Being tall is useful in lots of situations, but the disadvantage is you can’t hide. It slightly forces you to be an alpha male. Lots of people with different body shapes [Osman is 6ft 7in] and conditions say the same: if there’s something unusual about you it can be great, but sometimes you want to disappear.
My father left when I was very young. He skidded off and I didn’t see him for 25 years. It was awful – anyone who tells you it’s not is lying. This was back in the 70s when people didn’t really get divorced. But I had an incredible mum.
If you’re brought up with money you probably need it more. You need to keep yourself in the style to which you’ve become accustomed. I grew up without it, but whenever I get some I can’t believe it. Money means freedom.
I can’t begin to stress how cool having a rock-star brother is [Mat Osman, bassist in Suede]. Suede got big when I was at university. They were suddenly on TV, magazines, Top of the Pops. Now they’ve re-formed and my daughter’s friends are into them. I think our mum still wonders what he’s going to do for his real job.
I was quite chippy before I went to university. I thought Cambridge was going to be full of posh kids and that I’d resent them. There were lots of posh kids, but they were bright, and I thought: “That’s annoying, not only are you rich, but you’re lovely.” It changed my view of the world.
We’ll look back on this as the era of television, not film or rock ’n’ roll. It’s lasted about 50 years, and probably has about 10 to go in the old “five terrestrial channels” format. While my generation and above will always want a TV guide – it’s in our bones – it’s not how my kids watch TV.
The walk along the river to Craven Cottage [home of Fulham FC] is very relaxing. Sport is my grand passion: I have a Fulham season ticket. It has got cheaper in the past couple of years, weirdly.
Quiz shows make people feel good about themselves. Sometimes people feel guilty about watching TV, because they don’t have to go to a theatre or read a book to do it, but quizzes don’t make you feel dirty afterwards. People tend to play themselves, and you feel like you are part of a community.
I have no interest in watching someone from the far right and far left argue on Question Time. We want to be the best society we can, where everyone thrives, and it’s not going to be achieved by extremists shouting at each other.
The people I admire are those who make simple ideas with great skill. Graham Norton has been brilliant for two or three series of his show, but also brilliant is Graham Stuart, who produces it. Charlie Brooker is great, but the Screenwipe producer, Annabel Jones, is a genius. Producers never get enough credit.
I don’t think I could have presented in my 20s and 30s. It was helpful to get into presenting at an age where I have no interest in showing off.
In life, you’re like a rocket. For the first 35 or 40 years you’re being fired up into the air, and whatever your fuel was – ambition, money – you’re burning it up to get the rocket higher. But then at some point you fall to earth again.
Two Tribes returns to BBC2 on Monday 13 July
