The moment I'm perceived to be even a tiny bit successful, my career will go down the pan.

I expect that in 40 years' time I'll be writing political tomes and working for an organisation like Oxfam.

Top Chef is a very smooth-running machine. All the people working there are incredibly professional and absolutely at the top of their game.

I tried being a mechanic and I tried catering, but I realized I had even less aptitude for semi-skilled labour than for academic work.

There's no reason why you can't deliver a grammar-school curriculum to an all-ability intake.

Oddly, I do have a problem with authority. I find it very difficult to knuckle down and follow rules. Which are the classic symptoms of someone who has a troubled relationship with their father. And yet, I never had a problem with my father.

The moment I'm perceived to be even a tiny bit successful, my career will go down the pan.