I really hate people who feel their private lives should be paraded, and there are magazines like 'Hello!,' 'OK' and 'Bella' totally devoted to this.

I have seen incredible bravery from very young guys, the young generation that people write off.

What's always got me is the fact that when people talked on the telly about Iraq, before Afghanistan kicked off, you'd get only these public-school-type army officers talking about what was going on out there. I kept thinking, 'Why don't we get the true voice of the squaddie? Why don't we hear from the lads on the battlefield?'

It only takes around 60 seconds to cast your vote in the polling station. 60 seconds to protect the economy, 60 seconds to protect your jobs, 60 seconds to protect the services your family relies on. A lot is at stake during those 60 seconds.

If I have a weakness, it's for timepieces - if I see one I like and can afford it, I'll buy it.

I don't think you should go into politics until you can stand on your own two feet economically, if possible, and you know enough about the world.

I'm an old git now, so I would say this, but television was better when there were less channels. There was more concentration and selection in terms of the output.