I'll never retire. The new millennium is the age of adventure as far as I am concerned. I'm going up a volcano and off into space.

The misapprehension about me is that I am some loud, rampant maniac. I am actually very pensive and quiet.

Wishing kindness and compassion to all living creatures.

You can't call it an adventure unless it's tinged with danger. The greatest danger in life, though, is not taking the adventure at all. To have the objective of a life of ease is death. I think we've all got to go after our own Everest.

The household I grew up in... was rather like an Ovaltine advert. There was a huge fire, a kettle on the fire, the oven with the bread being baked every day, and there was the radio; it was very magical to hear all these wonderful programmes.

I fed my Yak on my spare Cadbury chocolate 21,0000ft up Everest. It was a blonde, very sweet female Yak. I made it my pet after that.

I've always been generous and like giving to charities and people in need.