Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
The best all-round athlete in the world today, a British track and field athlete born in London.
On the island
Eight records
just because I I like Marvin Gay's voice and I wish I could sing like him.
Well, I've uh first heard James Taylor when he was uh singing in a film called FM, which is I saw in America, and uh from then I got a few albums of his and uh I just liked him ever since.
Not really, it's just a nice record, isn't it? It's quiet and dumb.
I like it because it's a a favorite record of Me and Me Friend.
Unchained MelodyFavourite
I like this one basically because uh I saw George Benson in concert while I was in America, and uh this just reminds me of being there in the sunshine.
All my records are romantic because I'm basically a romantic person.
The keepsakes
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:35Do you think [losing your father when you were young] is why you had a reputation as being rather an unruly child?
Um, I don't know. I think it's just like the area where I was brought up. It's a a working class area and most kids sort of run around and get into a bit of trouble now and then.
Presenter asks
2:45What turned you to athletics?
I don't know, I I started I went down my local track and started doing it with a few friends and I just found that, you know doing an individual thing as opposed to a team thing, I got a lot more self-satisfaction from it.
Presenter asks
5:08Whose idea was it for you to go for the Decathlon?
Actually, it was Bob's because at the time I was doing sort of high jump and some long jump and some hundred and four hundred for the club, Essex Beagles, and uh we just decided that it might be a good idea not to specialise too early and try decathlon.
Presenter asks
The book
John Wyndham
'cause they're only sort of short science fiction books.
What are the economics of this [training full-time]? I mean you can't do a day's work as well, obviously.
Well the economics are that most athletes are sort of sponsored by different people or they're helped by their associations. In my case I'm helped by both.
Presenter asks
12:34What's being done about the provision of sports facilities [in this country]?
Well facilities in this country are probably the worst I've seen anywhere in the world because uh sport here is still taken as if people do it for a hobby as opposed to, you know, trying to be the best at what they are.
“I'd love to have been a football player, uh'cause I had children with Fulham and Chelsea and I was uh going fairly well, but then I started doing athletics and uh doing everything.”
“Bob's sort of helped me as a sort of father figure ever since and uh I rely quite a lot on him for good advice.”
“Well, no baby. Well, I mean, that's that's what's so much fun about it. I mean, there's very few people of my age who can actually do as they please, not have to worry about work or not have to worry about money. Yes. And can just get up and any day they like and if they wanna go to say California, then get up and go to California. And I like the freedom, you know.”