WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO JOIN THE BIDDING ROOM?
I REALLY liked the idea of it, meeting people with their possessions that they want to sell. It's feel-good and amusing and good, easy watching. It's a good time to come on telly. What really intrigued me is who came through the door. We have no idea who they are or what they've got, so it's an adventure every time.
WERE YOU TEMPTED TO SELL ANY OF YOUR OWN POSSESSIONS?
My wife takes me around our house and she says, "You can sell that, that, that!" But when I did the pilot I came back with a whole load of stuff because I said to the dealers, "I'll have that if you don't want it". My wife said: "If you do that again I'll scream!", so I was very disciplined – I was very tempted to buy lots of things but I didn't.
DO YOU COLLECT THINGS?
I go to an antiques shop and I go mad. What you've bought over the years makes a home – it's important to have your taste or stamp on a room. I have a collection of stuffed fish (from the late 19th century). I know it sounds a bit odd. But they've gone up a great deal in value and I have about 30. They're on the kitchen on the wall. They look fantastic actually… well to me they do!
HOW DO YOU INTERACT WITH THE SELLERS?
I want to be very kind to people. I want to guide them through the whole day. I can't bear (TV when people are nasty). I hate that. I think that probably has gone out of fashion. I think even Simon Cowell has got a bit nicer!
HOW ARE YOU COPING WITH LOCKDOWN?
There's nothing we can do about it; we just have to go with it. There's no point worrying about something that you have no control over. I feel lucky because I'm in Wiltshire. We have a garden, a field to walk in, we're fine.
HAS ANY OF YOUR WORK BEEN CANCELLED?
I was in the middle of filming (TV series) Finding Alice, with Keeley Hawes. We've done the first three episodes. We just started the second block and that was the end of that. So we just have to wait and see what happens. If anyone tells you they know what's going to happen they're lying. I'm learning my lines for a play I've got in September/October, so I've got plenty to do.
YOU FAMOUSLY WALKED OUT OF I'M A CELEBRITY GET ME OUT OF HERE! IN 2010. WOULD YOU DO STRICTLY?
I didn't like I'm A Celebrity. If I'd stayed any longer I might have killed an ex-politician… (Lembit Opik) so it was best to leave. My wife said, "If you ever do one of those sort of programmes again I'll kill you!". So I've never mentioned [another reality show] again. I've no burning desire to do any.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GETTING OLDER?
I'm at an age I can just do what I want to do. I don't have to pretend to be anything other than what I am. The only good thing about being old is you can do what you want, pretty much, as long as you're not hurting anybody. I just eat carefully, don't drink too much and be sensible. A 'nip and tuck' is fine if other people want to do that. It's just I think I'd be laughed at. My wife would laugh at me.
:: The Bidding Room starts on BBC One today
