Top 30 Chris Tarrant Quotes

Before my stroke, I thought I was infallible, because I was physically strong, and could do these endless hours with no effects, whatsoever. But sooner or later, we all hit a wall.

The Blue Train in South Africa is fantastic. You start your journey in a VIP lounge where you have your own individual steward who shows you to the train and looks after your cases, and it’s champagne all the way.

I spent hours playing in the garden on my own. I used to play cricket with myself. I never remember thinking, I wish I had a brother or sister. I had a lot of friends, and that was fine.

My grandad was the most wonderful man. He was a bit like me. He was basically a country bumpkin but he did well; he became managing director of quite a successful company but all he really wanted to do was to come home, put his disgusting old trampy clothes on and go for walks across the country.

My father was the marketing director of a biscuit manufacturer in Berkshire. It meant that every Friday he brought home huge bags of broken biscuits that could not be sold.

I first visited Buenos Aires at the end of 2015 while filming the latest series of ‘Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways’, and I liked it so much I’ve been back twice with my wife. It’s so much nicer than I expected – like a warmer, bigger, wider version of Paris.

I don’t do manbags! But don’t flaunt your money, your most expensive camera or your best watch. And don’t use a cashpoint in the middle of nowhere, or carry anything loose; it might get stolen by someone racing past on a scooter.

I love being British but our railways are shocking. We are so inured to how appalling our railways are. And the idea in almost any other country in the world that leaves on the line would be a problem!

I have always thought that what matters most in life is freedom and health, not money.

My dad was running up and down stairs at 85; my granddad lived until 96, and married a much younger woman at 86.

As I get older, the idea of wasting time is becoming more and more abhorrent to me and I can’t stand the idea of simply lying in bed.

When I was kid I always wanted to be either the captain of the England cricket team or I wanted to be a river bailiff.

If you go to Japan, even at the pokiest little station, every single train is arrives and leaves on time – not to a couple of minutes, within 30 seconds. In Canada, they have constant problems with massive avalanches and bear attacks on the line, but all these problems are solved immediately.

A big percentage of the Argentine economy is founded on beef ranching, and they produce steaks the size of dustbin lids. Malbec is the finest red wine in the world, and most restaurants have a wide selection.

I think one of the things about railways, if you get on a train you do find – as you come into Paddington, or wherever – you look into people’s windows in a way that you just can’t do in a car or any other way.

Sometimes I’ll go fishing with a group of friends but I am just as happy sitting out there on my own. The strange mixture of peace and challenge that comes with being a dedicated angler has always been intoxicating to me.

Some of the parts of Burma, we met people who’d never, ever gone out of their village. And they were brutally poor; incredibly poor. And yet they enjoy their lives.

When I was doing the breakfast show, I used to get up at three o’clock in the morning and go fishing before doing the show.

Probably the most formative thing was at the age of four my Granddad took me fishing. That actually became a major part of the rest of my life.

I used to go salmon fishing with the late Jim Slater, the renowned investor, and he would give me tips. He told me to buy shares in football clubs, so I invested in Manchester United before its shares went through the roof.

My dad was my hero. He was part of the D-Day landings and came back to Reading in 1945 – I was born in 1946 – so the house was full of soldiers who’d been to war and that was obviously the main topic.

I think the relentless tide of celebrity stuff on the telly is getting pretty tedious.

I am incredibly lucky to be alive because one in three people who have strokes don’t make it.

Without the railways, the Holocaust wouldn’t have happened. I don’t actually think the second world war would have happened without them.

My own marriages have not been a great success. I’ve been divorced twice and when I first got divorced it hit my parents very hard.

I had a great childhood, I love my Dad to pieces and I just had a great time.

There’s no point in doing an intelligent quiz with me sitting opposite Kerry Katona.

There’s a point at which we have to control our borders. The bottom line is the world is full up and the population on the planet is getting bigger and bigger and there ain’t much room any more. So, how’s it going to work? I don’t know.

I don’t want to go back to Capital Radio. I don’t want to go back to rolling in custard with Sheena Easton and Annie Lennox.

So as long as I can do something like this kids show or I can go off and film polar bears or I can do some radio and stuff, and sort of keep other strings in my bow working, then it’s good.