What did you get from appearing on Strictly Come Dancing?
When I did Strictly in 2023, I would often say it had changed my life, and I could feel the winces of people around me thinking, “Oh, no, it hasn’t!” But I think it genuinely did. As time goes on, you feel the impact less, but doing Strictly reconnected me with a side of myself I had long forgotten. I hadn’t had that much fun in a long time, nor had I enjoyed the buzz of a big performance and the need to entertain an audience rather than inform or educate them, as is the habit of public service broadcasting.
There is a pure joy in taking a big risk, learning a completely new skill and jumping in the deep end with all your heart. Then there is the simple pleasure of dancing, which, as we get older, we tend to be embarrassed about. But dancing connects your brain, body and emotions in a way I can’t remember anything else doing.
Which dance was your favourite? Do you still dance?
The quickstep was probably the one I will always remember. Everything seemed to go right for a moment—and I even looked the part! The audience were on their feet for the final few seconds, even before the music had stopped.
I really wish I was still dancing, but I’m not. The truth is, you need to start from scratch after doing Strictly, because you don’t really learn to dance on the show, you learn your routines. So you don’t know any of the real rules.
And dancing on Strictly is such an intense and high-end experience that going to a weekly class just doesn’t seem that appealing. I keep thinking that maybe I should go on holiday to South America and do some intensive salsa and tango classes. It could be my equivalent of the kind of Ayurvedic and yoga holidays my wife goes on.
What’s television’s funniest moment?
Four candles. If you don’t know what I mean, Google it.
What’s the last book you read? Would you recommend it?
I just read Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, and I loved it. It was a little odd reading a book about winter in Ireland while I was on a beach in Australia, but it is so well written it took me there straight away.
If everyone has a book in them, what is yours?
I’ve never really believed that. But I suppose, one day, I could have a crack at a comedy thriller, about a highbrow newsroom trying to make the transition to a digital and AI-powered future, amidst political chaos and geopolitical turbulence. The fun bits would probably boil down to the interpersonal relationships.
Do you cry in movies? If so, what was the last movie that made you cry?
I’ve never really cried in movies. But remember: I’m an ageing middle-aged man, so losing control of my emotions is probably only a matter of time. I imagine that when I’m 65 I’ll be blubbing away at the adverts in between Channel 4 News.
What’s the most creative thing you do?
Since I was very young, when I’m feeling bothered or stuck or inspired, I have sat at a piano or with a guitar and made noise until it sounded like something I’d want to play again. I can’t claim to be very good, but it’s always been therapeutic.
Do you follow any sports?
Being born in Liverpool makes me a Liverpool supporter, but I do also have season tickets to Brentford, which is my local club. I’m probably more into football now than I ever was when I was a kid. But I can’t claim to be a serious fan. Not being sporty myself has always made me a little shy about joining in the sports chat.
What would you like to get into if you had the time?
I’d like to be in a band again. There’s nothing quite like it.
Who’s your favourite James Bond?
For 40 years, I’d have said Roger Moore was my era, but now I’d have to say Daniel Craig.
What are your top five movies of all time?
In no particular order: The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, My Fair Lady, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Godfather.
What’s the first gig you ever went to? And the most recent?
The first gig I went to was Depeche Mode at King George’s Hall in Blackburn. The last one I went to was Oasis at Wembley.
Did you rebel against your parents’ cultural tastes?
Yes and no. My dad introduced me to the Beatles, and they remain forever my favourite artists of any kind. But my parents were also into Indian classical music and dance. At the time, I rejected it, though I have listened to a lot of Indian music in my youth, and somehow it sinks in.
Who is the greatest artistic genius of all time?
Mozart or Paul McCartney
Suggest an alternative national anthem.
“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.
