Jeremy Paxman admits he doesn’t miss hosting Newsnight because: “I spent 25 years listening to people talk b******* every night. That was enough.”
The star, 69 – dubbed Paxo for giving guests a stuffing – presented the current affairs show from 1989 to 2014.
He famously asked squirming Home Secretary Michael Howard the same question 12 times during a 1997 interview.
In 2003 he asked Tony Blair if he and US President George Bush prayed together.
Blair replied: “No, Jeremy. We do not pray together.”
After George Galloway ousted Labour’s Oona King in the 2005 election he said: “MrGalloway, are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in parliament?”
But Paxo has no regrets about not grilling politicians: “I care. Of course I care. Anyone who lives in this country has to care but life’s too short.”
Paxman earned around £800,000 a year for Newsnight and quiz show University Challenge, which he still hosts.
But he upset BBC bosses in 2014 saying: “There’s a pile of stuff on the BBC I can’t stand.
“My idea of hell is going down in one of the lifts which has Radio 1Xtra plumbed in.”
Speaking at the West End launch of musical The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Paxo said: “There are lots of things I want to do that I haven’t done but I cant think what they are.
“It’s like Boris Johnson being asked his favourite hobby and saying toy buses – ridiculous.”
