By Alison James
t’s hard to imagine Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson being afraid of anything much. Watching her hold court at a press conference, she exudes a self-deprecating kind of confidence that immediately makes you warm to her. So it comes as something of a surprise to learn that she’s proposing to deliberately put herself in a situation where the nerves, and accompanying nausea, will, she says, be almost overwhelming. “I’m going to be in a production of the marvelous Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd – the Demon Barber of Fleet Street next March at the Coliseum in London, the home of the English Opera Company,” she explains. “I’m playing Mrs Lovett, the failed pie-shop owner who make pies from Todd’s victims. “Although I’ve played the part before – last year in New York – it’ll will be my first time on the London stage for 25 years. I know it’s a risk and I know I’ll be terrified when we open, but it’s something I have to do. I have to keep leaping into the unknown, doing new things and taking on new challenges. Otherwise it all becomes a bit, well, samey.” Can she really be that terrified? “Oh, you should have seen me before I went on stage in New
PICS: REX FEATURES; TOM PILSTON/EYEVINE ; JOEL RYAN AP/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES
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The risk I have to take Emma Thompson tells Yours why she needs to feel the fear. . . York,” she says with a grimace. “I had never been so frightened. I could cope with the fear but feeling so sick was awful. Hopefully, the nausea won’t be quite so bad this time. “My co-star, Welsh bass baritone Bryn Terfel, was fantastic in New York. Not only is he an operatic legend, he always knew which note we should be singing – and I know it’ll be the same in London. He’s the man I worship above all others – apart from my husband (actor Greg Wise) that is!” Some might think that choosing to take on the demanding role of Mrs Lovett was quite a strange decision, given that Emma’s great friend, actress Imelda Staunton, made such a success of the role in the West End only two years ago. “I did speak to Imelda about it after the idea was first suggested, several months before we opened
on Broadway,” Emma reveals. “I asked her what she thought. She gave me a look and replied ‘If you start working on it now, you might be OK’. Note the ‘might’! Anyway, I spoke to my mother (actress Phyllida Law) about it and she said, ‘But my dear, you simply must do it!’. So I did and I’m going to do it again! “Despite the fear, it is a dream come true to be performing Sweeney Todd again in my favourite theatre in London. I have done a musical before – in the Eighties I was in Me and My Girl for 15 months. Although I love making films, having a direct connection with an audience is a beautiful, inspiring exchange which literally makes me weep.” Given Emma’s schedule, it’s a wonder she’s not weeping with exhaustion! She’s just finished filming an, as yet untitled, movie about a perfectionist chef with Bradley Cooper and Sienna
Emma is pictured as Lady Eastlake in Effie Gray, alongside US actress Dakota Fanning in the title role, out soon in cinemas, and as gruesome pie creator Mrs Lovett in the Sweeney Todd musical, with Bryn Terfel
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✢ For more information about the production Sweeney Todd – the Demon Barber of Fleet Street at the Coliseum, go to www. www.eno.org or call 0207 836 0111
❙ star chat ❙ Miller and another film Effie Gray about Victorian art critic John Ruskin and his young wife is released on October 10 – Emma both stars in it and wrote the screenplay. A comedy film, Men, Women and Children, taking a look at the frustrations that young teenagers and adults face in today’s world, is released on October 24 and in November she starts shooting yet another movie Alone in Berlin about a couple
‘My mother is my role model. In addition to being an actress, she’s a great writer and was my first editor’ who resist the Nazi regime. Then there’s her book… on October 9, The Spectacular Tale of Peter Rabbit – the third of her Peter Rabbit sequels – is published. Where does she get the energy for it all? “If you look after yourself and you’re healthy, then you have the energy to do things,” she says. “I do whatever comes along and what interests me – be it acting, screenwriting or whatever. “I’ve never had a big career plan – that thought is quite alien to me and I’ve never really understood it. Motherhood has
maybe stopped me from taking on certain projects – especially in the theatre (she has a 14-year-old daughter Gaia and an adopted Rwandan refugee son, Tindy, 27). I don’t think appearing on stage every night necessarily fits in that well with being a mum. The timings aren’t great. You have to leave the house just when your children are coming home from school. My mother worked in the theatre a lot when we were small and it’s hard.” Emma (55) and her younger sister (actress Sophie Thompson), are very close to their mum – in fact all three live within a few miles of each other in North London. “My mother is my role model,” Emma goes on. “In addition to being an actress, she’s a great writer and was my first editor. I would write sketches and do them for my mum in the kitchen and she would edit them for me. “Long ago I remember thinking I could never be as good, wise, kind, loving and generally brilliant as her. It’s taken me over half a century to stop trying.” She never needed to try!
Emma would perform sketches in the kitchen for her mum Phyllida Law, above left. Right, with husband Greg and their two children, Gaia and adopted refugee Tindy YOURS
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PET DONORS … giving a gift of life
The cat with nine lives: two-year-old tabby Burt
How a pioneering pet tissue bank is helping to give poorly and injured cats and dogs a new lease of life
By Sue Corfield s any animal lover knows, losing a much-loved pet is heartbreaking. But thanks to pioneering work, there’s now a way to bequeath your deceased pet to help living animals in need of healing. The Veterinary Tissue Bank is the UK’s first ethical animal donor programme. Grafts of particular tissues can help cats and dogs with all kinds of conditions. Cats such as Burt – a male two-year-old grey tabby and white rescue cat. He was severely injured in a road accident outside his home on the Wirral and received a donor bone graft to help repair his fractures. His owner Alison Reavy (42) from Retford, Nottinghamshire, says: “Burt means the world to us. Prior to his accident, I wasn’t aware of the donor programme and was touched that a pet owner had acted with such compassion at a very difficult time and donated their deceased pet to help other pets in need.” Burt’s severe fractures were repaired with a plate and screws, together with a feline bone graft and proteins with healing properties supplied by the tissue bank. Helen Dakin’s dog Meg also benefited from the tissue bank.
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Burt’s life was saved thanks to bone grafts and proteins from the Veterinary Tissue Bank. Above, cuddles with owner Alison
❙ animal magic ❙ Stem cell therapy was a last resort for Helen and her Labradorcross, Meg
How to become a pet donor
Meg suffered from chronic arthritis in her front elbow and was reluctant to exercise or play as it caused her extreme pain. Helen had rescued her beloved Meg, a Labrador-cross, from an animal shelter aged just 12 weeks. Now aged eight, Meg has not had good health during her life, and Helen was desperate to get her the best possible help for her condition. Traditional treatment with antiinflammatories had failed to help Meg. As a last resort, Helen (44) was referred to a veterinary hospital in Doncaster, where Meg became one of the first arthritic
pets in the UK to benefit from the tissue bank. Helen says: “They really worked miracles with her. Meg still limps slightly, but she is keen to go for walks now, which is a massive improvement.” Like Burt, Meg had help from the tissue bank, which used cells taken from her own body and expanded them. The cells were then injected back into Meg to help facilitate the healing process. Mark Straw, clinical director at the Beechwood Veterinary Hospital where the operation took place, says: “It is a new procedure and as
✢ For more information on becoming a donor such, is still relatively contact Veterinary unproven. However, we Tissue Bank on 01691 were fast running out 778769 or visit the of options to give Meg website at www. back her mobility and vtbank.org although stem cell therapy isn’t a cure for arthritis it can alleviate the pain.” As you might expect, the cost of such treatment can run into thousands of pounds, but some pet insurances will cover it. Meg’s treatment costs were covered by a Marks & Spencer pet insurance policy. “It has made such a huge difference to her life. It has been amazing,” adds Helen. PIC: STEVE HALL/UNP, PATRICK BOYD PHOTOGRAPHY
‘Meg still limps slightly but she is keen to go for walks now which is a massive improvement’
✢ Sign up for the pet donor register. The tissue bank will then contact your vet and ask them to note your pet’s donor status on their medical record. You will be given a pet donor card. ✢ When your pet passes away, you can decide if you still agree to the donation and if you do, the vet contacts the tissue bank and arranges collection. ✢ Once bone and tissue have been retrieved, the pet is cremated and the ashes returned to the owner. ✢ Donor pets need a full vaccination record and must to be free of any infectious diseases. ✢ There is no cost to the pet owner. ✢ The tissue bank was established by veterinary surgeons, John Innes and Dr Peter Myint. There’s always an urgent need for more pet donors, especially to help cats who need grafts to aid fracture repair.
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Style notes
Meet our experts Anna Paolozzi is a celebrity make-up artist who specialises in make-up for women over 40. Find out more at www.annapaolozzi.co.uk Daniel Balbes is senior artistic director at London’s Michaeljohn salon
for powder 1Plump
This may sound surprising because we’re often told cream make-up formulas give a softer finish with age – but make-up artist Anna Paolozzi swears by powder foundation. “Liquid foundation can sink into wrinkles,” she explains. “Instead, use a powder foundation. Put it on with a brush and remove any excess with a powder puff. “Throughout the day, the natural oils in your skin will come through, giving you a glow that’s far more effective than using a shimmery base, which can emphasise lines.” Try No7 Stay Perfect Compact Foundation, £14.50.
Look younger in an instant
Put powde r foundation on with a brush and re move any e xce ss with a powde r puf f 44
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7 ways to...
Knock off the years in minutes with our clever hair and make-up tricks
2Get clever with concealer
Used the right way, concealer can be an essential anti-ageing tool. “We tend to get darker around the eyes as we age and that can make your eyes look smaller. Cover shadows with a good concealer, going under your eyes and up the sides of your nose, too. This will hide darkness and lift your eye shape. Rimmel Hide The Blemish, £3.99, is brilliant – just as good as concealers from premium ranges,” says Anna. Apply sparingly and pat it on gently with your middle finger.
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“As you get older it’s important to make up your eyes because they can lose definition and start to look smaller as your eyelids sag,” says Anna. “Well-defined eyes could detract from any crow’s feet, too. “Keep make-up soft and simple; the quickest way to make eyes look amazing is to use a kohl pencil all around your eyes, focusing more on the upper eyelids, then smudge it with your finger for a soft, flattering effect.”
“Blusher is essential as you get older,” says Anna. “It can help recreate the natural peachy bloom you had when you were younger.” The secret is to choose the right youth-boosting shade. “Avoid brown tones, which are flat and ageing, and don’t go too pink either,” advises Anna. Instead, she recommends a bright apricot or coral shade to lift your complexion, such as Bobbi Brown Blush in Apricot or Nectar, both £19.
Smile broadly to find the apples of your cheeks, the perfect facelifting spot to apply blusher. Don’t smile as you apply it as you may end up with creases where the blusher collects around your smile lines Use a light hand – less is more!
Anti- ageing night creams
k while Turn back the cloc these you sleep, withnigh t ted -tes der rea creams
Daniel Balbes, senior artistic director at London’s Michaeljohn salon, advises, “Take your hair back. It opens up your face and gives your features a subtle lift.” But avoid severe styles such as tight ponytails, which can look harsh. “The key is to take your hair off your face softly,” Daniel says. Try brushing back the front section, tucking it behind your ears or, if it’s long, pulling it into a loose ponytail or bun.
your eyes 6Emphasise
a youthful flush 4Fake
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5Push your hair back
Perfect your pout
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“Add youthful shine to your lips with gloss – it looks fabulous as you get older,” says Anna. “Lips thin with age but gloss helps them look plumper. Avoid deeply pigmented colours and choose a lighter soft pinky peach shade for a flattering look.” We love Stila Lip Glaze in Mango, £15.
Missed our feature on... reader-tested creams?
Avoid highfashion brights, which highlight wrinkles, and instead choose pencils in soft brown, grey or aubergine – we love Bourjois Effect Smokey Eyes Pencil, £5.99. “Swap black mascara for brown, which still gives definition,” adds Anna. Try a thickening mascara such as L’Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes So Couture Mascara, £10.99.
STOCKISTS Bobbi Brown 0800 054 2988, www.bobbibrown.co.uk; Bourjois www.bourjois.co.uk; L’Oreal 0800 0304 033, www.loreal-paris.co.uk; Maybelline www.maybelline.co.uk; No 7 0345 070 8090, www.boots.com; Stila 0845 003 5330, www.stila.co.uk: Rimmel London www.rimmellondon.com Details correct at time of going to press
PICS: ISTOCKPHOTO WORDS CHARLOTTE HAIGH MACNEIL
Get the perfect ‘lifted’ brow shape by using the comb on the end of “Shaping your the pencil to brush all the hairs eyebrows is in your brows downwards. Use vital as you the pencil to lightly trace along get older to the top of your brows, before frame and brushing the hairs back up lift your eyes,” again. Finish by filling says Anna. As in any gaps well as getting rid of straggly hairs, she points out that filling brows in with a pencil is an anti-ageing trick that will immediately knock off years. “Brows become sparser with age, so filling them in – even if you never bothered with an eyebrow pencil before – will make a huge difference.” Look for a waxy pencil that blends easily, such as Maybelline Eye Studio Mastershape Brow, £2.99. Avoid going too dark, as that can make you look stern – it’s better to choose a shade that’s slightly lighter than your natural eyebrow colour.
Groom your brows
✢ NEXT ISSUE Get younger-looking hands with our expert advice
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HEALTH &
vitality Meet our expert Dr Jane McCartney is a chartered psychologist specialising in emotional eating. She is the author of Stop Overeating (£10.99, Vermilion)
f you’re caught up in a cycle of starting a diet, feeling motivated and shedding a few pounds, then putting the weight back on again, this may be because you’re what is known as an ‘emotional eater’. “More than 70 per cent of us who struggle with our weight are emotional eaters,” says psychologist Dr Jane McCartney. Women over 50 may be dealing with particularly difficult feelings. “At this time in your life, it’s common to start thinking about missed opportunities,” says Jane. “You might have been through a relationship breakup, bereavement, or perhaps your children have left home. You may be experiencing menopausal mood swings – all these things can contribute.”
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M ore than 70 pe r ce nt of us who st ruggle wit h our we ight ar e e mo tional eate rs
Kick emotion Could you lose weight without dieting? Find out how to stop boredom, anxiety and guilt making you pile on the pounds Understand the feelings It’s not always easy to recognise whether you’re eating for emotional reasons – use our checklist to find out:
❒ I start diets enthusiastically but they always fail quickly
❒ I often feel guilty after eating ❒ Sometimes only fatty, sugary food will do, even if healthier options are available
❒ When I feel sad or stressed, I tend to reach for food
❒ I started gaining weight after a difficult time in my life
❒ I regularly eat when I’m not hungry
How did you do? If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these, emotional eating may be an issue for you, and if more than three apply, you’re almost certainly an emotional eater. Read on to find out how to tackle it.
Know your triggers “The first step is understanding you’re an emotional eater,” says Jane. “Next, work out the specific feelings that lead you to eat. Try the Backward Step Technique – set aside some quiet time, take a pen and some paper and think about a recent time you’ve eaten because of how you felt and not because of genuine physical hunger. Write down the episode. “Then think about one specific event that led you to it. Repeat this four more times, so you end up with 52
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five incidents that happened before you ate. “The triggers for emotional eating aren’t always big events – they are often everyday stresses and frustrations,” says Jane. For example, perhaps during the afternoon before you snacked you had an argument with your husband, were in on your own all day feeling bored and lonely or a sibling left you a demanding message saying you should be doing more for your parents.”
While your triggers may seem minor, they tend to tap into deeper issues and feelings. For example, an argument with your partner – even if it’s over something petty – might bring up an ongoing worry that he no longer loves you. Jane suggests looking at the notes you’ve made (see below, left) and thinking about the emotions behind those triggers. Some common emotions named by emotional eaters include frustration, guilt, disappointment, resentment, insecurity, anger, jealousy, boredom and anxiety. Write down the emotions you experienced during the events that led you to eat. “Now come up with three statements that best summarise those feelings,” says Jane. “These statements can tell you a lot about the way you see yourself,” says Jane. “These thoughts may even come from things you were told in childhood. They might not be fair or valid, but they’ve stuck.” And that’s why even relatively small triggers can have such a powerful effect on your feelings. Now you’ve identified the negative thoughts that lead you to over-eat, it’s important to challenge them, to learn to feel better about yourself and stop using food as a comfort.
❙ health advice ❙
onal eating
Find another focus “Setting some positive goals can help redirect your energy and make you feel better about yourself,” says Jane. Physical activity can help boost your mood, so think about taking up a new form of exercise, whether that’s dance classes, golf or yoga. But any hobby that absorbs and interests you can help you feel re-energised. Jane also recommends coming up with ideas for other kinds of treats for when you really need to reward or console yourself. Being able to relax without thinking about food is half the battle. “Have a bath with some lovely essential oils, treat yourself to a pedicure, watch a few episodes of your favourite box set or speak to a friend who always makes you laugh,” she suggests. Remember: tackling emotional eating doesn’t have to mean you never let yourself eat cake as a treat – it’s just about stopping this being a regular habit.
WORDS: CHARLOTTE HAIGH MACNEIL; PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK & ALAMY
C ome up wit h so me non- food tr eats when you re all y ne ed to re ward or cons ole yourse lf
Take ten… Now you understand some of the emotions that can lead to emotional eating, it’s time to stop them driving you back to the biscuit tin. “When you get the urge to eat, ask yourself if you’re actually hungry. If the answer is no, give yourself ten minutes,” says Jane. “The emotion making you want to eat will lose its intensity after this
time, but it’s not so long that you’ll end up ruminating on whatever might have happened. During that ten minutes, think about why you want to eat. Jot some Turn the notes down if you page for our can.” Chances are, once you’ve done inspirational this, the urge to eat weight-loss will have passed. story YOURS
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0 1 BEST... of the
Breaks for
FOODIES From seasonal fare to a charity breakfast, celebrity chef talks to fungi foraging, there’s plenty of tasty events happening this autumn ✢ Share shellfish
✢ Feast in Fife
FOOD FRESH FROM THE SEA!
The St Andrew’s Food Festival in Fife is now in its fourth year and is a wonderful way to celebrate local produce. Running from November 22-30, it’s a part of the wider St Andrew’s Day Festival, with everything a foodie could desire, from gala dinners to cookery demonstrations, tastings and a huge farmers’ market. ✢ For more information visit www.foodfest.visitstandrews.com
There’ll be plenty to tempt all palates at the annual Anglesey Oyster and Welsh Produce Festival, October 11-12. You’ll find cheese, meats, preserves, cakes and beers, plus of course local crab, lobster and oysters. There will also be cookery demonstrations and the hotly anticipated butchers’ sausage contest to enjoy! ✢ Festival being held at Trearddur Bay Hotel, 01407 860301. Adults £1, under16s free. Visit www.visitanglesey.co.uk or www.angleseyoysterfestival.com
✢ Cook the books A literary festival might not seem the obvious place to find quality fare, but Cheltenham is an exception. Its magnificent Spiegeltent (a luxurious tent with stained glass and mirrored walls) will host talks by top chefs including Heston Blumenthal and Lorraine Pascale, as well as wine tasting, a tapas evening, afternoon teas or Indian cookery. ✢ The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literary Festival takes place from October 3-12. Events are ticketed, with prices starting from £10. To book call 0844 880 8094 or visit www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
✢ Be buttered up ✢ Find fungi If you’ve ever longed to forage for ingredients, but felt uncertain about what’s edible and what’s potentially toxic, you’ll love joining in with a morning fungi foray at Hambleton Hall in Rutland. Led by expert Paul Nichol you’ll be in safe hands as you gather edible mushrooms from the Hall’s grounds, before enjoying them as part of a threecourse lunch cooked by a Michelin starred chef. 116
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✢ The foraging and lunch costs £85pp, and you can always add on a night’s stay at the Hall afterwards for £265 per room, based on two sharing and including breakfast. For information or to book call 01572 756991 or visit www. prideofbritainhotels.com/hambleton_hall
Have you ever tried black butter? If not, now is your chance, as the National Trust hosts a series of workshops in Jersey. The traditional delicacy is made from peeled and cored apples mixed with black treacle, liquorice, cider, brown sugar and spices. Pitch in with a host of volunteers to make a huge volume of this tasty treat from the island’s apple harvest, and watch the pot simmer over the weekend. ✢ This free community event is on Oct 23, 24 and 25 – 2pm to 5pm on Thurs 23, and from10am on Fri 24 right up until1pm on Sat 25. Visit at The Elms, La Chève Rue, St Mary. For information, call 01534 483193 or visit www.nationaltrust.je
✢ Seafood special
✢ Contact the Padstow Seafood School on 01841 532700 or www.rickstein.com
✢ Make meringues
ENTRY FREE FOR LITTLE ONES!
Head to Aldeburgh Food and Drink Fringe Festival for a range of events and classes, including a quirky Mad Hatter’s meringue and macaron workshop. This hands-on class will be held at the White Lion Hotel on October 11 and is followed by afternoon tea and prosecco, plus take home your treats, all for £32pp.
✢ The festival runs Oct 2-9, but fringe events continue until Oct 11. To book the meringue class call 01728 452720, visit www.whitelion.co.uk. For the festival, visit www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk
✢ SPAM-tastic breakfast
✢ Festive fare
✢ Feast for less
Visit Kate Humble’s farm near Monmouth. At Curing for Christmas you’ll prepare a delicious Boxing Day ham joint, as well as festive dry-cure bacon. It’s a half-day course with refreshments (not lunch) and you can take home what you’ve cured – good value for £75pp.
A new money-saving endeavour will kick off in Weymouth, with the launch of FEAST. A six-week scheme to encourage us to eat out during the autumn months, the event will see numerous independent restaurants and pubs offering bargain set menus, or various courses available for £5, £10, £15 or £20. Already more than 20 restaurants have signed up, including fine dining, rustic, pizza, curry houses, Chinese restaurants, Italian, seafood, contemporary cuisine, locally sourced handmade burgers, along with pubs serving extensive pub food menus.
✢ Curing for Christmas, Nov 29. Call 01600 714 595 or visit www. humblebynature.com
✢ For more info call 07739 554794
Ten of the best
Ra ilway day trips
Our expert guide recommends Britain’s mos t i historic
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SPAM and Henderson’s Relish will host a charity all-day breakfast in Sheffield. Get a SPAM fry-up for £2 or an egg SPAMwich for £1. Proceeds to Sheffield Children’s Hospital. There’ll be themed merchandise to be won, and a giant SPAM can to have your photo taken with! ✢10am-4pm, Oct 4, Crucible Corner, Tudor Square. Visit www.spam-uk.com/CHC
✢ NEXT ISSUE There’s something for everyone to do in New York
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WORDS: LIZZY DENING; PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK; RON CATHRO; VISIT WALES
Rick Stein is famous for his coastal cookery and you can try a day course at his Padstow-based school. Suitable for fish fanatics or novices alike, you’ll use local seafood to make a host of dishes, on October 22. At £198pp it’s not cheap, so a two-hour evening course is a more affordable alternative at £30. Visit on October 24 at 6pm and you can whip up a fishy dish.
mfrom y lessons life… BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull, 58, talks TV partners, early starts and the one person he’d really like to interview… ✢ Controlling emotions can be difficult
✢ Talent will out
Bill would love a chat with the Queen
✢ Chemistry is crucial I have partnered with more than 30 different people during my presenting career and had a whole range of relationships. You have to get on well under quite intense pressure. It’s based on trust, and knowing that they have your back. I’d like to think I’m on speaking terms with all my television partners, and some of them have become great friends, like Sian (Williams), Natasha (Kaplinsky) and Susanna (Reid). You have to hold on to friends – the knots tend to loosen and slip away, and it’s easier to lose friends than to find new ones.
✢ Appreciate where you are at the time My wife and I really embraced moving North as part of the BBC’s Salford move. We were lucky because the children (Henry, 25, Will, 24 and 154
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Flora, 22) are grown-up so we didn’t have to worry. I have moved around a lot in my career and it doesn’t trouble me too much – I see it as an adventure. You don’t want to look back and think you didn’t enjoy something because you were busy worrying about what might happen.
If you work hard and stay dedicated you cannot help but get on in life. It will take longer than you think, and you may not get what you think you deserve, but you will rise to where you should be. When I was a young reporter there were those who watched the clock until the end of their shift. I always stayed later because it mattered to me.
✢ Staying fit is important
✢ Courtesy costs nothing
In your 50s your trousers shrink all the time! Being on TV is the spur I need to get in shape so I do yoga or Pilates every morning when I get up at 3.40am. You don’t ever get used to that, but you learn to live with it.
Manners are the engine oil of society. You feel better if you are polite than if you are rude, so you make two people happy.
✢ Bill was talking to Laura Bradder ✢ He presents BBC Breakfast, MondayWednesday, 6am, BBC1
WHAT MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE TODAY? Firstly, the education that my parents saved and sacrificed to pay for, which I am grateful for every day. Secondly, my wife Sesi (left). Her advice has made the climb up the greasy pole much smoother. We met on the Today programme when she was a producer and I was a reporter. She absolutely gave up her career so I could be a foreign correspondent. Her sacrifice has meant everything to me.
PICS: BBBC; ALAMY; ED WATTS/RETNA PICTURES
When you interview somebody who has lost someone close to them, or suffered a serious illness or tragedy, it can be very hard. You want to sympathise with them so much, but that is not what you are there for. My dream interview would be with the Queen – it would never happen but what a fascinating chat that would be. An exclusive to end them all!
It’s something I have come to realise later in life. If you get in an argument with somebody but retain your courtesy, you’ve won.