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Home , Charlene Tilton, Chris Moyles, Jonathan Ross

Interview by Robert Crampton RT Questionnaire He loves Pride and Prejudice, but doesn’t get Facebook. Cameron’s cultural picks The third party leader in the RT hot seat is… JK Rowling, Lauren Child, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Morpurgo? “Morpurgo.” John Humphrys, Jeremy Paxman, Fern Britton, Andrew Marr? “Probably Humphrys. No, he’s too big-headed already. I like Andrew Neil. He gets you from the right.” Coronation Street, EastEnders, , ? “The Bill.” faultlines of the age, Cameron was Tiswas rather Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s General Election Thu from 9pm C4, Sky News/ than Swap Shop, Blue Peter rather than Magpie. 9.55pm BBC1, BBC HD, ITV1/10pm Radio 4, 5 Live Dream, Romeo and Juliet? “Henry V.” “And I did like The Magic Roundabout. My wife “I would never Apple or PC, iPhone or BlackBerry? avid Cameron, if he wins, will be the liked Clangers. I didn’t, it was too far out. I was “Apple, BlackBerry.” first Prime Minister to have spent more run of the mill: Newsround, Jackanory.” do anything to Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, his entire life with television as the As a teenager at Eton, Cameron enjoyed Starsky or Matt dominant form of entertainment in and Hutch and The Sweeney. “And I loved The put the BBC Smith? “Probably Tom Baker.” Britain. Not surprisingly, from Professionals.” He essays a Gordon Jackson imper- Terry , Graham DJackanory on, he has watched a lot of it. More sonation. “Och, Bodie and Doyle! And Dallas, the at risk” Norton, Jonathan Ross? surprisingly, he still watches a lot of it. “I don’t do Southfork barbecue held a particular fascination. “Jonathan Ross [right].” TV suppers, but two nights a week at least after And there was that division whether you fancied we’ve eaten we’ll watch the telly. I still watch quite a Victoria Principal [as Pamela], Sue Ellen [played Miss Marple, Morse, McNulty lot of television.” Indeed so. The man’s knowledge by Linda Gray] or the Poison Dwarf [, in The Wire, Columbo? “Morse.” of contemporary TV is impressive. Dammit, he played by Charlene Tilton]. My dad was obsessed Chris Moyles, , Jeremy Vine, watches more than I do, and I’m not trying to by Dynasty. He thinks that was the high-water Jarvis Cocker on BBC 6 Music? “Evans.” become Prime Minister. mark. He loved Joan Collins.” Facebook, Twitter, Mumsnet, MySpace, Sitting by the window of his Westminster office Interestingly, Cameron doesn’t mention sport at Second Life? “None of the above.” overlooking the Thames, Cameron is expansive all. Rather, he’s a costume drama fan. “Pride and , Nigella, Delia, , about his box-watching history and habits. The Prejudice was the best, but there were some other Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall? “Jamie or Hugh.” Tory leader is relaxed discussing these influences really good adaptations, all the Andrew Davies Avatar, An Education, In the Loop, The Hurt and tastes, which, for all their apparent triviality, stuff. He really is a genius. Bonnets are good. And Locker? “I’ve seen An Education [left], so offer an insight into the character of the man who I was big on watching films. Still am. Now I record I’ll say that.” hopes soon to be running the country. a film and watch it in bits as a way of relaxation.” Call of Duty, Before we get started, however, Cameron is keen He’s just rewatched the Godfather trilogy, loves Farmville, Scrabble, to refute the idea that he is anti-BBC. “I’m probably westerns and war films. “Saving Private Ryan, Monopoly? the most pro-BBC Conservative leader there’s ever Clint Eastwood’s new ones, Flags of our Fathers “Monopoly.” and the Iwo Jima one [Letters from Iwo Jima], but been!” he says. “I worked at ITV for seven years and Friends, Sex and there’s still something about The Guns of you learn to respect the incredibly important role the City, Band Navarone and Where Eagles Dare. It’s an the BBC plays. Competitors like the BBC of Brothers, age thing. I’ve been watching Milk the because you’re competing up here on The West Wing? “Band of Brothers.” quality rather than down here on past couple of nights: I love Sean Penn. Rudyard Kipling, Philip Larkin, Wendy Cope, price. I would never do anything to Never been a great soap fan, although Carol Ann Duffy? “Kipling.” put the BBC at risk. Conservatives I watched Neighbours at university. And should be as proud of establishing Bullseye. And Going for Gold.” Hilary Mantel, Nick Hornby, George the BBC as Labour are of establish- Now, Sunday night is his big telly MacDonald Fraser, Ian McEwan, Martin Amis? ing the NHS.” night. “I use Sky+. Silent Witness, “Macdonald Fraser.” He also points out that it was Waking the Dead, they’re good. I get David Hockney, Tracey Emin, Banksy, a Conservative Home Secretary who them muddled up. Waking the Dead is Lucian Freud? “I have to say Tracey Emin, gave the go-ahead to . Trevor Eve, and, er, Emilia Fox, The otherwise she’ll kill me.” ; r e x wr ence J ones “Willie Whitelaw!” he shouts. “When Day of the Jackal’s daughter.” Edward Beatles or Stones? Blur or Oasis? Sex was it… 1980, 1981?” Around then, Fox? “Yeah. Poirot is very good. I like Pistols or the Jam? or Lady Gaga? I say, and before that, we (Cameron a bit of escapism.” “Beatles, Oasis, the Jam, Madonna.”

J ohn L a aph by is 43, I am two years older) only had As with many of us, boxed sets , Mitchell and Webb, two and a half channels to choose are accumulating on the Cameron , Armstrong and Miller, between. shelves. “I watched a series of 24 Walliams and Lucas? “I think “My father used to say two over Christmas and thought it was The Fast Show is better than love rivals things when we had supper,” “Dominic West is great. The Wire is excellent. [Fellow any of them.” Cameron recalls. “The first was, a friend. He fancied Old Etonian] Dominic West, who , Mad ‘Will you go and warm up the Samantha. I won!” plays Jimmy McNulty, is a friend. Men, Glee, Cranford? television?’ and the other was, He tried to go out with Samantha “Cranford’s very good, but ‘What’s on the other side?’ We once. He fancied Samantha. I won! David Attenborough [right].” were BBC more than ITV, but my The West Wing I haven’t really got r P hotog SPITTING IMAGE ur e BY a r icat Cheryl Cole, , dad did like the ITV News, prob- into. Sopranos, a bit. Ugly Betty I’ve Dannii Minogue, Louis ably because of Anna Ford. He never seen. Desperate Housewives, Walsh? “I have to say also liked the bongs.” I did watch the first series. [Shadow Cowell, he’s the star.”

ur e : C M ain P ict As for the other great cultural Chancellor] George Osborne is e

20 21 f mad about Mad Men, says it’s brilliant. I’ve seen one or two.” We move on to his children’s viewing habits. Nancy is six and Arthur, whom he refers to as Alex Salmond Elwyn, is four. Do he and his wife restrict their TV consumption? “Yes. We try to have no TV in Give him Miss Marple, Star Trek and independence… the mornings at the weekend. It’s not on all the time. They love Tom and Jerry, and Ben 10 on he Scottish national Party leader based north of the border. He also has a fond- Cartoon Network. I try, in as much as I have any and Scotland’s First Minister is known ness for Off the Ball, an irreverent BBC influence, to get a balance of ‘Right, come on, T for his political acumen, his skill as a Scotland football show. let’s watch a nature programme’ and they get debater and his passionate desire to lead The First Minister was captivated by the a bit of Ben 10 as a reward.” Scotland out of the United Kingdom. What he possibilities of 3-D television on a recent visit Nancy, says her father, “is girly in that she loves is not known for is his love of television and to a Sky TV facility. “It’s going to be great for dolls and kitchens, but when it comes to TV she’s radio. His mainstay now is News 24 and Sky sport, particularly golf and rugby,” he says. got into Star Wars. I remember going to see Star News, as you might expect from a leading poli- Sport can also be political, though, and he Wars in 1977 and thinking, ‘Wow!’ To watch it all tician, but Alex Salmond does have other, more was critical of the BBC for not coming up with over again has been great.” Cameron pauses. unexpected, passions. what he regards as a decent offer to broadcast “Probably someone will say, ‘What on earth are “I am an obsessive Trekkie,” he says. the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. He you doing letting a six-year-old watch Star Wars?’ New or old? has also fought hard to make sure Scotland’s but actually it’s a tale of good and evil.” “Oh, everything. Voyager was my qualifying games for major tourna- Is Nancy pressing to watch unsuitable favourite, that and first seriesStar Trek. ments are broadcast on terrestrial TV, programmes? “No, we get all the stuff about I’ve seen them all so many times. I’ve a battle that’s still going on. make-up and clothes. You can’t be a complete seen the new Star Trek film, too.” The First Minister’s ideal is an frump about it, you try to keep a lid on it.” He There are other surprises. “Miss independent Scotland with wouldn’t, he says, want her watching MTV, Marple,” he says. “I do like Miss its own broadcasting corporation, because of the sexual content of many (if not Marple, I bet you didn’t know but with access to BBC programmes most) of the videos. “We had Pan’s People on Top that.” in much the same way of the Pops, but it wasn’t quite so full-on. As for radio, Salmond has. However, he gives the “I make a big thing about premature sexualisa- was a devotee of impression that his world tion. You can’t regulate all this stuff – there are Radio 4’s Today wouldn’t be perfect unless he some regulations you can change, extend the when he lived in could see the original series of powers of the Advertising Standards Authority, , but it’s Star Trek in 3-D. That – and let it look at online as well as offline, games as Good Morning an independent Scotland, of his own man well as programmes. Generally what you need is Scotland on BBC The Archers is a course – would probably an outbreak of, not prudishness, but social Radio Scotland surprising favourite make his life complete. responsibility.” He does think, however, that now that he’s of Alex Salmond Hamish Macdonell peer-to-peer marketing, companies using very young children to endorse their products on John Humphrys, Jeremy Wire, Columbo? “McNulty in Duffy? “Philip Larkin.” social networking sites, “is actually a bit sick. Paxman, Fern Britton, The Wire.” Hilary Mantel, Nick Hornby, There are some practices we should ban.” Is Andrew Marr? Chris Moyles, Chris George MacDonald Fraser, Nancy on Facebook? “No. She wouldn’t know “Jeremy Paxman.” Evans, Jeremy Ian McEwan, Martin Amis? what that is. She says things like, ‘I want a DS’, Coronation Street, Vine, Jarvis Cocker “George MacDonald Fraser.” ‘I want an iPod’ – they know all these words, but EastEnders, The on 6 Music? David Hockney, Tracey Emin, don’t necessarily know what they are.” Archers, The Bill? “Jeremy Vine [left].” Banksy, Lucian Freud? “The Archers.” Facebook, Twitter, “Tracey Emin.” s he surprised by other parents’ laxity? Hamlet, Macbeth, Mumsnet, MySpace, Beatles or Stones? Blur or “Yes, a little bit. But each to their own. Romeo and Juliet, Second Life? Oasis? or the People come to stay for the weekend and A Midsummer Night’s “Second Life.” Jam? Madonna or Lady Itheir children do watch telly in the morn- Dream? “Macbeth.” Gordon Ramsay, Nigella, Gaga? “Beatles, Blur, the Jam, ing, but that’s the way they do it. You’ve got to be Apple or PC, iPhone Delia, Jamie Oliver, Hugh Lady Gaga.” very careful not to impose too much of your or BlackBerry? Fearnley-Whittingstall? French and Saunders, views. But yes, I sometimes see someone very “Apple, Blackberry.” “Nigella.” Mitchell and Webb, young with a DS and think, ‘Hold on, what Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, David Attenborough, Morecambe and Wise, happened to childhood?’” David Tennant or Mad Men, Glee, Cranford? Armstrong Will Nancy have a TV in her bedroom when Matt Smith? “David Attenborough.” and Miller, she’s older? “I’ll try to avoid that as long as possi- “David Tennant.” Walliams ble. I didn’t get one until I was about 30! And Call of Duty, Farmville, and Lucas? I think you keep the computer in the playroom. I , Graham Scrabble, Monopoly? “Morecambe don’t know anything about security systems. I’ve Norton, Jonathan Ross? “Scrabble.” and Wise.” just bought myself an iMac and I love it, but “Terry Wogan.” Friends, Sex and mine is probably the most insecure computer in JK Rowling, Lauren the City, Band of Avatar, An the world. I’ve got to learn all that.” Child, Jacqueline Brothers, The Education, Still on the subject of Nancy, I say I’d read Wilson, Michael West Wing? In the Loop, about him not letting her listen to Morpurgo? “The West Wing.” The Hurt Locker? “Alice In despite her having become “obsessed” with the “JK Rowling [right].” Rudyard Kipling, Wonderland [above].” singer. How did she become obsessed in the first Miss Marple, Morse, Philip Larkin, Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell, place? “We were listening in the car. I think Lily McNulty Wendy Cope, Dannii Minogue, Louis Allen’s brilliant.” (The song he objected to is It’s in The Carol Ann Walsh? “Dannii Minogue.”

Not Fair, with its graphic references to sex.) e r e x

RadioTimes 1–7 May 2010 23 f “We listen to lots of music in the car and Nancy catches on to something she likes. We were probably a bit naive. We weren’t thinking Ieuan Wyn Jones about the words, so it was our fault. She also likes the Ting Tings and what she calls Beans and Plaid Cymru’s leader has a soft spot for jazz – and crime Lentils, which is actually Toots and the Maytals.” His own listening is eclectic. “I listen to a bit of laid Cymru leader and Deputy First English-language programmes made in Wales, the Today programme; if it gets too depressing Minister in the Welsh Assembly Ieuan such as and Torchwood, also I switch off. I listen to 5 Live, flick through PWyn Jones has just launched his party’s matter hugely, and Jones welcomes BBC plans [London] music stations in an annoying way, election manifesto at the Wales Millennium to double drama production here by 2016: XFM, Heart.” What’s his stance on the possible Centre in Cardiff Bay. The foyer is abuzz with “The big programmes show the talent and closure of BBC 6 Music? “I think it’s up to the people sporting the party’s daffodil pin badges potential there is in Wales, being filmed and BBC. They were trying to do too many things and and the chatter is emphatically in Welsh, not produced here.” they’re right to focus on doing good things well. least among Jones and his entourage. He says At home, Jones is likely to watch one of There was a moment the BBC had overreached something dazzlingly lyrical-sounding to one these, saved up for a Sunday-night splurge of on magazines, websites, [buying] Lonely Planet of his team and then disappears. “He quality television with his wife, Eirian. He [travel guides]. I think they do need to retrench said he’s just popping to the cash- mentions Waking the Dead as a particular a bit and focus on what matters most. So while point,” she tells me. It loses favourite. He loves radio, too – he I might like listening to Radio 6 because it’s my much in translation. subscribes to podcasts of favourite sort of music, you can’t do everything.” Jones returns and switches shows such as Radio 4’s Start the Week to English. As we’re talking in and Week in Westminster and listens to ameron goes online every day. the venue that’s home to the them on weekend walks. Besides his iMac, he has a BlackBerry. Welsh National Opera, I wonder He’s yet, however, to embrace social “I use the BBC [News] website a lot. if he’s an opera fan. “I like the networking via Facebook or Twitter. Before PMQs [Prime Minister’s When I tell him some people tweet C particularly dramatic ones,” he Questions] sometimes I think, ‘I might be inter- says, “but jazz is my passion.” as you interview them these ested in X, but what’s really going on?’ The BBC He is equally passionate about days, he laughs and site is a very good way of seeing what are the five Welsh-language media provision, looks bewildered. It’s most important things going on. The political defending channel S4C despite as if I’m talking in sites are getting good: The Spectator’s “Coffee desultory recent audience a foreign language, House” blog, Iain Dale, Guido, Nick Robinson’s figures. “This provision should and not one he’s blog. I’m a great fan of iTunes. Most of my inter- be nurtured,” he argues, in a hurry to net use is fairly functional, shopping and travel. “because Welsh is still a minor- Twitter ye not translate. I’d have to be really bored to surf around YouTube Ieuan Wyn Jones ity language even in Wales and has no time for Elisabeth watching random Dog Eats Ice Cream clips.” does need that support.” But social networking Mahoney Is he confident with computers? “Ye-ees,” he says, not sounding especially confident. “We’re an JK Rowling, Lauren Child, Miss Marple, Morse, McNulty Carol Ann Duffy? “It’s got to interesting generation. First class at school: no Jacqueline Wilson, Michael in The Wire, Columbo? be Larkin.” computers. Later, in my first job, I was writing in Morpurgo? “JK Rowling. She’s [Interrupts]: “Miss Marple Hilary Mantel, Nick Hornby, longhand, then I had a basic word processor, just a brilliant storyteller.” [Geraldine McEwan, George then a pretty naff computer. I’m very much self- John Humphrys, Jeremy below]. Don’t go any MacDonald Fraser, taught, basically competent but it doesn’t come Paxman, Fern Britton, further.” Ian McEwan, naturally, as it would to a 20-year-old. They Andrew Marr? “Andrew Marr.” Chris Moyles, Chris Martin Amis? consume media in a different way. “We’re lucky, though,” Cameron continues, Coronation Street, Evans, Jeremy “Martin Amis.” “that we’re just at the age when it’s not totally Eastenders, The Archers, Vine, Jarvis Cocker Hockney, Tracey baffling. I bought a flip camera and I did make a The Bill? “Coronation Street.” on 6 Music? Emin, Banksy, very short film – which is crap – of a two-day Apple or PC, iPhone or “Jeremy Vine.” Lucian Freud? holiday we had in Devon.” But his mum and dad, BlackBerry? “PC, BlackBerry.” Facebook, Twitter, “Lucian Freud.” say, are they baffled? “Oh, they wouldn’t even Mumsnet, MySpace, Second Beatles or Stones? Blur or Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, know where the ‘on’ button is. Actually, I do send Life? [Looks blank] “No.” Oasis? Sex Pistol or the David Tennant or Matt my mother emails. Dad, not.” Call of Duty, Farmville, Jam? Madonna or Lady Smith? “David Tennant — he’s Where he comes unstuck, he admits, is with Scrabble, Monopoly? Gaga? “Beatles, er, Oasis. the best ever.” social networking sites. “I’m not on Facebook, “Monopoly.” [Pause]. The Jam. Madonna. Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo I don’t tweet. Social media, I don’t really get. I’m showing my age there.” and Juliet, A Midsummer Gordon Ramsay, Nigella, Politically I know it’s a great opportunity; person- Night’s Dream? “Hamlet. Delia, Jamie Oliver, French and Saunders, Mitchell ally, I don’t want to be ‘poked’ or whatever it is.” It’s the only one I’ve ever Hugh Fearnley- and Webb, Morecambe and In many ways, of course, Cameron is not at all acted in.” [He won’t be Whittingstall? “Hugh Wise, Armstrong and Miller, a typical 40-plus father. But in his consumption drawn on which role.] [above]. I’ve tried his Walliams and Lucas? of various forms of media – sport aside, perhaps Terry Wogan, Grahan recipes: they’re good.” “French and Saunders.” – he seems almost prototypical. His tastes and Norton, Jonathan Friends, Sex and Avatar, An Education, In the instincts are so Middle England, they could Ross? “Terry Wogan.” the City, Band of Loop, The Hurt Locker? almost have been drawn up by a marketing team. David Attenborough, Brothers, The West [Concedes he hasn’t seen most But they weren’t, they’re genuine. And that could Mad Men, Glee, Wing? “West Wing.” of these.] “Oh, In the Loop.” prove a significant electoral asset. Cranford? “Cranford. Rudyard Kipling, Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell, I watch a lot of Philip Larkin, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh? Robert Crampton writes for The Times historical dramas.” Wendy Cope, “Dannii Minogue.” Read our interviews with Gordon Brown

; r e x pa and Nick Clegg at radiotimes.com/election

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