I strive for perfection, but of course it can never be perfect. I’m never satisfied at the end of a performance. But the great thing about live theatre is that every night you get another chance to get it right.

I become absolutely reclusive when I'm not working, to the point where I question whether I can actually do it again.

I do like silver. I love antiques. I collect Georgian glass at home. When you think about how fragile that it is and think about how long these things have lasted - some of it is 400 years old - I find the history of these things extraordinary.

I love observing both vocally and by sight. So I take on a lot of those elements of people around me.

I love the alchemy of cooking, the theatre of it. It's creating something.

I remember at the age of, and I'll say this, 10 and a half, 11, I had a natural boy soprano.

I'm not really an awards person. I've got a couple of gongs over my time, but I tend to be snubbed anyway for some reason.

I've done pretty well in my career, and I've watched colleagues who have spent most of the paychecks they receive on shoes and cars rather than bricks and mortar, and that's not me.

I start the show, and the armour goes on, and the showman comes out. When the show is finished, that comes off, and I become soft centred again.

With food, you're the artist; you put the colour in it, you present it to the table and it has the ability to knock out the senses. It can look fabulous, be beautifully presented and smell great and taste good as well.