Ian hislop

You can't understand Twenties England until you appreciate it was under a cloud of mourning. Nearly everyone was grieving.

You have a huge amount of confidence when you're younger, which slowly ebbs away for the rest of your life. You think: 'No problem. I can do that. Why shouldn't I do it?'

I'm often accused of being prudish, but the opposite is true.

I'd always assumed that I would die at about the same age as my dad - he was 45. I am five years in credit now. I can't get my head around the fact that I am older than he was - ever.

They may well say not only is this not true, but I will put in an injunction to prevent publication. No, stories don't go in unless I'm convinced by the people who write them that they're true. And if...

This job certainly doesn't win you a huge amount of friends, I accept that, but it is very enjoyable, and deep down I think it's probably quite a worthwhile job.

There's an awful lot of terrible television which I could do, but I mostly stick to Have I Got News for You.

I get paid to do what I enjoy, not that common a condition.

The best comedy is where you attack the strong, not the weak.

It is no longer acceptable in British politics to be fat or eccentric or religious.