I was a volunteer driver at the 2012 London Olympics

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I was a National League field hockey umpire until I retired from injury. I now assess and coach up and coming umpires.

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I can tap dance (I learnt as a child)!

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I rode an elephant (bare back) in 2004

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I completed the Classic (10 mile) Tough Mudder endurance event in May 2019

I want to learn to fly a helicopter

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I intend to live until I’m 100 years old

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I expect to have at least one more career change in my life

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I have ideas for three books and one television series, which I’ll write one day (perhaps that’s the career change!)

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I would love to have a conversation with Queen Elizabeth I

I failed the first exam I ever took (ballet, aged 5 and three-quarters)

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My teenage crush was George Michael (RIP)

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I was born in the same year as decimalisation

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I was a house-captain and prefect at school, but my biggest accolade was playing Thieving Jack in the school nativity play (lead role don’t-ya-know ooh get me)

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I got regularly told off for talking too much

I was once three feet from HMQ and we had a staring match – she won

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I once sold Phil Collins a full England football strip for his son

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Ed Sheeran has watched me umpire a hockey match. Twice.

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Richard Whiteley (original Countdown host) once sat next to me at lunch

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Sky TV Gladiator Atlas used to work with me

My mum is called Carole, but her given name is Alison

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I have a younger brother called Phil who plays the drums

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I have 3 step-sisters, 1 step brother, 4 step-nephews, 2 step-nieces and 1 step-dog

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I’m the eldest cousin on my dad’s side

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My dad (Richard) could have been a Baron, but our ancestor gambled the title away

My favourite films of all time are The Birdcage and Practical Magic

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Horror films bore me

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The first film I remember seeing at the cinema is Bedknobs and Broomsticks

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The last film I saw at the cinema was Avengers Endgame

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The best and worst cinematic moments of all time are both in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

I’m allergic to penecillin

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I once suffered from gout, which I only found out was hereditary on both sides after I got it

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I have recently developed Raynaud’s disease (random numbness in fingers and toes)

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I’ve only ever broken one limb – my left leg (tib/fib) when I was 11

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I’ve been short-sighted since the age of 12, had fake front teeth since 17 and been going grey since I was 23

My first concert was ‘Kids from Fame’

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I still know all the words to ‘Wham Rap’ and ‘Young Guns’

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My favourite band is Muse, after buying the album ‘Absolution’ on a whim

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‘Pass the Dutchie’ by Muscial Youth was the first single I ever bought

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I will quite happily drive around the block to hear the tail end of a song I love (mainly so I can sing it)

I have a dog called Scamp – he’s a rescued Jack Russell / Terrier cross

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Our first family pet was a beagle (who should’ve been called Houdini for all the times he escaped)

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I’ve owned two cats – one was a rescue who rehomed himself and got fat, the other I had from a kitten until she got run over at 4

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Our family cat had a limp tail after mum ran over it by accident

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I don’t understand fish as pets

I learnt to ski at 16 and then didn’t go again for 20 years

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I can pick up coins and other small objects with my toes – handier than you might think

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I once turned down the opportunity to go to Glastonbury for free; the only festival I’ve been to is Reading (to see Muse)

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The superpower I would most like is teleportation

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Cryptic clues in crosswords evade me – my brain just doesn’t seem to work that way

My favourite TV show ever is The West Wing, although Friends gets an honourable mention

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I adore Strictly Come Dancing, but rarely watch the Christmas Special

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I was binge-watching different TV series’ before box-sets became a thing 

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I can’t stand ‘reality’ TV shows and I’m not overly keen on most ‘talent’ ones either

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Favourite TV shows as a child included Fame, The A Team and Dukes of Hazzard

I’m not at all religious, but I do believe in Karma and the power of the Universe

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Fun is a huge personal and business value – if it isn’t fun, why are we doing it?

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I am very likely to cry at happy things – seeing real and unfettered joy is one of the most uplifting things I can think of

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I find arrogance, unfair judgement and intolerance most distasteful in others

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I have a long history of rebelling against any form of ‘pre-determination’ of my future (other people deciding what I’m going to do!)