I have been unusually blessed in that I've been allowed to pursue two strands of a career that both delight me and seem to please the public.

All I ask of food is that it doesn't harm me.

I don't see why it should be remarkable that you can acquire a reputation for fairness and decency. Those are qualities shared by so many people. And the great majority of people I meet are decent people, just trying to navigate their way through the world without causing too much trouble.

There is nothing better than playing a scene with John Cleese or Maggie Smith. It's electric. But I don't think I'm the sort of person who needs to have an outer ego in order to produce something. I realised that through the travel programmes.

I am not a great cook, I am not a great artist, but I love art, and I love food, so I am the perfect traveller.

There is barely a country in the world where you will be completely safe.

In the absence of fear there is little faith.