[There] are people who make a complete and utter mockery of ‘democracy’ and ‘equality’ – they’re the casualties of the primitive rules of competition which run our society, and the welfare state just keeps them...

I saw novelists as being admirable people and I thought… I thought… maybe, one day, I could be one of them.

I can be me, and people seem quite happy with that.

I’ve been lucky enough to stand on both poles, but the place that seemed the remotest to me was Butugychag, a former gulag in Siberia. It is completely cut off from the rest of the...

If you had a successful TV show, people wanted to see you live. Promoters had had practice with pop groups, and ‘Python’ achieved a similar status. We also had lots of rock star fans –...

I am very cautious of people who are absolutely right, especially when they are vehemently so.

One of the most important days of my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle.

I’ve never particularly liked travelling with large groups or being told where to go by somebody else. I prefer to find out for myself.

I want people to know there is more to Somalia than looting and piracy.

I’ve been lucky to have made a number of travel programmes with the BBC, the object being to see places off the beaten track. As a result, I’ve often had a guide who’s been able...

Despite having seen a fair amount of the world, I still love travelling – I just have an insatiable curiosity and like looking out of a window.