"My mother was a terrific force in my life. Wartime-generation woman, hadn't gone to university but s..." — Ian Hislop

I've got a very peculiar sort of fame, based on being on the telly. It doesn't mean you have the lifestyle people expect.

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

I like making films about old people because they are repositories of amazing stories that they tell well. And they're incredibly good telly.

For a long time I thought I should be a civil engineer. That seemed to be the only thing worth doing, and I chose the wrong subjects at A-level. I read all the sciences to start with, and then had to admit, 'This isn't what I want to do' and changed course.