be 90 next January but I still write every day and I hope that Paddington and my other characters will have plenty more adventures.
The poem that touches your soul…I am not very good on poems, but the French National Anthem La Marseillaise always stirs me. I am quite a Francophile at heart.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase…That writing is easy. People particularly think this of me because the Paddington books are quite short. I actually hone them down from a much longer text and re-write continuously. It is hard work, but immensely satisfying.
The event that altered the course of your life and character…Replying to an advert in the local Reading newspaper when I was 16, which was seeking someone interested in radio. I was keen on building radio sets, so I wrote off and to my amazement I got a reply from the BBC. They were setting up a transmitter in Reading and wanted someone to look after it. I met the man in charge who asked me if I knew what Ohms Law was. I told him and then he said, You have got the job! This eventually led to me working as a senior cameraman for BBC television, a job that I loved.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it…There is always a cost to pay for the smallest crime, so nothing could tempt me. When I was ten I took a half-eaten chocolate bar off the counter of my local shop and ate it. To this day, stealing it has been on my conscience!
The song that means most to you…All or Nothing at All, by Frank Sinatra. Nora bought me a vinyl disc of it because it was our favourite song and I kept it for years. That song reminds me of her.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions…I wouldn’t want an action-packed day with a magic carpet taking me to all different places. At my age, you are happy to go at a slower pace. I would simply board the first Eurostar to Paris with my wife Sue and go straight back to my old flat. My last day there was 4th December 2014, which was one of the saddest days of my life. I miss it dreadfully, but on this day it would be MINE! There would be no emails, no phone calls – and no visitors! I would spend the day reliving my life as I gaze out of the window with its vista over northern Paris. I would be happy going for lunch at my favourite fish restaurant – Le Dôme in Montparnasse. I would have the lobster salad, which his rated the best in the world, followed by tarte fine aux pommes. After that I would be happy to be back in the flat, reading and writing and looking out on Paris.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever…The day my young daughter, Karen, was made better. She was born with a dislocated hip and was in and out of hospitals having operations for her first six years. One surgeon really buggered it up and made it worse. Then a very good surgeon in Oxford put it right and she made a full recovery. It was such a relief.
The saddest time that shook your world…The death of my grandfather when I was 13. He died from a heart attack and it was the first time I had experienced a death in the family. He was a particularly nice person to me.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you…To have a lawn with a surface like a billiard table. The previous owner of our home in North London filled in the garden with lots of old bricks. We have lived here for 30 years and it has been a losing battle trying to lay a nice lawn. Bricks and holes always appear, or the foxes dig it up.
The philosophy that underpins your life…Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In life, it is important to treat people well.
The order of service at your funeral…I will leave the details to my family and do as I have always done – which is to go where I am pointed!
The way you want to be remembered…As a friendly person, who was approachable and ready to listen. And for never missing a deadline!
Michael Bond, born on 13th January 1926, died on 27th June 2017 at home in London following a short illness. He was 91.
He was a modest, kind and gentle man. He will live on through his wonderful gift to us all: Paddington Bear.
By Rob McGibbon
Published 8 August 2014. Interview conducted a few weeks earlier
People think I am cleverer than I really am because of the Inspector Morse plots. I know a lot, but I’m definitely not as smart as Morse”
A signed first edition from 1896 of A.E Housman’s A Shropshire Lad – his cycle of 63 poems. I bought it in 1966 for £600 and it is probably worth at least £4,000 now. I started collecting first editions when I was 17 and have about 75 now, but that is the book I’d rescue if the house was burning down. I love his work.
Having four operations on my ears during my 20s to cure deafness. I first started losing my hearing when I was 18, but the operations didn’t help and I wish I hadn’t put any faith in them. They caused me a lot of pain and I’d wake in the mornings with blood on the pillow. My life has been smitten by deafness, which ran in my family, and has caused me a great deal of anxiety. I would sit at dinner parties and tell people, “Don’t worry about me, talk amongst yourselves,” and I’d never hear a word of the conversation. I can only hear now with the help of hearing aids.
Biscuits – especially Ginger Nuts. I was diagnosed with diabetes in my 40s, so I have had to watch what sweet things I eat ever since. I still find it hard to resist biscuits and I’m always getting told off for eating them by my wife Dorothy [83].
Bleak House by Charles Dickens is the greatest novel in the English language. I have read it three times and its plot and characters always strike me a Masterclass in writing. It really is marvellous.
I would be intrigued to see what life is like for the Queen and Prince Phillip when they are in private at Buckingham Palace. I have heard that they enjoyed watching Morse for years – maybe they watch Endeavour now! It would be fun to know.
Litter. I’m 84 now and I’m in a wheelchair, but each day Dorothy, or a kind lady who helps us, takes me for a walk along the Banbury Road in Oxford. We always pick up any litter and by the time we get home the bag is full. I find it disgusting how people litter our streets. What are they thinking?
The African Queen starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. It is directly brilliantly by John Huston, but above all I love the interaction between Bogart a Hepburn. It has such tension and chemistry.
My brother John. He was 18 months older than me and we were very close. Our family was so hard up that we had to share a bed for 19 years. One night, when I was about 16, he woke me up by playing Beethoven’s 7th Symphony loudly on the wireless. I told him to turn it off, but he had tears rolling down his face. I was intrigued that music could have that much power and began listening. That night, John opened the door to classical music, which has been one of the great joys in my life. Later, he began to teach me about Wagner, who is my favourite composer. Sadly, John died two years ago.
Richard III. I would love to know what really happened to the Princes in the Tower [Prince Edward and Richard, the sons of Edward IV, were imprisoned in the Tower of London by Richard III and later disappeared. Many suspect they were murdered upon his orders]. I studied the case in my teens and came to the conclusion it was not him, but he would have known what really happened. I’d also like to know where he would want to be buried now that his skeleton has been found. My vote would be for Leicester because he was originally from there!
I’m not sure I have much wisdom to pass on! I loved teaching Classics, Latin and Greek from 1952 to 1966 and I always told my pupils to speak up and ask a question if they didn’t understand something. Asking questions is vital. That’s how you learn.
I have been fascinated by Greek mythology all my life and I loved reading Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. The trouble is I have forgotten much of it now – not least the names of Zeus’ 117 daughters.
The ability to follow to The Archers! I loved that programme for 56 years, but I finally gave up soon after the 60th anniversary. I could hear it OK with my hearing aids, but by then I could no longer distinguish between the female characters because they all talk too quickly and sound too similar. I lost the thread as to what was going on. It is such a shame because I really do miss it.
Throughout my writing career I always strived to write the best page I could. If it wasn’t good enough, I’d start again. That still applies today if I am writing a short story, but I don’t do much writing these days.
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray from 1751. I learnt it by heart when I was 14 and I still know it well. It is so wonderfully lyrical that it feels like music when you read it. It is beautiful.
That I am cleverer than I really am! The Inspector Morse plots made people believe that I must be very smart. I do know a lot, but not that much! And I certainly don’t know as much about opera as I could. I’m definitely not as smart as Morse.
Getting my first book called Liberal Studies published by in 1964. It was an academic book and I was thrilled when the publisher liked it so much he said they didn’t want to change a comma! The Morse books began with Last Bus to Woodstock in 1975, but that first book put me on the road to my writing career.
I would steal Vermeer’s painting The Milkmaid from the Rijksmuseum museum in Amsterdam. I love the colouration and light in that picture. I have admired it so much over the years that I put a print of it above the fireplace in Morse’s home.
Something by The Beatles. They were the greatest when it came to words and music. It is such a beautiful song and so romantic. It reminds me of my daughter Sally because it was her favourite when she was young.
It would help to enjoy this day if I were a few years younger – so let’s say I am 50! I’d begin with a nice bowl of porridge in a comfortable hotel in the mountains of Austria, with the ringing of bells from pretty churches filling the air. After that, Dorothy – who’s a Welsh girl – and I would go for a brisk walk in the hills of mid-Wales and stop off in Machynlleth for tea. We used to love visiting there in years gone by. Then we would go for a nice drive through Florida to Fort Lauderdale to get some sun. Later, I’d have fish and chips with mushy peas for lunch at The Trout Inn by the river in Oxfordshire, where we’d be joined by Sally and our son Jeremy and his children – Thomas, 24, and James, 22. I used to love a pint of ale and any type of whiskey, but doctors warned me to give up alcohol 15 years ago, or else I wouldn’t live to old age, so I’d just have a glass of Robinsons Lemon Barley Water. After lunch, I’d a paddle in the sea at Skegness for old time’s sake. I loved going there as a boy and I remember the advertising poster said, “Skegness – it’s so bracing!” They should have written “bloody cold” – but we loved it so much. I’d then watch England beat Australia in the final overs of The Ashes series at The Oval. I would finish the day in Germany at the Bayreuth Festival in Bavaria listening to a performance of Die Walküre, which is my favourite opera in Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
When I was given the Freedom of the City of Oxford in 2001. At the time, the only other living recipients were Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. Oxford has meant a great deal to me and this was a wonderful honour. However, I have never exercised my right to drive a flock of sheep or cows across Magdalen Bridge.
When my daughter’s King Charles Cavalier dog died. He was called Mycroft and was very poorly, so I had to call the vet over to the house. I remember it looking at me from the kitchen table as the vet prepared the needle with such deep sadness in his eyes. I have never forgotten that look. I felt like the executioner. I had to hold him as the vet gave the injection and I could hear my daughter, who was 13, weeping in the next room. It was one of the few times in my life that I have really wept.
To be World Chess Champion. I was pretty good when I was at school and that was my big dream, but in truth I was never good enough.
It comes from the Latin phrase initium est dimidium facti, which means “Once you’ve started, you’re halfway there”, or “The beginning is half of the deed”. I have always found that the beginning is the hardest part of anything, but once that is done, I am off and away. The rest is about getting your head down and doing the bloody work.
I would be happy with a simple affair without too many tears, as long as they played the hymn O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, which is sublime. I do not believe in the Afterlife. I’m with Socrates, who spoke of it as being like a dreamless sleep. I’d rather be burnt than buried and for all I care you can put the ashes in the dustbin.
As a good teacher. I got more pleasure from teaching than any other job in my life.
Colin Dexter was a modest, fun and gentle man to interview. He died aged 86 peacefully at home in Oxford on 21 March 2017
Click image to visit Rob’s Facebook page and watch the video
By Rob McGibbon
Published on 3rd October 2014
My philosophy for life? KISS A TIT! It’s an acronym I made up in my 40s to help me focus on my work. It stands for: ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid, And Think It Through.’ It can be applied positively to just about anything in life.”
Two steel bowls from a vintage magic trick called The Rice Bowls. They were made for the British magician Robert Harbin in the 1940s and were a present from the Irish magician Quentin Reynolds, as a thank you for helping him out early in his career. I advised him on how to look after the business side of magic and he was very grateful. The trick itself is probably worth about £2,000, but it is incredibly rare and it was a very thoughtful present. I keep it on display in a cabinet.
Wasting so much money on flash cars in the 1980s and 90s. I started off with a Citroen Maserati, then a Ferrari, followed by a couple of Bentleys. I threw away hundreds of thousands of pounds in what I call a “Clarkson-syndrome”. No matter what you spend on a car, it’s still no more than a metal box with wheels. I also spent a fortune filling those things with petrol. These days, I have a 10-year-old Mercedes E Class Estate, which is a fine workhorse, and an Isuzu Trooper for pulling my boat.
I try not to resist anything – what’s the point! But I do wish I didn’t check my Twitter and Facebook accounts every morning because I spend at least an hour responding to messages and comments when I should get on with work. It’s a big distraction, but I enjoy the interaction with people.
Greater Magic by John Northern Hilliard. I came across it in my 20s, but I only really understood it properly years later. It covers the full gamut of magic tricks, but it also deals with big subjects, not least the meaning of life and how magic fits into it all. The Prologue and Epilogue are brilliant and full of wisdom.
The American magician Mac King is a great friend who does a very funny skit in his Las Vegas show when he pretends to be invisible. I’d love to freak him out by being a real invisible man during that. That would be hilarious.
My own untidiness. Every day I promise to turn over a new leaf and start putting things back in the right place, but of course I don’t. This means that Debbie [his wife, Debbie McGee] and our housekeeper always put things away, which I then struggle to find. It’s all basically my fault.
The Wizard of Oz. My dad Hughie was the projectionist and then the manager of our local cinema [in South Bank, near Middlesbrough]. I was about nine when I watched the film there and I remember being amazed as the screen turned from black and white to colour. I can still see that transformation in my mind today. Judy Garland’s voice is wonderful and it is, for me, the most beautiful movie ever made.
My dad influenced me in every way. He was a lovely man, whom everybody liked. He was short, stocky and very strong and was so practical that he could do everything, from mend cars, to do the electrics in the house. We would sit down and invent things together. He was incredibly knowledgeable and he inspired me to want to know about things.
I’d like to sit down with Stalin and ask him why he murdered all those people. I simply want to understand what he thought gave him the right?
Read as much as you can, about as much you can. And always question everything you read.
I’m in interested in everything! But I am particularly fascinated by the human memory system. I have studied it to the extent that I am now paid to coach people how to remember things.
The tip of the ring finger on my left hand, which I cut off when I was working with a circular saw on New Year’s Day 2012. The top phalange – as it is known – has completely gone. I had to re-train myself to do card tricks. I am fine now, but every object I touch with that finger still feels like they have a hole in them. The brain still thinks it has a fingertip there, which is a strange sensation. The surgeon pulled over the loose bit of flesh that was left to create a pad at the tip. Astonishingly, that has now started creating a new fingerprint!
The pursuit of new knowledge. I already have a good general knowledge, but I love learning, so I won’t ever stop. They say that nobody likes a know-all, which is probably why Debbie refuses to watch Eggheads with me!
None! I don’t read poetry, although I have always been tickled by Ogden Nash’s work because of it silliness and clever play on words.
That I am not 6ft 2in! For some reason, everyone, except me, thinks that I am 5ft 6in. Seriously, it is annoying that people think I perform the same on stage as I did on television. TV is a 5th rate entertainment medium because it goes through so many layers of control before it reaches the viewer – like the producer, the director, the cameraman etc. My live performances are way funnier and more entertaining than the TV shows. I’ve had people come up to me after my shows and say, “I couldn’t stand you on telly, but that was great!”
Reading about the Age Cards prediction magic trick when I was 11. I was trapped in a house on holiday in Yorkshire with it raining outside when I came across a Victorian book with instructions on how to do that trick. I sat down and learnt it, then did it on a few people. It was very exciting and it opened up the whole world of magic to me and changed the entire course of my life.
I would wipe out the people who make decisions NOT to dredge our rivers – preferably by drowning! All this flooding we have had – including our house in Berkshire – is because their bad decisions have made our rivers a lot shallower.
Zadok The Priest, which is one of Handel’s Coronation Anthems. It was played at the end our wedding celebrations in 1988 as we fired off thousands of pounds worth of fireworks. It was a special day and that music always takes me back.
A perfect day would be spent with all my family. My three sons – Gary, Paul and Martin – are spread over the country, so we are seldom all together at one time. So, I’d start the day with the boys and my grandchildren – Martin’s kids Lewis, 15, and Camilla, 12 – with a big breakfast at the Magic Castle Hotel in Hollywood, which is so much fun. Then we’d head to Disneyland. I love the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, so that’s a must. Then we’d go to Knott’s Berry Farm theme park, also in California, which has loads of rides and a Wild West theme. Lunch would be in a Red Lobster restaurant in LA, then we’d head north to Universal Studios. I love all things to do with movies, which harks back to my dad running a cinema. I’d stop off in the Psycho House. I’d pop back to London for my favourite snack – double eggs and chips with white bread and butter – at the Windows Restaurant at the top of the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane. I asked for it there once, even though it was not on the menu, and they were very understanding! In the evening, Debbie and I would check into The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas then go and see two spectacular shows – O by Cirque du Soleil and Mac King’s magic show. After all that, we would relax at La Chevre d’Or hotel in Eze, high up in the hills in the South of France. I rarely drink, but I’d have a glass of Sancerre on the terrace and watch the lights of the boats sparkling far off on the Mediterranean until late into the night.
Pulling off a particularly difficult gig in the early 1990s in Brussels. It was a charity event to raise money for cancer but the audience was super rich bankers and European aristocracy – people not best known for being able to “belly laugh”, as we call it in Yorkshire. It was the toughest audience you can imagine, but not long into the gig I could see people crying with laughter. I really had got ’em and it felt very satisfying. Doing great shows is what drives me on. I love making people happy.
The day my father died 20 years ago when he was 73. He had suffered a series of strokes and died in hospital. I was with him when he went. I felt like I had lost my mate and it hit me really hard. I still miss him, even now, but I talk to him all the time. I will be in my workshop struggling to make something and I’ll say, “Come on now, Dad, how do I this?” And he’ll help me in some way or other.
To be in a movie would be great fun. A comedy would be ideal, but I’m up for any role.
“KISS A TIT!” It’s an acronym I made up in my 40s to help me focus on my work. It stands for: Keep It Simple Stupid And Think It Through”. It can be applied positively to just about anything in life.
It will be a non-religious event because I’m not a ‘believer.’ If they’ll allow it, I’d like a service at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End, with a few friends getting up to tell a load of lies about how much they loved me, followed by a little party at our house on The Thames. This would end with a fireworks display and my ashes exploding from inside a rocket fired over the river.
As the only man who lived to see the end of the DFS Sale!
Paul Daniels died aged 77 from a brain tumour on 17 March 2016
By Rob McGibbon
Published on 1st September 2012
I have never been one for ambitions or seeking things out. Life has just happened for me. I have just been incredibly lucky”
A beautifully inscribed piece of paper signed by the Queen conferring a knighthood on me in 2005. It was an enormous honour and is hanging in a prominent position in my study.
I have been too lucky in life to have any regrets. It really has been charmed, so it would be invidious of me to say I wish something had been different. Besides, I am an optimist, with a reasonably sunny nature, and I believe that regrets are futile. Things go wrong in every life, but you must move on.
I would begin with a breakfast of fresh mango on a boat in the Andaman Sea off Thailand with my wife Helen, followed by a stroll on the beach at the Banyan Tree hotel in the Seychelles. Our three children and five grandchildren – the whole cotton-pickin’ lot of them – would then join us for a fun al fresco lunch at Club 55 in St Tropez. After that we’d all head to Crane Beach in Barbados where I would attempt to body surf, but probably drown. I’d then have a cup of tea in a boat beside the Fastnet Rock off Cork in Ireland, followed by cocktails at the Borgo Santo Pietro hotel in Tuscany. Helen and I would have a candlelit dinner in a garden in Marrakech and I’d end the day with a large Armagnac on the terrace of our holiday home in Gascony, South West France. As you can see, my perfect day is geared around regular intakes of food and drink!
Trying to do everything at once. I am not much good at preparing and I like to do things quickly, so I tend to do at least two things at the same time. My whole professional career has been built on no preparation.
The Catcher in the Rye. I read it when I was 17 and it was the archetypal book for your late teens that spoke to my generation.
I always longed to be invisible around exam time so I could get an early peak the questions. But the general thought of being invisible doesn’t appeal to me now because I would see things I’d be better off not seeing!
Hatred in all its forms. It is futile and worthless and causes all the ills in society. Hate ends in nothing but tragedy.
High Society. There’s never been a cast like it – Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly – and the music of Cole Porter. I’m a great fan of musicals and this one never fails to lift me.
It has to be Helen. We have been married for 47 years and not only has she given me the greatest thing imaginable – my family – she has also made me a better person. She is kind, loyal and gentle, and I have to live up to that, rather than think of myself. She’s also a bloody good cook!
I’d never buy a pie and a pint for anyone because it’s a recipe for indigestion! I’d like to have a chat with the ancient Greek warrior Alexander the Great and ask him what drove him on. He is the antithesis of me. I’m lazy by nature and can’t understand why he didn’t just stay in Macedonia and enjoy himself, instead of conquering all those countries.
That’s easy – be kind. Kindness is the most important thing in life, but sadly there is not enough of it in the world.
I have a keen interest in birds. To say I’m a twitcher would be going to far, but I am fond of sitting in the garden looking at the parakeets or red kites. The beauty of birdsong in the morning is something to behold.
I don’t recall mislaying anything, but when you get to my age – I’m 73 – possessions are less important. I am more concerned about losing my marbles and my memory. I am forever putting my glass down in the evening, then saying, Who’s taken my drink?!
I have never been one for ambitions or seeking things out. Life has just happened for me. I have never been driven. I have just been incredibly lucky.
I am a great lover of poetry, particularly the First World War poets. Wilfred Owen is my favourite and his Dulce et Decorum Est is very powerful. It is a testament to the false gods of nationalism and the futility of war.
That I have more brains than I actually have! I seem to be credited with intelligence way beyond the reality. I am in a privileged position, so people think I have the answers, but it is important to always have humility and be aware of your limitations.
In 1967 I sent a tape of a radio programme I did in Ireland to Mark White, the assistant head of the BBC’s gramophone department. He wrote back and offered me a slot on Midday Spin, which I did down the line from Dublin. I was astonished to get a reply, let alone a job. I had always wanted to work for the BBC and everything grew from there. It was the changing point of my life. It wouldn’t happen nowadays because no one at the BBC would listen to an unsolicited tape.
Crime is not something that we should encourage. I am too bourgeois and law abiding to want to do a crime. I wouldn’t even rob a bank because I worked in one for four years, so it wouldn’t feel right!
Stardust by Nat King Cole with the arrangement by George Jenkins is a masterpiece. Like all great music, it speaks to your heart. That song brings back romantic memories, but I’m not telling you what they are!
It’s hard to single out one happy moment because I have been happy through most of my life. But it was incredible when I sunk the longest televised putt in history at Gleneagles in 1981 during one of Peter Alice’s Pro-Celebrity Golf games. I was playing with Fuzzy Zoeller against Lee Trevino and Trevor Brooking when I holed out on the 18th to win the match. Perhaps it will be the only thing I am remembered for.
When our daughter Vanessa died from heart complications a few weeks after she was born in 1966. They were terrible days, but I don’t like to dwell on it, or say too much publicly. You deal with tragedy as best you can. Life has to go on.
To have played rugby for Ireland. My left knee was injured badly when I was younger, not that I would have been good enough to make it. I was walking around with a duff knee for fifty years, until I got it replaced two years ago.
I believe in stoicism. Life happens and we cannot control it. Accept whatever it brings.
I’m not gone yet! Give me another 10 years and I might start thinking about it, but I haven’t got a gravestone marked, or told anyone what I want because I am not ready to go. I am not religious, but I would expect to have a service at our local church and be buried in England, not Ireland, because this is where my family is. I would want a party afterwards where everyone will say, “Well, that’s the end of him, let’s have a drink!” Death doesn’t scare me. There’s a lovely song called When You Are Old, which has the lyric: ‘When you are old and full of sleep/And death no longer makes you weep’. I’m stoic about it all.
With affection. For people to have liked you is about all you can hope for.
Sir Terry Wogan died aged 77 from cancer on 31st January 2016.
“I was devastated when my father died suddenly. I wanted to give up acting”
“I have never done therapy – but I guess this is what it’s like!”
Flashback with Mick Hucknall – The Writer’s Cut
Mick Hucknall remembers writing songs with Motown legend Lamont Dozier, 1986…
“That Paul Smith suit was the first time I had anything made for me bespoke. I’ve still got it and I can get into it – just!”
This is me with Lamont Dozier, one of the greatest legends in pop music. He wrote and produced [with Brian and Eddie Holland] some of the biggest hits of the Motown era in the Sixties and way beyond. He worked with The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops and many others and I’ve lost track of how many hits he’s had [14 No.1s in America alone]. I went to his home in Los Angeles in late 1986 for a songwriting session. I was 26 at the time and Simply Red had recently really taken off. Our first album Picture Book was already a hit and Holding Back The Years had gone to No.2 in the UK and No.1 in America a few months earlier. My life had changed dramatically, so it was an incredibly exciting time, but there was also a lot of pressure because the record company wanted a second album as fast as possible.
There was a big rush on, but there wasn’t anyone else in the band who could write to my standard, so the responsibility fell to me. It was a major burden, which was made worse because we were touring the whole time. I have always liked writing at home in my own time, so it was tough to suddenly write on the road, in hotels or on planes, when everything was always so hectic.
My manager thought it was a good idea for me to work with another songwriter to broaden my horizons, so I was put together with Lamont. I have been a Motown fan since I was a kid and I’m an aficionado. I have most of the Early and Mid catalogue on vinyl, so I knew Lamont’s work and he was a big hero. I remember sitting at the piano in his house and having some of his hits flashing through my mind – Baby Love, Stop! In The Name of Love, Going Back To My roots – and thinking, This guy wrote these!
We spent a whole morning just making a lot of noise and banging out tunes on the piano and recording it on a Walkman. There was no singing, or writing of lyrics, it was just us working out some melodies. Lamont is an ideas machine and works fast, like he’s on a production line, and I remember having to respectfully keep reining him in. I would still be trying to get the first part of a song right when he’d be on the chorus, or at the end!
It was a very convivial few hours. Lamont is such a warm, friendly guy and he was quite paternal towards me. A lot of writers from his time got ripped off, so he told me to stay sharp and not allow myself to be exploited. Advice from someone like him was a great help and over the years I became a bit of a Rottweiler to make sure I got what was rightfully mine.
After that session I went away with an ordinary audio cassette and worked out the songs on my own. Eventually I came up with Infidelity and Suffer, which both appeared on the Men and Women album the following year. Lamont was happy with them, although he thought the words to Infidelity were a bit risky – but I was just writing about how things were for me at the time!
We worked together again at his house a couple of years later and wrote two more songs – You’ve Got It and Turn It Up – for Simply Red’s third album, A New Flame. We lost touch after that, but I remember bumping into him at a wedding in the 90s and we talked about writing again together. He’s 73 now and still going strong. What he has achieved is really amazing.
I laugh when I look at this picture because of my double-breasted suit. Simply Red had just done a deal to be kitted out by Paul Smith. We were all measured up at his shop in Covent Garden and Paul made me this one for me in Prince of Wales check with a beautiful red lining. It was the first time I’d ever had anything bespoke, so it was a thrill and I was very proud of it. In fact, I still have that suit and I can still fit into it – just! Interview by Rob McGibbon
The new Simply Red album Big Love is out now and their UK tour begins on 28th November. Visit www.simplyred.com.
Flashback with Stuart Broad – The Writer’s Cut
Stuart Broad remembers hanging out at cricket grounds with his dad, England opening batsman Chris, in 1991
This was taken when I was about five at Trent Bridge – Nottinghamshire Cricket Club’s home ground. Dad was playing for them at the time, two years after ending his England career in 1989. He had done really well with England and had been the Man of the Series when they retained The Ashes in the 1986-87 series in Australia after scoring centuries in three successive test matches.
My Mum and Dad split up when I was three, but they both lived in the Nottingham area and remained on good terms, so I spent most weekends staying with him. That’s when I first became aware Dad was a cricketer – because he had to take me to work! Trent Bridge became like a home from home with the staff looking after me while Dad did his stuff. One of my earliest memories is following him onto the pitch as he went out to bat when I was four. I thought, well if Dad’s playing, I’m going too, and I had to be grabbed by one of the members. Another time, I got way out onto the pitch in the middle of a match and had to be brought back by a fielder.
They were great times for me because I loved being around the cricketers. I went to grounds all over the country, so it was a real eye opener to the lifestyle and it was also inspirational to be in the dressing room. I got to hear all the match talk and the banter and I was allowed to mess around with the kit. I got to try on pads and gloves and play with grown-up bats. I got quite obsessed with cricket and from a young age I insisted on wearing white clothes, even when I was out playing with my mates. It was a nightmare for my Mum when it came to the washing! In this picture I am wearing a proper Nottinghamshire match jumper, which belonged to a batsman called Paul Johnson. His wife had shrunk it in the wash and because he was only 5ft 4in it nearly fitted me, so he gave it to me. That was my first bit of professional kit, so I absolutely loved that jumper!
Generally on match days, I only watched Dad bat for a bit, then I’d go off playing sport with other kids whose dads were in the teams. I remember us often using a large rubbish bin that was taller than me as stumps. And when I was seven I was playing rugby during a match at Bristol – when Dad was playing for Gloucestershire – and I broke my collarbone in a tackle. He was fielding at the time, so someone had to dash out to tell him that I was being rushed to hospital. He came off later to find me with my arm in a sling.
I was very proud of Dad when I was growing up. I used to walk about a yard behind him because it is hard to keep up with an adult’s stride when you’re a kid, so I’d see people do a double-take and say, “Hey, that was Chris Broad!” It was weird hearing people whisper about my Dad, but that’s when I knew he was sort of famous and had been successful. He was always encouraging about me following in his footsteps, but neither him, nor Mum were at all pushy. The key for them was that I had fun with sport and, even to this day, I still treat cricket as my hobby, not as a job. It’s the only way if you want to keep loving the game.
Dad and I are still really close and we live near each other in Nottingham. We enjoy sharing good dinners and nice wine, but we are really competitive, especially at golf. He is now an ICC (International Cricket Council) referee and is really proud of what I am achieving in cricket. All my life I have been called Chris Broad, but it has never bothered me. When I was starting out, kids would come up and ask, “Can I have your autograph, Chris?” and I’d say, “Of course. Do you want me to sign it Chris – or Stuart?!”
The name confusion has been a running joke between me and Dad. He used to tease me by saying, “I will only know that you have made it when I am called Stuart Broad’s dad!” Then, about 18 months ago, he was at a dinner event and he was introduced as “Stuart Broad’s dad”. It gave him a real buzz and he phoned to tell me what had happened. He said, “Well, son, it looks like you have officially made it!”
Stuart Broad is an Investec cricket ambassador. For information about Investec private banking visit investec.co.uk/pb or @InvestecCricket.
Click image to see how the article appeared in Weekend magazine
Click image to see how the article appeared in Weekend magazine
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: actress and cake queen Jane Asher
The prized possession you value above all others...My wedding ring, which Gerald [cartoonist Gerald Scarfe] and I chose together before we got married in 1981.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...That my father Richard never got to meet his grandchildren Katie, 40, Alexander, 33, and Rory, 31. He died far too young, in 1969, when he was only 57.
The temptation you wish you could resist...The second and third glasses of wine that I keep promising to refuse!
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Stoner by John Williams from 1965, about a young farmer who falls in love with literature. It sums up the loneliness and frailty of the human condition.
The person who has influenced you most...My doctor father. He still constantly inspires me.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Harmful unscientific nonsense, from ‘detox’ and ‘colon cleansing’ to the waste of money in taking unnecessary supplements.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...God. I’d ask Him why He set the world up in such an over-complex and cruel way.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...You’re more likely to regret the things you don’t do than those you do, so go for it.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day...I’d zip around supermarkets taking all the packaging off the fruit and veg.
The film you can watch time and time again...Laughter In Paradise from 1951, in which a joker instructs his heirs in his will to undertake tasks that are totally out of character. It’s funny and moving as they improve their lives in ways they couldn’t have predicted.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...My virginity! It would be fun to lose it again without the guilt and pregnancy fears linked with it in the past.
The unending quest that drives you on...I don’t believe there’s any ‘meaning of life’, but the not knowing keeps one going.
The poem that touches your soul...The House Is Not The Same Since You Left by Henry Normal. It’s so poignant how it expresses love and loss through the everyday objects that surround us.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...In showbiz you have to give up minding about what people think of you. I’ve read so many ‘facts’ about myself I never knew that I take them all with a pinch of salt.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Giving £100 to support Private Eye magazine in 1970. As a Thank You I was invited to its 10th birthday party in Brighton – where I met Gerald. It was fancying at first sight!
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d steal the stunning antique Chanel diamond necklace I saw in a Knightsbridge shop window a few weeks ago. When I asked the price I nearly fainted.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...I loved reading horror comics as a child, which developed into an adult love of horror films – the scarier and gorier the better. I enjoy being really frightened, while knowing deep down that I’m safe.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...I’m a bit of a messy hoarder, so I need to sort out the cupboards, drawers and corners in my house that are full of unused stuff.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...It’ll start at 8pm – I’ll be in a hit new Broadway play, then Gerald and I will stay on the beach at the Rosewood Mayakoba hotel in Mexico. I’ll have an enormous breakfast: fresh berries with porridge, then poached eggs on toast with crispy bacon and very strong coffee. After reading the great reviews of my play I’ll go snorkelling, then we’ll meet our children for lunch in a mountain restaurant in Meribel, France. Afterwards I’ll ski like a dream. In the afternoon I’ll film an Emmy-nominated new TV series in Milan, then hit the shops there. In the evening Gerald and I will watch Don Giovanni, and we’ll end the day at Lulworth Cove in Dorset where I’m magically the owner of a cute cottage. We’ll eat fresh lobster with Veuve Clicquot champagne. Before sleeping, time stretches so I can finish all the wonderful books that have been piling up by my bed.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Realising aged ten that religion was a man-made invention. To know I only had this world to worry about came as a huge relief.
The song that means most to you...Gerald and I have always thought of Nilsson’s Without You as our song. Part of a good marriage involves the dependency reflected in the haunting line, ‘I can’t live, if living is without you…’
The saddest time that shook your world...Like most people I’ve had tragedies, but I’m afraid I can’t reveal any details out of respect for those involved.
The philosophy that underpins your life...To be kind is the most important attribute of all, but it’s not always easy.
The order of service at your funeral...Whatever will help my children not to be sad. If they’d rather there was no official ceremony that’s fine by me.
The way you want to be remembered...Alive!
The Plug...Jane stars in The Gathered Leaves at Park Theatre, north London, 15 July-15 August. For tickets call 020 7870 6876 or visit parktheatre.co.uk.
‘People always think I’m really short. Maybe the name Midge creates an image that I’m tiny. I’m 5ft 8in!’We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s musician Midge Ure’s turn
The prized possession you value above all others...Two chairs made by the Glasgow designer George Logan around 1900. They cost £5,000 in 1981. They’re beautiful and they have a connection to Glasgow, which was my hometown.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not asking Phil Lynott to reform Thin Lizzy for Live Aid in 1985. It was a massive omission. I was in Thin Lizzy in 1979-80 and Phil was a great mate. [Lynott died aged 36 in 1986 from heart failure.]
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...The novel Perfume by Patrick Süskind. The writing is so amazing you can smell the filth of 18th-century Paris.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d lock myself in a vintage guitar shop near my home in Bath and strum to my heart’s content.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Mindless idiots desecrating cities with graffiti.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Speak nicely because people will judge you by that. My mum instilled that in me.
The film you can watch time and time again...It’s A Wonderful Life with James Stewart. It’s a lesson in the importance of life and it’s beautifully acted.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Sweets. The urge never existed before I gave up drinking ten years ago, but now I’ll tuck into a family packet of Liquorice Allsorts. But it’s better than pouring flagons of Jack Daniel’s down me!
The person who has influenced you most...A teacher called Miss Gebbie. I was nine when she taught me how to draw a face and it inspired me. She was my first love!
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...The 19th-century Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He was a modernist and visionary – I’d like to know how he managed to stick to his guns and thrive.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Cooking. It’s my way of switching off from music. I’m fascinated by making flavours. It was hit and miss for a while, but now I know what goes with what.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...Naivety. I couldn’t write Vienna [his 1981 hit with Ultravox] today because I’d over-analyse it and worry what people would think.
The unending quest that drives you on...To create something better than I’ve created before.
The poem that touches your soul...A Red, Red Rose by Burns. I was ten when I sang it in front of the class and won a certificate. It was my first recognition for anything, let alone singing.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m really short! I’m 5ft 8in, which I think is fairly average. Maybe the name Midge creates an image that I’m tiny.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...When my daughter Kitty saw me getting a bottle of vodka out of the car while we were at a beach in Cornwall. It was ten years ago and I’d been in rehab, but I was still drinking. She was 11 and the look of disappointment on her face was hideous. I’ve not had a drink since that day.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d rifle through secret bank vaults in Switzerland and give the money to the poor.
The song that means most to you...My Mind’s Eye by Small Faces. They were my favourite band when I was 14 and I was besotted with that song. They were the ultimate pop band.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I travel so much that a special day for me is hanging out with my wife Sheridan and my girls [Molly 28, from his first marriage, Kitty, 21, Ruby, 18, and Flossie, 16], so I’d wake up at home in Bath. I’d have muesli with yoghurt for breakfast, plus white toast with banana, then I’d head to Rock beach in Cornwall for some boogie boarding with the family. We’d have fish and chips for lunch at Rick Stein’s restaurant in Padstow, then I’d wander around Nelson in New Zealand. I love it there because it’s so quaint and old-fashioned. I’d go into space and write a song while orbiting the Earth. After that, I’d head to the Isle of Mull and stay at Calgary Castle where Sheridan and I got married in 2003. All the family would hang out on the beach watching the sunset, then I’d have steak for dinner back at the castle – washed down with a Pepsi Max!
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...My tenth birthday when Mum and Dad gave me my first guitar. Dad only earned £6 a week, but the guitar cost £3. I was ecstatic, and I still have it.
The saddest time that shook your world...The day my father Jim died in 2001 when he was 82. It gave me the excuse to feel sorry for myself and my drinking escalated. I was on a bottle of Jack Daniel’s a day and the next four years were the saddest of my life.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To have a full head of hair again!
The philosophy that underpins your life...Strive for quality.
The order of service at your funeral...I want weeping and wailing in the church, but then Crossroads by Cream will play to liven everyone up. My girls can scatter my ashes on the Clyde.
The way you want to be remembered...Despite the pressures, he never gave in.
The Plug...Midge is currently on his Breathe Again Tour and is joining the 80s Invasion tour in March 2016. Visit midgeure.co.uk or tdpromo.com.
Published: 13 June 2015
‘Retiring from tennis in 2007 was the happiest moment of my life. For once I could do normal things without worrying about training or travelling’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: former tennis ace Tim Henman
The prized possession you value above all others...My wine cellar at home in Oxfordshire. I have about 1,200 bottles and I’ve spent far too much money on them. I love champagne, white Burgundy and red Bordeaux.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not being able to cook properly. I’m excellent at scrambled eggs on toast and pasta, but that’s about it.
The temptation you wish you could resist...That extra glass of wine that always leads to the hangover.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. My mum and dad always read it to me on Christmas Eve. I read it to my three girls – Rosie, 12, Olivia, ten and Grace, seven – so there’s a lovely continuity.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d put all the cheats in sport out of business.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Impatient drivers who jump the queue.
The person who has influenced you most...My dad Tony. He introduced me to sport and taught me about the will to win. There aren’t many dads more competitive than mine!
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...My grandfather Henry Billington, who died when I was six. He played tennis at Wimbledon in the late 40s and 50s, so I’d love to talk to him about his experiences.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Good manners don’t cost anything, but they are so important. We’ve brought up all our children to be well-mannered.
The film you can watch time and time again...Wedding Crashers with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. I’ve seen it at least 30 times, but I still find it funny.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Watching Bjorn Borg play at Wimbledon in 1981. I was six and he was the defending five-times champion. It inspired me to be a professional tennis player.
The unending quest that drives you on...To putt as well as US golfer Ben Crenshaw.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Fires! I love building a bonfire, or sitting by an open fire in the house. I find flames mesmerising.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...My healthy right shoulder! I injured it when I was 11, then aggravated it over the years and had an operation when I was 21. It aches when I play tennis.
The poem that touches your soul...If by Rudyard Kipling. The lines about treating triumph and disaster just the same are above the door as you walk out onto Centre Court.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I sit on the fence. For years, I had to give what was considered the ‘right’ answer to the media. Now, as a commentator, I can give the honest answer!
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d steal the contents of the cellars at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. There are 600,000 bottles of the finest wine.
The song that means most to you...Let Me Entertain You by Robbie Williams. It was played at the arena in Birmingham during the Davis Cup against America in 1999. We lost 3-2 but it was an amazing weekend of tennis.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d wake up in a villa on stilts in the ocean in the Maldives with my wife Lucy and our girls. We’d have a huge English breakfast and exotic fruit before swimming with dolphins. I’d play 18 holes with my golfing mates at Augusta and shoot a course record 62. We’d have a lobster and seafood platter for lunch at the clubhouse with a bottle of Montrachet white wine. Then I’d join the family at the Boulders Lodge at Singita Game Reserve, by Kruger National Park, South Africa where Lucy and I stayed on our honeymoon. We’d spend all afternoon watching animals, then have some Dom Pérignon Rosé in the bush. We’d go home and take our black Labradors Bumble and Bella for a walk, then end up at The Sweet Olive pub in the village of Aston Tirrold near our home. We’d take over the place for friends and family and enjoy fillet steak with magnums of Petrus ’82. The day would end in my own bed.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...When I retired from tennis in September 2007! I remember taking the girls to school and thinking, ‘Wow, I can do this without worrying about training, travelling or playing.’
The saddest time that shook your world...When our 12-year-old Labrador Bonnie died two years ago. The vet put her down at home because she was so ill. I held her and sobbed.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To travel more. I’ve visited 81 countries and want to see as much of the world as possible. New Zealand is top of the list.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Always give 100 per cent. I never won Wimbledon, despite being in four semi-finals, but I’m happy with my achievements because I gave everything I had.
The order of service at your funeral...I’m too busy living to dwell on it.
The way you want to be remembered...As a good father, husband and friend. And he had a great wine cellar!
The Plug...Tim Henman’s Charity Foundation and Centrepoint host a Pro-Am tournament in London on 24 June. For tickets to the gala dinner visit henmanfoundation.org.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 6 June 2015
We ask a celebrity a set of probing questions and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain
The prized possession you value above all others...My dad Joe’s old watch. He died six years ago when he was 68 after a long illness and my mum gave it to me. I plan to leave it to my two boys Jacob, 13, and Joel, 12.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not reading more when I was a kid. I was always off playing cricket.
The temptation you wish you could resist...A glass of chardonnay at about 8pm each night after putting our three kids to bed. And a second glass depending on what kind of day it’s been!
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein about life as a professional golfer. I love golf and this really takes you inside the mind of a pro.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d listen to a José Mourinho half-time team talk at Chelsea. Even though I’m an Arsenal fan, I sense that he always says something that lifts the team, but what is it?
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Rudeness. Manners get forgotten all too often these days.
The person who has influenced you most...My dad. He sacrificed so much so I could pursue my love of cricket as a boy. He drove me all over the country.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Nelson Mandela. I’d talk to him about how he managed to continue fighting for his beliefs without bitterness.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Be the best you can be. As long as you’ve given 100 per cent, you can hold your head up high.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Shawshank Redemption. I’ve seen it 50 times. It’s so powerful and Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are an amazing double act.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A gold cricket bat medallion I bought on my first tour of the Caribbean with England in 1990. I wore it for five years, but then it just disappeared.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...I’ve become enthral-led with netball since my nine-year-old daughter Leila started playing. But I’m obsessed with the ‘footwork rule’. I have absolutely no idea how it works!
The unending quest that drives you on...To have no regrets.
The poem that touches your soul...Daffodils by William Wordsworth. To me, it represents the arrival of spring and the cricket season.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m angry. I was caught on camera shouting at the players when I was captain and that became my image. I’m a lot more chilled than people expect.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Being caught out soon after coming in at No.3 in a Test match against India in 1996. But I stayed put and waited for the umpire’s decision, which is a bit naughty, and was given Not Out. I went on to score 128 and was named Man of the Series. That was a turning point in my career.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d break into the Picasso Museum in Paris, steal one of his paintings and give it to my wife Karen. She loves his work.
The song that means most to you...Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor. I was listening to it during a period when I was scoring lots of runs, so I kept playing it. We cricketers are a superstitious lot!
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d wake in my own bed at home in Essex and have a fry-up with Karen and the kids. Then we’d arrive in Ullswater in the Lake District for a walk. We’d take a steamboat ride, then have a ploughman’s lunch in a pub. I’d only have a pint of lime and lemonade because any alcohol at lunchtime sends me to sleep. After that I’d play a round of golf at Augusta. Maybe I’d squeeze in a parachute jump after that. I’ve never done one, but it’s good to be taken out of your comfort zone! Later I’d join the family on Crane beach on the south coast of Barbados for some boogie-boarding, then have a rum punch and a roti in a beach bar. We’d spend the evening in Barcelona having tapas with a decent bottle of white wine. The day would end back home.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Watching Jacob score the winning goal in a league decider for his school when he was nine. All his team-mates went ballistic and hugged him.
The saddest time that shook your world...The day my dad died. I wish I’d spent more time with him, but I was away travelling so much.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To own a private jet to bypass all the hassle at airports.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Don’t sweat the small stuff. I’m a worrier by nature, but I try to limit my worrying to the things that matter.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d want a private ceremony with a few pleasantries and no fuss. I’ll leave provision for a wake with some decent wine, so it can end on a happy note.
The way you want to be remembered...With a smile by the people I love.
The Plug...The Investec Ashes begin on 8 July. For information about Investec private banking visit investec.co.uk/pb. Twitter @InvestecCricket.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 30 May 2015
"The saddest time? My father’s passing. It shook me deeply. The hardest thing I’ve ever done was deliver the eulogy. But he is still guiding me and I feel his presence with me all the time"
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: Riverdance creator Michael Flatley
The prized possession you value above all others...A first edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses from 1922 with illustrations by Henri Matisse. It’s signed by both men and I keep it in the library at Castle Hyde, my home in County Cork.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not marrying my wife Niamh 20 years ago! We met in 1993 when she was in Riverdance. Our wedding in 2006 was one of the happiest days of my life.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Dancing in my show Feet Of Flames at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2000. It was thrilling to be on the stage where so many heroes, such as Muhammad Ali, had performed.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Don’t resist – cut yourself some slack and enjoy life.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Meditations by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. So much of what he wrote is still relevant today.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d stay at home looking in the mirror – it’d make a nice change from what I normally see!
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...People who drive slowly in the fast lane on the motorway.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Mission with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons is stunningly shot and has the best soundtrack ever.
The person who has influenced you most...My father Michael taught me self-discipline, hard work and integrity. He died in March aged 88 and I miss him terribly. He was my hero.
The poem that touches your soul...The last page of Ulysses is like the finest poetry. It’s timeless and elegant and I’ve memorised all the words.
The unending quest that drives you on...To do something of greatness that makes the world a little bit better.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A 1968 Corvette Stingray, which I had when I was growing up in Chicago. It was a real beauty, but I had to sell it to pay the rent.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Julius Caesar. I’d like to know if he was aware he was going to be assassinated.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Believe in yourself and in your dreams.
The song that means most to you...Yesterday, When I Was Young by Charles Aznavour is about living for today and not letting life pass you by.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...The opening night of Lord Of The Dance in Dublin in 1996. I was fired from Riverdance in 1995 and everybody seemed to abandon me, even though I’d created it. My father said, ‘Forget about them, just create a new show.’ I finally did it and we got a standing ovation.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...To break into Rome’s Colosseum at night and dance my heart out would be incredible.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...What people think about me is none of my business.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...I’m a flautist too and I collect antique wooden flutes. I have about 50 and I keep them by the bar at home. I like nothing more than mixing a perfect martini and playing a couple of them.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d spend all day with Niamh and our son Michael St James, who’s seven. Breakfast would be on the balcony of the Hotel Splendido in Portofino, Italy: espresso coffee for me and two croissants with melted chocolate. Then a Mangusta 130 yacht would power us along the Amalfi Coast – where we’d walk through Ravello – then to Monte Carlo for lunch at Le Louis XV restaurant at the Hotel de Paris. I’d have risotto with fresh truffles and some Château Latour 1982, then we’d relax on the beach at the Reethi Rah hotel in the Maldives. I’d spend the rest of the day playing Lego with my son. In the evening, I’d drink a dry martini at the George V hotel in Paris, then have dinner with Niamh in London: I’d have a pasta starter at Harry’s Bar with some Petrus 1990, then head to C London for a veal chop with mashed potatoes and some Cheval Blanc 1990, before finishing with dessert at Mark’s Club with a glass of Château d’Yquem 1947. After that we’d go dancing in New York at a place I always keep secret. We’d dance to Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra.
The saddest time that shook your world...My father’s passing. It shook me deeply. The hardest thing I’ve ever done was deliver the eulogy.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To have my new paintings accepted by the art world. My first exhibition is in London in June.
The philosophy that underpins your life...When the bell rings, get out there and throw your best punch.
The order of service at your funeral...I just want plenty of good Irish whiskey and music, so everyone has a good time.
The way you want to be remembered...As someone who gave every last drop of energy on stage to make people happy.
The Plug...Lord Of The Dance: Dangerous Games is at London’s Dominion Theatre, and then touring. For tickets visit lordofthedance.com.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 23 May 2015
‘I love flower arranging. Seriously! It gives me great satisfaction – and gives me wife a big laugh!’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s presenter Chris Tarrant’s turn
The prized possession you value above all others...My lucky 1949 George VI sixpence. It was handed to me in 1984 by a stranger who said, ‘Be lucky.’ My first marriage had collapsed and my career was in bad shape. Then I got a job presenting on Capital Radio.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Pork pies. They have no nutritional value but they’re so tasty.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...David Niven’s memoir, The Moon’s A Balloon. It made me laugh and inspired me to write about my own life.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d follow Kim Jong-un around. North Korea is such a mystery, it would be fascinating to see what really goes on.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Footballers swearing on TV. Children are watching.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Deer Hunter with Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken. It’s riveting, especially the Russian roulette scene.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...That I never learnt to play the violin. I had lessons when I was ten but I packed it in.
The person who has influenced you most...My dad Basil. He was such a kind and honourable man. Dad died from heart failure in 2005 when he was 85.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Henry VIII. He was creative and sensitive, but also capable of brutal acts.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Treasure every day because you never know when your number is up. When I was 11 one of my best friends was knocked off his bicycle and killed.
The song that means most to you...A Day In The Life by The Beatles. As a DJ, it was the only song I could play and always enjoy.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Flower arranging. Seriously! I like walking in the country, picking wild flowers and putting them in vases. My wife has a good old laugh about it.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...The ability to bowl fast. I was a decent fast bowler, but now I’m 68 I’ve lost my speed. It’s nothing to do with the stroke I had last year – I’ve recovered. I’ve become a wily spin bowler now.
The unending quest that drives you on...To catch a 100lb carp.
The poem that touches your soul...For The Fallen by Laurence Binyon. I think it’s the best war poem.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m a motormouth who talks all the time. I can be larger than life when I’m working, but I’m a quiet, sensitive person.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Presenting Tiswas, which started in 1974. Everything in my career has come from that.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I would murder Aleksandr the Meerkat from those TV ads. I have to turn the telly over when he comes on.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d begin fishing for salmon at the River Gaula in Norway. I’d be with my mate Sean who loves fishing, but isn’t very good, which makes me look better. We always put the fish back, but after that I’d have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast with coffee at a cafe by the river. Then I’d watch a Test match between England and India in Calcutta where Alastair Cook would score a fast century. Lunch would be in Cambodia with Jane. They make the best curries in the world. I’d have a few local beers, visit some ancient temples, then go to the Maldives with Jane and my kids [he has six, aged 22-38, from two previous marriages]. We’d snorkel alongside the great manta rays, then hang out on the beach. I’d watch the sunset in Yukon, Canada, and have a huge steak for dinner. I’d end the day at home in Berkshire. I’d pour myself a glass of red wine and watch an episode of The Sopranos.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Getting the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Television Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000. Dad came on stage to give it to me disguised as the Phantom Flan Flinger from Tiswas.
The saddest time that shook your world...My mum Joan dying in 2012. She was 92. It was made worse when her house was burgled three days later.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To sleep with Tina Turner! That smile, those legs…
The philosophy that underpins your life...Never lose sight of the things that really matter. Even when I was working all hours on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, I’d go to a river at midnight to do a bit of fishing.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d want a very positive and uplifting service at a local church with Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry Be Happy. I want my ashes scattered on the River Kennet in Berkshire and later all my family and mates can have a big cricket match in my memory at Lord’s.
The way you want to be remembered...As someone who made people smile.
The Plug...Dad’s War – Chris’s tribute to his war hero father – is published in paperback by Virgin priced £7.99.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 16 May 2015
‘People think that the writer Robert Graves was my dad and that the diver Tom Daley is my son!’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s Sherlock star Rupert Graves
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not concentrating at school. I left at 15 with a few low-grade CSEs, and I’ve had to wing it ever since. I’ve always felt a bit insecure about my education.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Showing off. Whether it’s telling bad jokes, pulling funny faces or doing silly accents, I can’t help myself. I’ve even broken bones doing mad stuff.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...The US detective novel Black Cherry Blues by James Lee Burke. It has beautifully drawn but flawed characters.
The person who has influenced you most...The theatre director Frank Hauser. He directed me in my second professional play, the comedy Candida by George Bernard Shaw, when I was 23. I hadn’t trained as an actor so I felt out of my depth, but he taught me to go on my instinct.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Philadelphia Story from 1940, with Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart. It’s brilliantly funny.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’m an Arsenal fan, so I’d listen to manager Arsène Wenger talking tactics in the dressing room at half-time.
The prized possession you value above all others...My 1965 Gibson ES-120T electric guitar. I bought it last year for £1,100 and I love its rich, jazzy sound.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...My own intolerance to other drivers. I’m probably as guilty of bad driving as them.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Nelson Mandela. I didn’t appreciate just how great he was until I read his obituaries.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Darts. I used to play at the pub, but I can’t now because I’ve got five kids! It’s thrilling that the difference between winning and losing is a fraction of a millimetre.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...I’d encourage them to trust their own judgement.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...Perfect vision in my right eye. I got stabbed in it with a sword in a school play, and I’ve had tunnel vision on that side ever since.
The unending quest that drives you on...To squeeze as much enjoyment out of life as possible.
The poem that touches your soul...The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock by TS Eliot. It’s full of sadness and regret.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That writer and poet Robert Graves was my dad, and Olympic diver Tom Daley is my son because he looks like me!
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Joining the circus when I was 17. I replied to a YTS offer at my local Jobcentre in Weston-super-Mare and became Tomato the Clown for a while on £25 a week. It was my first chance to perform professionally, and it helped me get my Equity card.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d devise a brilliant, Italian Job-style raid on the Bank of England’s gold bullion stocks.
The song that means most to you...I’m always uplifted when I play Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...The day would begin on an island in the Maldives with my wife Susie and our children [Joseph, 11, Ella, ten, Noah, eight, Isaac, six, and Zoe, four]. After tropical fruit and coffee we’d snorkel over the coral reef and swim with turtles. I’d harpoon some fish for a beach barbecue, then go on the best eight waterpark rides imaginable, which will have been installed on the island just for us. Later, Susie and I would take the bullet train from Tokyo to the Japanese countryside and climb some awesome mountains. After that, I’d look at some ancient ruins in Ethiopia, then airlift some actor friends to our tropical island for a sunset game of beach football. Later, Susie and I would have dinner with friends at the amazing Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark. The day would end at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in Soho watching David Bowie doing a super-exclusive gig, during which I’d come on stage and play guitar perfectly. Spectacular!
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Our wedding day in 2001 in a park by Sydney Harbour. I’ve never felt such happiness and excitement.
The saddest time that shook your world...When I saw my mum dead. She [Mary] died in 1993 when she was only 59. She had been ill with cancer for a long time, so I knew she was going to die. There was a sense of relief that she was no longer suffering, but seeing her body in the hospice and to be faced with the finality of death was overwhelmingly sad. I was with her for about an hour and, basically, I howled with emotion.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To play guitar brilliantly like Johnny Marr from The Smiths or King Crimson’s Robert Fripp.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Treat life as an adventure and keep your sense of humour.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d have a funeral pyre in a big field, then as it burned people would party around me with some great live music and plenty to drink. My loved ones can throw my ashes to the winds somewhere special to them.
The way you want to be remembered...Fondly by my family and friends.
The Plug...The Stroke Association funds research, campaigns for better prevention and care, and supports survivors. To donate, visit stroke.org.uk/donation or call 0303 3033 100.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 9 May 2015
‘My mother’s death made me grow up, but even now it is like a constant stabbing in the heart. Nothing takes away the pain’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli
The prized possession you value above all others...My mother Fulvia’s gold wedding ring and bracelet. She died suddenly from a heart attack in July 1994 when she was 63. It was a great shock, so I have huge emotional attachment to her jewellery and I keep it near me.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...I wish my parents had lived to see me on Strictly. My father Werther died in 2001 when he was 70 after suffering from Alzheimer’s.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Smoking. I started when I was 14 and I smoke about ten a day, but sometimes I get through 20. It’s my only addiction and I can’t control myself.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez blows my mind. It’s like you’re reading in 3D.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d see the private rooms at Buckingham Palace and find out if the Queen watches Strictly! I hear that Camilla does.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...People in cinemas with trays of stinking junk food who sit there munching and slurping during the film.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Alexander the Great. He conquered half the world by the time he was 30. I want to know how he did it.
The person who has influenced you most...The theatre director Frantz Salieri. I was 18 and an amateur dancer, but he gave me the lead in the hit show La Grande Eugène, which went to Paris and London and started me on my path.
The piece of wisdom you’d pass on to a child...Never lose your curiosity – you never know when a piece of knowledge will be useful.
The film you can watch time and time again...Singin’ In The Rain. It makes you want to be in showbusiness and the dance numbers are brilliant.
The unending quest that drives you on...To be open to opportunities and ready for the next adventure.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Gardening. I’ve never been taught, but I can plant anything – even a twig – and it grows. My ancestors were farmers and I garden by instinct.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A gold chain my grandmother Ines gave me when I was 18. It was stolen in a burglary in London a few years later. I never told her.
The poem that touches your soul...John Lennon’s Imagine has universal value. Even without music, its words speak for themselves.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m an exuberant, larger-than-life character. That’s a performance I create to entertain people. Away from TV I’m quiet, low-key and private. I’m happy cooking, gardening and being with friends.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...My mother’s death, because it made me grow up. It’s like a constant stabbing in the heart. Nothing takes away the pain.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d steal one of Chris Evans’ Ferraris, just to see his face when he realises it’s gone. I’ve never owned a Ferrari, so his collection makes me green with envy.
The song that means most to you...The aria Casta Diva from Bellini’s opera Norma. I once saw Montserrat Caballé sing it and I sobbed uncontrollably right from the introduction.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’m single, so I’d meet gangs of friends in different locations. Breakfast would be at the Grand Hotel Timeo, in Sicily, which has breathtaking views of Mount Etna. I’d have a cappuccino and Sicilian pastries. After that I’d snorkel over the coral reef of an island in the Maldives and feed tropical fish. Lunch would be fried baby calamari in the bay at Positano, Italy. I don’t drink much, but I’ll have a glass of rosé, then stroll around Rome. I’d have a coffee in a café, then do some shopping. I’d watch the sunset over cocktails on the island of Santorini in Greece, then go for dinner at The River Café in west London. A group of us would sit outside on a hot summer’s night, sipping some Gavi white wine and eating whatever the chef recommends. After that I’d see a show on Broadway and end the day in my own bed at my flat in Maida Vale, London.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...When I took my parents to the Royal Opera House in the 1980s after I’d found some success as a choreographer. They’d never seen an opera and they were so startled they could hardly speak. It was a precious time and I thank God I took them.
The saddest time that shook your world...Any bereavement is sad. Each one brings back the pain of the others.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To play a baddie in a movie. I’ve choreographed about ten films and appeared in two, but it would be great fun to play an evil genius or a heavy-duty Mafioso or even a vampire!
The philosophy that underpins your life...Keep believing in your dreams.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d have a couple of big opera arias for dramatic effect, then a party. I’d like my ashes scattered under a tree in a beautiful garden in London.
The way you want to be remembered...He did the best he could.
The Plug...Fight For Life is a charity that helps children with cancer. Please support it by visiting fightforlife.org.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 2 May 2015
‘Life is best organised as a series of adventures from a secure base’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: broadcaster and historian Dan Snow.
The prized possession you value above all others...My books. I have about 1,000 and each one evokes memories of what life was like when I read them.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not taking up a rowing scholarship at University of California, Berkeley, after I finished at Oxford. It would have been amazing. Instead, I went to work with my Dad [broadcaster Peter Snow] at the BBC, but sometimes you face big decisions and there’s no wrong answer.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. I read it when I was 17 and it filled me with a yearning to enter an adult world that was exotic, erotic and thrilling.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d film the intimate moments of the world’s most powerful and pompous men, then broadcast it. Hopefully, it would take them down a peg or two.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Losing the Boat Race with Oxford in 1999. I realised that life was not a golden progression from one success to another and that I needed to work harder.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Betraying children by discouraging them from aiming high.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Salt and vinegar crisps. I ration myself to one packet a week because they’re so bad for you.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Last Of The Mohicans with Daniel Day-Lewis. The acting, story, look and sound are amazing. I’m fascinated by 18th-century America.
The person who has influenced you most...My mum, Ann. She’s always struck a balance between work and fun, compassion and tough love.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Horatio Nelson. I’d love to experience his legendary charisma. He got seasick, so I’d give him a wide berth at sea.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...I’m obsessed with preparing for the apocalypse! I doubt our infrastructure could cope with a large solar flare.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...You will fail at lots of things, but never let that stop you.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...The fearlessness of my 23-year-old self. When my daughter was born [Zia, now three], I went to Syria to make a programme about the war and I realised I was being selfish. I have responsibilities now and shouldn’t have been running around a battlefield [Dan is now 36].
The unending quest that drives you on...To see all the ancient ruins of past civilisations, particularly those in Central and South America.
The poem that touches your soul...Ulysses by Tennyson. It has a verse for almost every situation we face in life.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...Nearly everyone thinks that Jon Snow is my dad. Dad is Peter and Jon is my first cousin once removed!
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d assassinate warlords from Syria to the Congo.
The song that means most to you...Slide Away by Oasis. I was 15 when it came out in 1994 and my world was opening up as childhood slid off me.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d spend all day with my wife Edwina with our six-month-old son Wolf strapped to my stomach and Zia in the backpack. We’d watch dawn come up on a kayak in Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand. Breakfast would be pastries in a cafe in Paris. We’d hike along the South Downs then whizz around the Roman ruins in Libya. A speed boat would then take us to a lunch of local delicacies in Byblos, Lebanon. After that, we’d raft down the Columbia River in Canada, stopping off in Assiniboine Provincial Park in British Columbia. I’d have a Kokanee beer there before watching the sunset in Stone Town, Zanzibar. We’d have a cocktail on the quayside in Portofino, Italy, before watching the Northern Lights in Scotland. Then we’d have Beef Wellington for dinner in a pub in Derbyshire with a glass or two of red wine. Edwina and I would have a night out in New York, then I’d finish the day looking at the stars from a raft floating 1,000 miles east of Newfoundland.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...The day I left a summer job in the Canadian Rocky Mountains when I was 18. To re-enter civilisation, I had to run along tiny trails, shouting out to ward off grizzly bears, but I didn’t have a trouble on my mind.
The saddest time that shook your world...In 2013, my wife lost our child six months into her pregnancy. It was difficult to smile for a long time.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To read War And Peace. I have got to get that sorted!
The philosophy that underpins your life...Life is best organised as a series of adventures from a secure base.
The order of service at your funeral...Just friends and family telling silly, weird stories. My ashes can be thrown into the wind on the South Coast.
The way you want to be remembered...As someone who never took being happy and alive for granted.
The Plug...Dan has produced a series of history Apps. Find them in the Apple App Store or visit timelineww2.com.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 25 April 2015
‘I love philosophy. My motivational coach quotes philosophers like Aristotle and I keep a journal of the sayings’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s rugby player Danny Cipriani
The prized possession you value above all others...My medal for winning the Heineken Cup – the European Cup for rugby – with London Wasps in 2007. It was an incredible feeling to win in front of 82,000 at Twickenham.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Breaking my ankle during a Wasps match against Bath in 2008. I missed a tour of New Zealand with England and it took months to get fit again.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Peanut butter Chunky Kit Kats. I’m on a strict diet to maintain my fitness but I often give in to a Kit Kat at the petrol station on a long motorway journey.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Blink: The Power Of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. It reaffirms that you must trust your instincts when playing sport, and in life.
The poem that touches your soul...If by Rudyard Kipling always inspires me. It helps me deal with challenges and remain positive.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d infiltrate all the major teams ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup to find out how they plan to play against England.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Untidiness. I’m the one telling the guys to clean up the training ground. It’s part of discipline.
The film you can watch time and time again...Any Given Sunday with Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx. It’s about an American football team and is spot-on about the way sport works.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Philosophy. My motivational coach, Steve Black, is always quoting philosophers like Aristotle and I keep a journal of the sayings.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d pull off an intricate robbery on a Las Vegas casino, like in the Ocean’s Eleven film, and give the money to the poor.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...My first pair of rugby boots. I was given them when I was seven and it felt like my birthday and Christmas had come at once. They disappeared after we moved house when I was 12.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Find the courage to be true to yourself, no matter what.
The person who has influenced you most...My mum, Anne. Her and Dad split up when I was two. She did The Knowledge to be a black taxi driver and get me through private education.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Martin Luther King. I’d like to know how he found the strength to fight against such extreme odds.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m a party boy and a drinker. It started when I was photographed at a nightclub, but I was dropping some tickets to a friend. I’m very committed to my profession.
The unending quest that drives you on...To be the best I can be. I’m only 27, so I still have everything to play for.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Attending a week’s training camp at London Wasps academy when I was 15. After that I knew I wanted to be a rugby player.
The song that means most to you...The Motto by Drake. It reminds me of my friend Tom Maynard [the Welsh cricketer who died on a Tube track in 2012 after fleeing police]. I remember him dancing to it with a big smile.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d start in the South Yarra area of Melbourne, Australia. I played for the Rebels there a few years back, so I’d have a reunion brunch with mates at a local cafe. I’d have scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, exotic fruit and good coffee. Later I’d go to Tobago where my dad Jay lives. We’d have a big family lunch of crab and dumplings on the beach at Store Bay. As I’m on holiday I’d have a few beers, then we’d all go snorkelling over the reef. In the evening, I’d meet friends for dinner at Nobu in LA. We’d have sushi and wagyu beef, with plenty of sake and then I’d fly everyone to Las Vegas in a private jet for ringside seats at the Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao fight. We’d all end the day by checking into a high-roller suite at the Aria hotel.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...My England debut against Ireland in 2008 when my boyhood dream came true.
The saddest time that shook your world...When my uncle Peter died of throat cancer before Christmas last year. He was only in his late 50s and I was with him when he died.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To win the World Cup with England.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Never give up.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d only want a modest church service. Then I want my ashes scattered on the sea in Tobago, followed by a big beach party for my friends and family.
The way you want to be remembered...He was occasionally on time!
The Plug...Danny is ambassador for the Welcome Back To Milk campaign for a2 Milk. Visit a2milk.co.uk.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 18 April 2014
‘I was a bit of a rocker in my teens, I still love a good head bang!’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s the turn of chef Michel Roux Jr
The prized possession you value above all others...My collection of cookbooks and old menus, particularly a signed 1903 first edition of Le Guide Culinaire by the legendary chef Auguste Escoffier. My father Albert gave it to me when I was in my 20s. It’s priceless to me.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not letting my daughter Emily, 24, go to the Champions League semi-final, second leg, between Arsenal and Manchester United in 2009. I was meant to have two tickets, but only got one. I’m a big United fan and it took about five seconds for me to decide to take it. She still reminds me about it!
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...Time is my most precious commodity, so a perfect day would be cutting away from London to enjoy peace with my wife Giselle and Emily, hopping between islands in the Seychelles. I’d wake up in the luxurious cotton sheets of the hotel on Frégate Island. Breakfast would be a croissant, mango juice and an espresso. Then I’d go for a run, a swim and snorkel. We’d then take a speedboat to a bigger island called Mahé for lunch at the Plantation Club Hotel, where Giselle and I got married in 1990. We’d have grilled local fish with a bottle of Chapoutier Le Meal 1990. Then we’d spend the rest of the day on Bird Island where I’d swim and read, then go fishing on the beach with a fridge next to me full of Taittinger and Krug champagne!
The temptation you wish you could resist...Good-quality confectionery, especially Amedei chocolate from Italy. If I open a box I go on a feeding frenzy.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Cod by Mark Kurlansky, which recounts the fish’s impact on the world. It will get anyone hooked!
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d love to have been in the Man United dressing room in 2003 when Alex Ferguson kicked a boot at David Beckham.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Apart from traffic in London, it’s graffiti on beautiful old monuments.
The film you can watch time and time again...I love Quentin Tarantino movies, especially the two Kill Bill films. They’re gory but hilarious.
The person who has influenced you most...I’m hugely indebted to my first head chef Henri Hellegouarch. He taught me so much, especially to never be late. To this day, I’m always on time.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Napoleon. I’d love to know if he was really such a great tactician.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Keep a diary of important moments in your life. You can refer back and be inspired, or learn from your mistakes.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Shark fishing. I love pitting my wits against them with a light rod. The biggest I’ve caught is a 170lb blue shark, but I always release them unharmed.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A gold ring my father gave me in my teens. He’d inherited it, but I lost it fishing in the Thames.
The unending quest that drives you on...Perfection, but I seldom reach it.
The poem that touches your soul...Poetry doesn’t float my boat but I love rugby and adore Jerusalem. I sing it out loud.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m Raymond Blanc. People stop me and say, ‘How lovely to see you, Raymond.’ I often don’t correct them, and just let them go on their way, delighted to have met the great Raymond!
The event that altered the course of your life and character...The day Emily was born. It was our fourth and final attempt at IVF, so it was extra special. The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I enjoy fast cars, so I’d steal a McLaren road car and drive it as fast as I could.
The song that means most to you...Child In Time by Deep Purple. It’s a belter that takes me back to my teenage years when I was a bit of a rocker. I still love a good headbang to it.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Watching United beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Champions League Final in Barcelona in 1999. I was sitting behind the goal where they scored.
The saddest time that shook your world...When my uncle Jean died about 15 years ago from cancer in his 50s. He was super, and I was very close to him.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To hook a big black marlin. I’m planning a trip to the Azores soon to try my luck.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Fill each day with new challenges and tackle them head on.
The order of service at your funeral...I always shun big parties because I don’t feel comfortable, so I don’t want anything grand. But I’ll leave provisions for a feast with great wine, including Pol Roger champagne, Château Haut-Brion red and Château d’Yquem sweet wine. If I manage to buy a plot at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, I’ll be buried there.
The way you want to be remembered...For inspiring youngsters to work in my industry. That’s the most important thing you can do.
The Plug...Michel and his father Albert have created the Chez Roux @ Blue Riband restaurant for the Investec Derby Festival, 5-6 June. For tickets visit epsomdowns.co.uk.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 18 April 2015
‘I was a bit of a rocker in my teens, I still love a good head bang!’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s the turn of chef Michel Roux Jr
The prized possession you value above all others...My collection of cookbooks and old menus, particularly a signed 1903 first edition of Le Guide Culinaire by the legendary chef Auguste Escoffier. My father Albert gave it to me when I was in my 20s. It’s priceless to me.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not letting my daughter Emily, 24, go to the Champions League semi-final, second leg, between Arsenal and Manchester United in 2009. I was meant to have two tickets, but only got one. I’m a big United fan and it took about five seconds for me to decide to take it. She still reminds me about it!
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...Time is my most precious commodity, so a perfect day would be cutting away from London to enjoy peace with my wife Giselle and Emily, hopping between islands in the Seychelles. I’d wake up in the luxurious cotton sheets of the hotel on Frégate Island. Breakfast would be a croissant, mango juice and an espresso. Then I’d go for a run, a swim and snorkel. We’d then take a speedboat to a bigger island called Mahé for lunch at the Plantation Club Hotel, where Giselle and I got married in 1990. We’d have grilled local fish with a bottle of Chapoutier Le Meal 1990. Then we’d spend the rest of the day on Bird Island where I’d swim and read, then go fishing on the beach with a fridge next to me full of Taittinger and Krug champagne!
The temptation you wish you could resist...Good-quality confectionery, especially Amedei chocolate from Italy. If I open a box I go on a feeding frenzy.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Cod by Mark Kurlansky, which recounts the fish’s impact on the world. It will get anyone hooked!
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d love to have been in the Man United dressing room in 2003 when Alex Ferguson kicked a boot at David Beckham.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Apart from traffic in London, it’s graffiti on beautiful old monuments.
The film you can watch time and time again...I love Quentin Tarantino movies, especially the two Kill Bill films. They’re gory but hilarious.
The person who has influenced you most...I’m hugely indebted to my first head chef Henri Hellegouarch. He taught me so much, especially to never be late. To this day, I’m always on time.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Napoleon. I’d love to know if he was really such a great tactician.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Keep a diary of important moments in your life. You can refer back and be inspired, or learn from your mistakes.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Shark fishing. I love pitting my wits against them with a light rod. The biggest I’ve caught is a 170lb blue shark, but I always release them unharmed.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A gold ring my father gave me in my teens. He’d inherited it, but I lost it fishing in the Thames.
The unending quest that drives you on...Perfection, but I seldom reach it.
The poem that touches your soul...Poetry doesn’t float my boat but I love rugby and adore Jerusalem. I sing it out loud.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m Raymond Blanc. People stop me and say, ‘How lovely to see you, Raymond.’ I often don’t correct them, and just let them go on their way, delighted to have met the great Raymond!
The event that altered the course of your life and character...The day Emily was born. It was our fourth and final attempt at IVF, so it was extra special.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I enjoy fast cars, so I’d steal a McLaren road car and drive it as fast as I could.
The song that means most to you...Child In Time by Deep Purple. It’s a belter that takes me back to my teenage years when I was a bit of a rocker. I still love a good headbang to it.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Watching United beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Champions League Final in Barcelona in 1999. I was sitting behind the goal where they scored.
The saddest time that shook your world...When my uncle Jean died about 15 years ago from cancer in his 50s. He was super, and I was very close to him.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To hook a big black marlin. I’m planning a trip to the Azores soon to try my luck.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Fill each day with new challenges and tackle them head on.
The order of service at your funeral...I always shun big parties because I don’t feel comfortable, so I don’t want anything grand. But I’ll leave provisions for a feast with great wine, including Pol Roger champagne, Château Haut-Brion red and Château d’Yquem sweet wine. If I manage to buy a plot at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, I’ll be buried there.
The way you want to be remembered...For inspiring youngsters to work in my industry. That’s the most important thing you can do.
The Plug...Michel and his father Albert have created the Chez Roux @ Blue Riband restaurant for the Investec Derby Festival, 5-6 June. For tickets visit epsomdowns.co.uk.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 11 April 2015
We ask a celebrity a set of devilish questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: Good Morning Britain host Ben Shephard
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...That I didn’t propose to my wife Annie sooner – we’d been together nine years. Marriage gave me calmness.
The temptation you wish you could resist...That extra glass of wine at the end of a boozy night. It’s the one that really hurts in the morning.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...The Tao Of Pooh. It uses the characters from Winnie The Pooh to explain Taoist philosophy. The simplicity is magical.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...I get impatient with people who take life too seriously.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d follow political leaders to hear what they’re really planning.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The chemistry between those two is electrifying.
The prized possession you value above all others...A Bremont MB1 watch. You can only get one if you’ve been ejected from a plane in a Martin-Baker ejection seat. My mate is an RAF fighter pilot and he and his passenger had to eject from a Tornado. The passenger didn’t want his watch so I bought it. It’s unique.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...The youthful elasticity in my skin. Now that I’m 40 you can see every line on my face and I’ve got bags under my eyes.
The person who has influenced you most...My mum Jo. She’s incredibly generous and is always the life and soul of a party. She taught me so much.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Bobby Moore. To talk to him about the moment he lifted the World Cup at Wembley would be amazing.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...My first date with Annie in 1995 when I kissed her for the first time. We’ve been together ever since.
The unending quest that drives you on...To live by a beach, so I can kite surf every day.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Playing classical music. It’s not exactly unusual, but I don’t think people expect it of me. I got a scholarship when I was 12 for piano and clarinet. I played in orchestras and bands throughout my teens but stopped in my 20s. I’m coming back to it now because my kids are learning piano.
The poem that touches your soul...I love Jerusalem by William Blake as a hymn. I’m very patriotic.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...My son Sam passed this on to me after he came back from nursery with a grazed knee. He said, ‘The most important thing about falling over is learning to pick yourself up!’
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m short! People meet me and always say, ‘You’re much taller than I expected.’ I’m 5ft 10½ – the half is very important!
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d do an ingenious con against bad people to right an injustice, just like in The Sting.
The song that means most to you...Górecki by a band called Lamb. A friend introduced Annie and I to it not long after we got together and it always reminds me of our early days together.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d wake up in Sydney with Annie and our boys – Sam, nine, and Jack, eight – and have a fry-up for breakfast at a cafe by the harbour. Then we’d hang out with my godmother Auntie Chris and my cousins who live there. After that, I’d go to Queenstown in New Zealand for a few hours of extreme sports, such as bungee jumping and river surfing. I’d stay there for lunch and have roast lamb with a decent bottle of red wine. In the afternoon, Annie and I would check into Burgh Island Hotel in Devon where we got married in 2004. We’d have a few whisky sour cocktails in Gary’s bar at sundown. Guests usually dress up for dinner, so I’d be in black tie and Annie would wear a 20s dress. In the evening, all my family and friends would gather at the Golden Lion pub in Port Isaac, Cornwall, where my parents live. We’d have fish and chips and too many pints of Doom Bar bitter. We’d end the night staggering up the hill to Mum and Dad’s for a nightcap before crashing out.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Watching West Ham win 2-1 against Blackpool at Wembley in 2012 in the play-off final to get into the Premier League.
The saddest time that shook your world...When our Jack Russell Daisy disappeared when I was 13. She went off hunting rabbits in Epping Forest and never returned.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To hit the winning shot in the Ryder Cup.
The philosophy that underpins your life...There’s always tomorrow to sleep, so grab every opportunity now.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d have a church service with hymns. There’d be a game of football followed by a big party. Annie’s reserved two plots for us at a church near our home in London. It’s a bit macabre – but at least I know where I’m going to end up!
The way you want to be remembered...He brought out the best in people.
The Plug...Ben Shephard presents the obstacle course gameshow Ninja Warrior with Rochelle Humes and Chris Kamara on ITV on Saturdays at 7pm.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 4 April 2015
‘People think I’m a calculating inquisitor , but I’m just as bumbling off camera’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: documentary-maker Louis Theroux
The prized possession you value above all others...A print of the outlaw Ned Kelly by the late Australian artist Sydney Nolan, which my dad [writer Paul Theroux] gave me for my 40th birthday.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...That I didn’t go to art school before going to study history at Oxford. I’ve always enjoyed painting but I went to teach in schools in Zimbabwe instead.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Chocolate with sea salt. I’m particularly weak in the evening.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez. The sweep of his writing is bewitching.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d go to the headquarters of the church of Scientology. I’ve been working on a film about them for a year, but access has been tricky. It would be a coup to follow its leader David Miscavige.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Casual snobbery from people obsessed with materialism. I tell people I live in Harlesden in north-west London and I can see them thinking, ‘Why do you live there!’
The film you can watch time and time again...Coraline, about a girl who finds a secret passage to another world. My children loved it when they were younger.
The person who has influenced you most...The film-maker Michael Moore. He gave me my first break in television on the show TV Nation in 1994 and encouraged me to break the rules.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Shakespeare. I’d document his writing process and get to know about the difficult passages in his life that gave him his craft.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Look after your body because there will be a bill to pay when you’re older. I’m 44 and things are happening that I never dreamed of – like bad joints and man boobs!
The poem that touches your soul...The Embankment by TE Hulme always moves me.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...The Crossrail tunnelling machines. I’m on an email alert list that tells me when they’ve reached a certain point. I then click through to see some pictures.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d hunt pigeons and squirrels to use as food. A lot of money could be saved if we ate urban wildlife. I’ve heard of people ‘harvesting’ squirrels from parks and serving them at dinner parties!
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...My healthy left knee. It’s been damaged by jogging.
The unending quest that drives you on...To make the perfect TV programme. It always becomes a damage-limitation exercise, from what you hope to film to what you actually get.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m a calculating inquisitor who affects a pose to achieve his ends. The word ‘faux-naive’ is used a lot. It’s flattering that people think I have a plan but I’m as bumbling in real life as I am on camera.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Going to work on a weekly newspaper in San Jose, California, when I was 21. It was my first proper job and I discovered a love for journalism and America.
The song that means most to you...Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright by Bob Dylan. It’s about being heartbroken, and it reminds me of a turbulent romance ending when I was 25.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d have breakfast at the cafe in Roundwood Park near our home with my wife Nancy and our children – Albert, nine, Fred, seven, and Walter, who’s five months old. I’d have the full vegetarian breakfast – veggie sausages, tomatoes, fried eggs, baked beans and toast with coffee and tea. I’d then spend a few hours hang-gliding over London. Lunch would be oysters and champagne with Nancy at Grand Central Station’s oyster bar in New York, although I might start off with a Bloody Mary. We’d hang out with the kids all afternoon on Santa Monica beach and I’d have some fresh mango with salt and chilli. We’d drop the kids off with granny and go to the Louvre in Paris. We’d then wander around Le Marais district and have dinner at a bistro. We’d end the day with the kids in a town in Provence, playing pétanque with locals, drinking wine as the sun goes down on a summer’s evening.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Winning a Spelling Bee in New York when I was 25. I was against 15 other journalists. I won by spelling ‘shillelagh’ – an Irish walking stick.
The saddest time that shook your world...My parents getting divorced. I was about 22, but even when you’re an adult it’s upsetting.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To play tennis well. I go on court thinking I can execute great shots, but they end up hitting the net.
The philosophy that underpins your life...To be honest and kind. Sometimes for a journalist being honest means being unkind. It’s a conflict, but above all you must be honest.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d have a Quaker-style service on the South Downs in Sussex. People could share a few memories of me then throw my ashes to the breeze.
The way you want to be remembered...As a gifted athlete and artistic colossus. Failing that, as a thoughtful person.
The Plug...Transgender Kids, tomorrow, 9pm, BBC2. Louis’s archive documentaries are repeated on Tuesdays at 10pm on the Really channel.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 28 March 2015
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s actor Richard E Grant’s turn
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...I’m haunted by the moment a doctor told my father, Henrik, that he only had months to live after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. To witness his absolute loss of hope was devastating.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Eating Christmas puddings once a month throughout the year. I stockpile them in the January sales.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Alice In Wonderland, which I’ve returned to time and time again since I was a boy. It’s a perfect guide to the British sensibility with sublime imaginative leaps and droll wit.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d fly around releasing fragrances that would prompt people to live their dreams. Nothing beats olfactory nirvana!
The prized possession you value above all others...My Pelham Puppets. I had a marionette theatre in my parents’ garage in Swaziland, where I grew up. I have 40 now and keep buying more.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Casual racism.
The film you can watch time and time again...Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway never ceases to make me laugh with its skewering of actors’ egos.
The person who has influenced you most...My wife Joan Washington. We began a conversation in 1982 and we haven’t stopped talking since. Her kindness and compassion never cease to surprise and amaze me.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Neil Armstrong. I was 12 when he stepped onto the moon in 1969 and hearing his voice from space on the radio made me want to be an astronaut. I’d love to hear every detail of his trip.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Everyone was your age once. Even if they appear crinkly, inside they’re not.
The poem that touches your soul...The Hollow Men by TS Eliot. It’s deeply moving.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Smelling things! I love putting my nose to flowers, food, fabric or the necks of people I like. Last year I fulfilled a dream and brought out my own fragrance, Jack.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...In 1986 our first daughter was born at 27 weeks and only lived for half an hour. You never get over the loss of a child, you learn to navigate your way around it.
The unending quest that drives you on...My father instilled in me that heaven and hell are to be found here on earth and that you only get one crack at it, so grab it while you can.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...Like everyone with a long face, my features suggest I’ve just heard bad news but it doesn’t mean I’m not laughing inside. Ha ha!
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Getting the part of Withnail in Withnail And I in 1986. If Daniel Day-Lewis had accepted it when offered, I wouldn’t be answering these questions now!
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d round up despots, starting with Mugabe, lock them in a room, each armed to the teeth, and let them sort themselves out.
The song that means most to you...When I was a waiter in Covent Garden in 1982, The Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams played endlessly. It inspired me to believe that I’d make it as an actor.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d spend all day with Joan and our daughter Olivia, 24, beginning at dawn with breakfast on the terrace of The Gritti Palace hotel in Venice – fruit salad, croissants and orange juice. This would be followed by swimming on Macaroni beach in Mustique and lunch at La Petite Maison in Nice – truffle macaroni, tuna with their special sauce and mashed potatoes, then mango sorbet. I’d have an hour’s kip in a hammock at Steve Martin’s house in Beverly Hills, then a bike ride along Venice Beach with Steve giving a commentary on everyone we pass. Dinner would be with James Brolin and Barbra Streisand at their house in Malibu. Later I’d dance at the House On Fire club in Swaziland, then sleep in a tent at the Mkhaya game reserve. The next day would begin at 5am in a hot-air balloon over the Masai Mara in Kenya to view game.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...The final day of filming my autobiographical film Wah-Wah in the Mkhaya game reserve in 2004 when a family of elephants appeared. It happened just as the film ran out.
The saddest time that shook your world...My father’s death at the age of 52 when I was 24. Although he was an alcoholic I remember his charm and provocative sense of humour most.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...I’d like to write and direct another film.
The philosophy that underpins your life...The here and now is everything. Make the most of it while you can.
The order of service at your funeral...I’m not ready to go yet!
The way you want to be remembered...Swaziboy was here and had the ride of his life.
The Plug...Richard E Grant’s 7 Deadly Sins is on Fridays, 9pm, Discovery Channel. Discover his fragrance at jackperfume.co.uk.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 21 March 2015
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s the turn of chef Marcus Wareing
The prized possession you value above all others...My two-Michelin-starred restaurant Marcus At The Berkeley Hotel in London. I created it from scratch. It’s my life’s work and I love it.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not studying hard enough. I worked at my dad Raymond’s fruit and potatoes business when I was 11 and left school at 16 without qualifications to go to catering college, so I’ve had to catch up.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Not switching off my iPhone or iPad long after work. I do 16-hour days and I’m always thinking about business.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...A Kestrel For A Knave by Barry Hines. It’s about a troubled boy who bonds with a kestrel – Ken Loach based his film Kes on it. I read it when I was 12 and identified with the boy being a loner.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d spend the day in Google’s HQ in California to see what ideas they have in development. I’m fascinated by technology.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Mess and untidiness. I go to someone’s house and see the state of their kitchen and think, ‘Jesus Christ, why?!’
The film you can watch time and time again...The Wolf Of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio. I love the way he motivates his staff to make money. The environment was similar when I was training to be a chef and I enjoy that competitive spirit.
The person who has influenced you most...The chef David Nicholls, whose son Dan broke his neck in 2003. He’s doing so much with his charity [Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation]. David helped me when I was having a tough time. He’s special.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Maggie Thatcher at her peak in the 80s. I’d like to know how she remained so strong when she was fighting so many battles, like with the miners. She was unique.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Take advantage of your schooling – it will be the bedrock of your life.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To have been a top boxer. I started at nine and I was good, but I gave up at 17 when I moved from Southport to London.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Politics. I love the battle of it and the complexity of the issues. I see the country as a company, and it should be run like one.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...My Nanna Emily, who died in her 60s when I was 11. She was great fun – I always asked her to take her false teeth out. I wish she’d lived to see me get on in life.
The unending quest that drives you on...To never give up.
The poem that touches your soul...I’m not into poetry but I love the hymn Lord Of The Dance. It reminds me of going to church at school for the Harvest Festival, which taught me the importance of giving back.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m Mr Nasty. If someone cuts a corner in my kitchen I turn into Mr Shouty, but I’m always fair. I can be very relaxed.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Working for my dad’s business as a boy. On Saturdays I did the deliveries with him on the wagon and I got to see inside kitchens at restaurants and hotels. I loved the buzz and it inspired me to be a chef.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...Speeding – and I would do it very regularly. I drive a Jaguar F-Type and I love speed. But I have a clean licence.
The song that means most to you...How Deep Is Your Love by the Bee Gees. It was the first dance at my wedding to Jane in 2000.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d begin at the top of The Shard in London to watch the sun rise, then go for a full English breakfast in the restaurant there. I’d then take Jane and our kids – Jake, 13, Archie, ten, and Jessie, seven – on a helicopter ride over Paris. We’d walk around the city before going to New York for lunch at Eleven Madison Park where I’d have the Tasting Menu and some wine. In the afternoon, we’d go skiing at Courmayeur in Italy. I’d stop for hot chocolate on the slopes. Later, I’d like a sail on a boat near St Tropez at sundown and some rosé wine before heading to Las Vegas. I love boxing, so I’d have ringside seats with my dad and brother Brian to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr fight Manny Pacquiao. I’d end the day with the family at the One & Only Reethi Rah hotel in the Maldives with a seafood barbecue and some decent wine.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...The births of my three children and, professionally, taking over the lease of my restaurant Marcus in 2008.
The saddest time that shook your world...The attacks on New York on 9/11. It was the beginning of war on the West and it was devastating to see.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Work hard. Then work harder.
The order of service at your funeral...A simple church service followed by a cremation and I’d leave plans for a party with a fantastic meal. I want my ashes scattered in the South of France, so I’ll always be in the sunshine.
The way you want to be remembered...As a great father.
The Plug...Marcus owns three restaurants – Marcus At The Berkeley Hotel, The Gilbert Scott Bar and Tredwell’s. Visit marcus-wareing.com.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 14 March 2015
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s wildlife presenter Kate Humble.
The prized possession you value above all others...Upper Meend Farm in Wales’s Wye Valley, which my husband Ludo and I bought in 2011. It’s harsh land but beautiful, and connects me with nature.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not going to see my dear friend Pablo in Peru five years ago when he emailed to say he was ill. He had hepatitis, but didn’t let on how serious it was. He died two weeks later – I was devastated.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Smelly cheese like Stinking Bishop or Roquefort. I can’t sleep properly for three days after I’ve eaten some.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...The novel Picture Palace by Paul Theroux. It’s about a 70-year-old photographer looking back on her life. It’s funny and moving.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day...I’d disable the internet and all mobile phone networks to reintroduce everyone to the wonderful world that we live in.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...How the English Government refuses to charge for plastic bags. In Wales it’s making a tangible difference.
The film you can watch time and time again...Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. Paul Newman and Robert Redford look so completely edible and it’s hopelessly romantic.
The person who has influenced you most...David Attenborough. I first met him at a dinner party when I was 27, before I was on TV. I was struck by how polite, modest and gracious he was.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Freya Stark, the 20th-century British travel writer who visited parts of the Middle East long before other Western women.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Always go with your gut feeling and never let anyone sway you.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...The circus. As a girl I dreamed of being a trapeze artist and I still love going to circuses – it makes me feel five again.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...That bounce in your body you have when you’re younger, which means you can fall over without hurting yourself. I’m 46 and if I ever fall in a heap nowadays people immediately think about calling an ambulance!
The unending quest that drives you on...To show the natural beauty of the world through my work, so people strive to help preserve it.
The poem that touches your soul...Silly Old Baboon by Spike Milligan is seared into my soul from my childhood and always makes me smile.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...Magazine editors always seem to think that I want a make-over, so I can be glammed up in designer dresses and wear Jimmy Choo shoes. I know I look as though I haven’t brushed my hair for years, but I actually like being scruffy and caked in mud.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Filming Lambing Live on a farm in Wales in 2009. I was driving there one morning at 5.30am and a light bulb came on – I suddenly knew I belonged on a farm.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d arrange the mass destruction of every plastic shower curtain in the world. Everything about them is disgusting.
The song that means most to you...The Muppet Show Theme – it always makes me feel perky. Our dogs, Badger, Bella and Teg, are known as The Muppets and we sing it to them every morning.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d wake up at 5.30am in my camper van on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, then Ludo and I would go for a walk with our dogs. Later we’d have lunch with friends at a tiny fisherman’s shack we own in the northern Dordogne, France. I’d buy food from the local market and we’d drink plenty of local wine, then go for a dip in the lake. After that, Ludo and I would go scuba diving in Papua New Guinea. In the evening, we’d go on safari at Luangwa Valley, Zambia, to watch wild dogs at twilight. We’d have fresh fish with flat bread for dinner cooked at the portside in Essaouira in Morocco, then watch the Northern Lights from the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia with a group of reindeer herders. I’d end the day in a hammock high up in a Canadian redwood tree.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...A night in September 2012 when I was driving a tractor as we cut hay on the farm. I had a dog on my lap and a bottle of cider in my hand as I drove under the stars. It was heavenly.
The saddest time that shook your world...The day Ludo’s sister Lucy died suddenly in 2006 when she was 40. She was so special and too young to die.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To ride in the Grand National like Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Take responsibility for your actions and never make excuses.
The order of service at your funeral...I don’t want one – no ceremony, nothing. My choice would be for my body to be left on a hill in Wales to be eaten by red kites, but I doubt it will be allowed.
The way you want to be remembered...Do you remember that girl on telly who never brushed her hair?
The Plug...The Humble By Nature Big Day Out is on our farm on 4 July. Join us for fun events for all the family. Book at humblebynature.com.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 7 March 2015
‘The misapprehension about me? That I’m Sheila Hancock!’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s the turn of actress Siân Phillips
The prized possession you value above all others...A quick charcoal sketch of my late Burmese cat Barnaby by the artist Stephen B. Whatley. He was painting my portrait at home and when I left the room he drew Barnaby. I love it.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not asking my mother, Sally, about her life. I only know the bare bones of her story and would give anything to know more. She died in 1985 from lung cancer when she was 85.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Saying ‘Yes’ to challenging projects. I can’t stop myself, but I put myself under so much pressure. I’m 81, so I should know better.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...The Goshawk by TH White. It’s his own story about training a goshawk while he was living in the country and having a breakdown. It’s about a man right on the edge.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day...I’d shadow Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England. I find his breezy Canadian charm intriguing.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Loud voices in public, particularly from girls. They’re not taught to cultivate the lower register as we were 50 years ago.
The film you can watch time and time again...The 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai. It’s a wonderful adventure story about a group of Samurai trying to defend a village from bandits.
The person who has influenced you most...My mother for her work ethic and strength.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Sydney Smith, who was an English cleric and writer in the 18th century. He was one of the great wits of his time.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Get to know yourself.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...The Samurai fascinate me – I buy books to immerse myself in their fighting techniques, weaponry and rituals. They devoted their lives to an immense code – I find them so exciting.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A Louis XIV desk I bought in the early 60s for £700, which was a lot of money then. I took nothing with me when I left Peter [ex-husband, actor Peter O’Toole] in 1976. After that, the desk just got lost in the mix.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d fix the Lottery, so I could help people I care about – and keep plenty for myself!
The unending quest that drives you on...To deliver a performance that turns out exactly as I meant it to.
The poem that touches your soul...The Prelude by Wordsworth. It’s about being alone in the countryside and I identified with it because I grew up as an only child in a remote part of Wales.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m Sheila Hancock! I’ve known Sheila for 50 years and it’s happened many times. We laugh about it.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Getting into RADA in 1955 when I was 22. I’d always wanted to be an actress.
The song that means most to you...I love old Welsh songs about homesickness. They’re full of melancholy.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d wake up in Connemara in Ireland and have a full Irish breakfast – black pudding, fried eggs, soda bread – followed by tea. Then I’d go for a walk in the rain by the Fan Lakes in the Black Mountains in Wales. I’d join a friend of mine in Venice for lunch at Trattoria alla Madonna, where I’d have squid in black ink with polenta. I’d spend the afternoon in London and have the best seats at a matinee at the Royal Opera House. After that I’d check into a quiet hotel I know on the East Side of Manhattan with my daughters Kate and Pat, and her daughter Jessica, who’s 15. I’d take my granddaughter to a cabaret at The Carlyle Hotel. If I could go back in time, we’d watch the great English singer Mabel Mercer perform. She was a sensation in the 1930s. I’d end the day at home watching The Big Bang Theory.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Finding my cat Barnaby after he’d been missing for three weeks in the early 1980s.
The saddest time that shook your world...The death from cancer in 2005 of my friend, the writer William Corlett. He was a wonderful, talented man who was funny and loyal.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To get a degree in science – but it’s quite unlikely now!
The philosophy that underpins your life...Choose happiness.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d like a simple service at the Actors’ Church St Paul’s in Covent Garden, then to be buried alongside my mother and grandmother in South West Wales.
The way you want to be remembered...I have no interest in being remembered. I want people to get on with living!
The Plug...Siân plays Fania Fénelon, the French musician who survived Auschwitz, in Arthur Miller’s Playing For Time at Sheffield Theatres, 12 March- 4 April. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 28 February 2015
‘Thankfully, I’ve reached that state of grace when, frankly, I don’t give a damn what people think about me’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s broadcaster Selina Scott
The prized possession you value above all others...My Scottish grandmother Beatrice’s press cuttings. She was a singer who performed all over Scotland from 1907-12. She left the book to me when she died in 1974 at 91.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Giving up ballet when I was 13. Margot Fonteyn was my heroine and I’d love to have followed in her footsteps, but I grew to be too tall [5ft 9in]. I was devastated to give it up.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...My Family And Other Animals by Gerald Durrell about his life on Corfu in the 30s. It’s full of innocence and laughter.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Opinionated twerps who cannot see the bigger picture. Local politicians are the worst.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day...Steal Donald Trump’s hairpiece, then bury it in the sand dunes of Aberdeenshire – the unique landscape I believe he’s wrecking with his golf development.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Giving a home to animals at my farm in North Yorkshire. I have 11 goats, two cats, four dogs and several hedgehogs. I can’t take any more!
The film you can watch time and time again...Doctor Zhivago for Omar Sharif’s eyes! I once ran into him at a dinner and he paid me one of the best compliments ever. He’s a smoothie, but I won’t reveal what he said!
The person who has influenced you most...My father, Charles. I have three sisters and a brother and he imbued in us all a strong sense of independence. He died in 2008 aged 81.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Queen Boudicca. She wore a big gold necklace in battle, so I’d like to know what happened to it and to witness her legendary piercing stare.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Never let your chances, like sunbeams, pass you by.
The poem that touches your soul...The Soldier by Rupert Brooke. It is so moving.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Archaeology. My farmhouse is littered with Stone Age artefacts. I even discovered a 6,000-year-old flint axe head.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...The athleticism of my youth! I was a jolly good runner and I could even bend over backwards to walk like a crab.
The unending quest that drives you on...Turning my new luxury natural fibres business into a global brand.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...I’ve reached that state of grace when, frankly, I don’t give a damn.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Interviewing Prince Andrew on The Wogan Show in 1985, when he asked me for my telephone number. A vice president of the television company CBS saw the show and offered me a job in America.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d hack into the Government computer to change the Honours List. Virginia McKenna should be made a Dame for her Born Free Foundation.
The song that means most to you...My Luve is Like a Red Red Rose by Robert Burns. It’s followed me through emotional moments of my life.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d wake up at the Wakaya private island resort in Fiji and have fruit for breakfast overlooking the South Pacific. No tea or coffee, I always have hot water first thing. I’d spend the morning scuba diving, then fly to Kenya to see the lions. I’d grab a quick salad for lunch before arriving on the Island of Bute in Scotland. I’d enjoy a cream tea at Kildavanan Bay, then sail in a small boat up the west coast. I’d pop to Whitby for fish and chips and a cup of tea. The day would end with a long walk on the North York Moors with my dogs Nip and Kiki before going to bed with a great book.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...The last time I dived into the warm Mediterranean after a long cold winter in the North.
The saddest time that shook your world...Seeing desperately poor children in Ethiopia come alive with joy when they were given T-shirts and plastic footballs. I was on a relief mission with the Red Cross in 1985.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...Interviewing Prince Philip. He’s a fascinating man and I was disappointed to be thwarted by internal politics at the BBC after setting up an interview with the Duke for his 90th birthday in 2011. Fiona Bruce got the job, but I don’t hold anything against her for that.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d want it simple and for a choir to sing The Lord Is My Shepherd. Then throw my ashes to the wind.
The way you want to be remembered...I’d like a big bell cast and hung in Rievaulx Abbey on the edge of the North York Moors. When it rang out, it would echo through the loveliest of valleys.
The Plug...Naturally Selina Scott is my online company selling luxury socks, scarves and hats made from natural cashmere, mohair and, soon, yak! Visit selinascott.com.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 21 February 2015
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: writer and comedian Barry Cryer
The prized possession you value above all others...‘The Black Book’, an address book I’ve had for 20 years. My life is in it, if it was lost I’d be devastated.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not knowing my dad. He died when I was five, so I only have one or two memories of him, like us building an Airfix model plane, which I flew straight into the fire! His name was John and he died in his late 40s in 1940. My mother, Jean, never liked to speak about him.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Pork scratchings. They go so well with a pint that I’m prone to pig out!
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...The Good Companions by JB Priestley, about a group of dancers and singers on the road. Priestley is my literary idol and we were friends for the last ten years of his life.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d follow Tony Blair to see what he says when the mask is off.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...People looking at their mobile phones when they should be talking to you.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Live for the moment, that’s all there is.
The film you can watch time and time again...Groundhog Day. It’s about a man living the same day over and over again, which should get tedious, but never does. And Bill Murray is superb.
The person who has influenced you most...My wife Terry. We married in 1962 and she’s very honest, whereas I can be devious. She’s kept me on the straight and narrow.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Churchill. He was such a charismatic man. I’d love to tease out the lesser known details of his life.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Spiritualism. I believe there’s something in it, but I think there are a lot of fraudsters making money out of people’s sadness.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...My hearing. I’m 79 now and I struggle to hear conversation when there’s a lot of background noise.
The unending quest that drives you on...Survival – in both life and work. I’ve been in showbiz since 1956 and in this game you don’t retire, the phone stops ringing. It hasn’t stopped yet!
The poem that touches your soul...Willie Rushton’s version of the limerick about the young man from Montrose – but you couldn’t print it here!
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m Barry Took! I’m always mistaken for other people. I was introduced to Princess Anne at Comic Relief as Tooky. Three weeks later I saw her again and was introduced as Barry Cryer and she said, ‘You were Barry Took last time!’
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Having a drink with David Frost in Danny La Rue’s club in London in 1963. I was with Ronnie Corbett and David asked us to work on The Frost Report. I was catapulted to writing full-time for TV.
The song that means most to you...Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers. It reminds me of falling in love for the first time at Leeds University when I was 19. The girl broke my heart – she told me she was gay!
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...Terry and I would take the Orient Express to Venice. I’d have porridge, then fried eggs, bacon and fried bread on board. We’d wander around Venice, then pop to Sydney for a boozy lunch by the Opera House, I’ve never been to Australia. I’d have a BBQ-style lunch with a nice cold lager – Carlsberg, not that Australian Foster’s rubbish! Later we’d hang out on a beach in Oz with our four kids and seven grandchildren, aged seven to 23. In the afternoon, without the family, we’d see the sights in Vienna and go on the Ferris wheel that was in The Third Man. I’d have drinks with friends at the Gilded Balloon comedy venue in Edinburgh. In the evening, we’d check into The Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan. We’d have Dom Pérignon champagne, followed by decent chardonnay and the special of the day for dinner. We’d watch a Broadway show before heading back to our house in Middlesex where we’ve lived since 1967. These days I end every night out with a cup of builder’s tea.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...The birth of my first son, Tony, in 1963 when I was 28. I finally had responsibilities, although I’m not sure it made me grow up!
The saddest time that shook your world...My father dying. I remember a boy at my infant school saying, ‘Your dad’s dead’ and I punched him.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To eat a prawn sandwich without some prawns falling out. I can never quite achieve it.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Think things are going to be awful, then whatever happens is usually an improvement and you cheer up.
The order of service at your funeral...It will be a humanist service, with people speaking about my life. I’ll pop up on a screen saying, ‘I know where you’re all going later: the pub! But I’m off for a drink with Eric Morecambe and Tommy Cooper.’ I want my ashes scattered in the garden of my local pub.
The way you want to be remembered...Family and friends have dominated my life, so to be remembered fondly by them is all that matters.
The Plug...Mrs Hudson’s Diaries – the life of Sherlock Holmes’s housekeeper as imagined by me and my son Bob – is out now, £12.99, therobsonpress.com.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 14 February 2015
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s the turn of singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor
The prized possession you value above all others...A Blythe Doll from 1972. She has an oversized head with big eyes. I bought her for £300 on eBay 15 years ago – she’s worth £800 now.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not going to the funeral of a girl at school who died suddenly from a heart problem when we were 18. Loads of other girls went and I should have too.
The film you can watch time and time again...Grease. I first watched it when I was seven and loved it. I remember when Kenickie says his condom has broken I asked my mum what that was. She said, ‘A medal he got for sports!’
The temptation you wish you could resist...I’m addicted to eBay. I think I’m buying treasures, but other people might describe them as junk!
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr. My mother [ex-Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis] read it to me when I was four and I read it to my boys [Sonny, ten, Kit, six, and Ray, two]. I loved that the little girl was called Sophie.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day...I’d stand on stage during a big West End show to watch the actors up close.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Trust your instincts.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Taxidermy! I’m fascinated by anatomy. I want to do a course to learn to stuff a mouse – but only if it died naturally!
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...When people say, ‘I’m going to give 110 per cent.’ Above 100 per cent doesn’t exist!
The person who has influenced you most...My parents. My dad Robin took me to my first gig when I was eight – to see Pink Floyd at Earls Court. Mum is a very optimistic person who taught me to look for the positives in life.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...The 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson. I’d ask about the inspiration for her work, but she was a recluse so I doubt she’d want to see me.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...Dick Van Dyke’s autograph. I got it on a trip to New York aged 14. The box I kept it in went missing during a house move.
The unending quest that drives you on...Writing the next song.
The poem that touches your soul...Emily Dickinson’s Because I Could Not Stop For Death. I’m a bouncy, optimistic person, but this poem makes you think about the darker backdrop to life.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I always look perfect. People are surprised if they see a ladder in my tights, but while I’m often styled for TV, away from it I’m much more relaxed.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Releasing my song Groovejet in 2000. It was a success and it changed everything.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d paint a zebra crossing on a road near my house in west London because it’s a nightmare to cross with kids.
The song that means most to you...Mickey by Toni Basil. I love the odd choreography and the gurney faces she pulled in the video.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d spend the day going to places I’ve never visited. I’d be with my husband Richard and our sons and we’d wake up in Tokyo. We’d have sushi for breakfast, then wander around the city. After that, we’d arrive in rural Vietnam. We’d see the beautiful countryside, then have a stir-fry with glass noodles for lunch. Later we’d go to Delhi and see the real India. At sunset we’d head to a beach in Mexico. The kids would play on the sand while Richard and I relax in a cabana drinking margaritas watching the sun go down. For dinner I’d go to J Sheekey in Covent Garden for lobster and chips with champagne. Richard and I would end the day curled up at home watching a DVD.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...When I launched my last album Wanderlust last year. It was a big step because the work was so different and it was my first album not released by a major record label.
The saddest time that shook your world...My grandfather, Mike, dying in December last year. He was 83 and died from pneumonia. I miss him.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To play the piano. I gave up at Grade 4 when I was 14. I can play a bit, but I’m quite rubbish.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Cherish your relationships with friends and family.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d like Chopin’s Prelude in D Minor played and for my ashes to be scattered somewhere near the Thames.
The way you want to be remembered...She wasn’t bad at writing songs.
The Plug...Sophie Ellis-Bextor has designed Pretty Polly’s spring range of tights. Visit prettypolly.co.uk.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 7 February 2015
‘People say I’m po-faced, but they’d be amazed how naughty I am’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s Sky News presenter Kay Burley
The prized possession you value above all others...My sense of humour! It’s essential for the job I do. The team at Sky are very serious, but in the downtime they’re hilarious. If it wasn’t for humour, I’d probably not be quite as sane as I am.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...My parents died quite young, so serious regret isn’t in my DNA. I live every day as if it were my last because one day it will be. That said, I wish I hadn’t bought my Range Rover Evoque last year. It cost about £40,000 and has been terrible. I’m going to replace it with a Porsche Macan.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. It’s the best love story ever told.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It’s funny but deals with serious issues like ageing and unrequited love. Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are brilliant. I can’t wait for the sequel.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Having the last word, whether I’m arguing with friends or interviewing someone on TV. I can’t help myself.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day...I’d go to No 10 and listen to David Cameron to find out why he really doesn’t want to take part in the party leaders’ General Election debates. I think it’s because, as Prime Minister, he has the most to lose, but he can’t admit it.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Drivers at traffic lights who only indicate to turn right after the light’s turned green. You’re then stuck behind them if you want to go straight on. It drives me nuts.
The person who has influenced you most...My dad Frank. He was wise and had a great sense of humour, which my 21-year-old son Alexander has inherited. Dad died from a heart attack in 1995 at 65.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...There is no rush. Take your time, you have your whole life ahead of you.
The unending quest that drives you on...To be first with the news. If I’m beaten to it, I’m gutted!
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Formula 1 motor racing. I used to find it ridiculous and boring but I’ve grown to love it thanks to my son.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...The American writer Dorothy Parker. She was a great wit who’d be terrific company.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A 9ct gold necklace my mum Kathleen bought for my 12th birthday. It had my sign of the Zodiac, Sagittarius, on it but I lost it while playing in a park. I still think about it.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Covering the Herald Of Free Enterprise ferry disaster in Zeebrugge in 1987 for TV-am. I was a very a junior reporter but I volunteered to go. When I got back I was promoted to presenter and my career took off.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d break into Buckingham Palace and have a nose around. I want to know what the private rooms are like and if the Queen really keeps food in Tupperware.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m po-faced. People have a go at me on Twitter and say I’m too serious. They’d be surprised to know how mischievous and naughty I am away from the telly.
The poem that touches your soul...If by Rudyard Kipling. I first read it when I was 11 after my mum gave it to me. It’s a brilliant guide to how to live life.
The song that means most to you...Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. I remember watching the video on Top Of The Pops in 1975 and it blew my mind.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d corral all my friends at Heathrow and take a private jet to Ulusaba, Richard Branson’s game reserve in South Africa. We’d see the animals then have a big lunch in the bush. Antelope burgers are tasty, but I wouldn’t tell my friends what they’re eating. After, I’d leave my friends there and go to base camp at Mount Everest with my son Alexander. Later I’d trek along the Inca trail at Machu Picchu, in Peru. It’s meant to be quite a spiritual journey, so I’d go alone to give me time to think. After that I’d nip back to Ulusaba for cocktails with my friends. I’d end the day at home in London with my three Irish setters, quietly reflecting on an amazing day.
The happiest moment you’ll cherish forever...Ringing my mum on 12 April 1993 and saying, ‘It’s a boy. You’re a grandma!’ I didn’t know at the time but she was very ill. She’d had breast cancer when she was 50 and it had come back.
The saddest time that shook your world...Walking with my mum a few weeks later, pushing the buggy, when she told me about the cancer. I said, ‘I can’t manage without you Mum.’ She was my world. She died on 11 December when she was only 59.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...Never breaking 12 seconds for the 100 metres when I was a kid. The best I did was 12.4.
The philosophy that underpins your life...It’s Kipling’s line, ‘If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, And treat those two impostors just the same…’
The order of service at your funeral...Gin. Laughs. Gin. No songs. More gin – I just want people to get drunk and tell a few stories.
The way you want to be remembered...Great mother, loyal friend, dog lover.
The Plug...Kay Burley presents Sky News from 2pm-5pm Monday to Friday. Follow her on Twitter @kayburley.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved
Published: 31 January 2015
‘People think I’m a bit of a snob…I’m not entirely convinced they are wrong’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s broadcaster Michael Buerk
The prized possession you value above all others...My Spitting Image puppet, which I bought at auction about ten years ago for £180. It makes me smile.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not asking my mother Betty about my childhood before she died of a heart condition when I was 16. I wanted to know about my father and how their relationship ended [Michael’s parents separated when he was three after his father, Gordon, was revealed to be a bigamist].
The temptation you wish you could resist...Sudoku puzzles. I do one every day and they make me believe that I’m clever, but they’re just a waste of time.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...The mangling of the English language. Top of my list is using ‘decimate’ to mean completely destroy something. It means to reduce by one tenth.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Passage To Juneau: A Sea And Its Meanings by Jonathan Raban. It’s a wonderful sailing adventure, but also an historical analysis of the British naval officer Captain George Vancouver.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d sit in a meeting of TV executives as they pick ‘celebs’ for a reality show. I’ve yet to find out why I was chosen for I’m A Celebrity.
The person who has influenced you most...My wife Christine. We’ve been married for 46 years and she never fails to tell me when I’m being an idiot.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...My eyesight. I wore bottle-bottom glasses as a teenager which I blame – wrongly – for my lack of romantic success. I also failed my medical for the RAF because of it.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Samuel Pepys. He was an incredible gossip who would be wickedly fun company.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Butterflies. I was a keen collector as a child, and now I spot them with my grandchildren.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Churchill’s dictum, ‘The secret of success is to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.’
The unending quest that drives you on...To avoid being found out! Journalism is bluff; I hope to stay a step ahead.
The poem that touches your soul...Wilfred Owen’s Dulce Et Decorum Est. It distils the tragic gap between the leaders in a war and the soldiers.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...My mother’s death. It made me wayward at school and left an enormous hole in my life.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I wish I’d tipped Jimmy Savile over the side when I met him on the QE2 years ago.
The film you can watch time and time again...Kind Hearts And Coronets with Alec Guinness and Dennis Price. It’s so deft and deliciously witty.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That because I was a newsreader I’m a self-important authority figure and a bit of a snob. I’m not entirely convinced it’s wrong!
The song that means most to you...Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits. It was the favourite song of cameraman Mohamed Amin, who filmed with me during the Ethiopia famine. That song reflects our camaraderie. He died in a hijacking in Africa in 1996.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d start with a canoe ride down the Zambezi with Christine and our twin sons Roland and Simon, who are 41 now. Breakfast would be a full English with HP Sauce at Il Blandford’s cafe in London. After that we’d check into the Singita Pamushana Lodge in Zimbabwe and go on a game drive. Lunch would be at L’Hirondelle restaurant in Monte Carlo, where I’d have lobster salad and Provençal rosé wine. In the afternoon, my four grandchildren, aged five to eig
