Quick Questions: Just A Minute host Nicholas Parsons gives us 10!

Radio 4 game show host Nicholas Parsons answers our 10 quick questions.

Just A Minute is heard everywhere, isn’t it?

Yes, I don’t know how the BBC do it but it’s heard all around the world.

Where is the biggest fan base?

I think the most fanatical listeners are in India. They have Just A Minute clubs where they play their version of the game.

How many episodes have you presented over the years?

There have been 900 episodes, and I’ve hosted every single one.

Ever missed one through illness?

Never. I really enjoy it. I never do it on auto pilot because that would be the end of me and the show.

Do you ever think: “I’ve done this show for more than half my life?”

I never thought of that before, but you’re right. We started in 1967, so I guess that’s true.

You’re now 90. When do you rest?

Doing my one-man show in Edinburgh last year for two and a half weeks was tiring, so I’m more choosy about what I do now. I’ve stopped doing panto. Twelve shows a week would be too much!

You have to control star names on the show Graham Norton, Paul Merton and others do you ever resort to sarcasm?

Never. It’s not in my nature. Paul Merton, who is brilliant, gets laughs at my expense, but that’s part of the fun. You have to laugh at yourself.

Why do you feel you still have to work?

I did a five-year apprenticeship on Clydebank to please my parents before establishing myself in this business, so I treasure every minute, and it keeps me young. If you don’t exercise your brain, you fade away.

What flatters you?

A school asked pupils to write about important people from history. A nine-year-old girl chose me as she enjoyed the show. That’s the most flattering thing ever.

You have 24 hours left to live. How do you spend the time?

With close family beside me. I’d enjoy a bottle of Rioja with a home-made Thai meal, and fall asleep under the stars beside my wife, Ann.

Report by Paul Coia