60 SECONDS: Griff Rhys Jones
Griff Rhys Jones made his name as a comedian in the 1980s with Not The Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith And Jones with comedy sidekick Mel Smith. More recently, he's earned acclaim for Semi-Detached, the memoir of his childhood. Jones is currently presenting Mountain on BBC1 on Sundays. A book of the same name is available now, published by Penguin.
Why have you suddenly decided to walk up mountains?
I was asked to. It was a job and I’m a man for hire. It got me out out of the office.
Did it wear you out?
Yes, it involved a great deal of strenuous activity. I had to run halfway up Ben Nevis and climb up Napes Needle. I coped with it all quite well. They were expecting me to break down in tears but I didn’t. I had to climb 15 mountains and I didn’t fake any of it. I want to point out now I helped build a snow hole but I didn’t sleep in it.
What do you make of the faked-documentary controversy?
The reason why people supposedly fake it is because of budgets. You don’t have the time to actually do all the things you have to cover. It’s probably down to budgetary considerations rather than any desire to cheat.
What was your favourite view?
The best view of all was from the top of Tryfan in Wales because the weather was so good. The top of Suilven in Sutherland [in the Scottish Highlands] was mind-boggling. I couldn’t believe you could get such a vista in Britain. Just mile after mile of mountains covered in snow with no evidence of any human beings.
Was it a spiritual experience?
Yes, I certainly had a spiritual and physical experience. The mixture of the two was absolutely fantastic. The programme was a great thing to do.
I’m not Ray Mears – I’m just a slightly creaky 53-year-old who was chosen because they wanted a mountain virgin
Will you be doing more programmes like this?
I’m not Ray Mears or Bear Grylls – I’m just a slightly creaky 53-year-old who was chosen because they wanted a mountain virgin. If I haven’t done something before, I like to try it now. I was much more stuck in my ways 20 years ago.
Your memoir’s done very well. Was it an honour to get it in Richard and Judy’s book club?
Yes, I looked around and thought: ‘The rest of these books are proper books.’ I wrote mine just because I thought I’d give it a whirl. It sold incredibly well. It’s a damn good book. Even if I hadn’t had the Richard and Judy experience, it was very gratifying for it to be so well received by serious reviewers.
Is it a nice change?
It’s nice that it’s all my own work. Television is very collaborative and, with a programme such as Mountain, I’m just the frontman for a huge team of very talented people. The book was all my own work.
Is it odd to have so many people knowing everything about your childhood?
It is a bit but I get a lot of letters. Out of everything I’ve done in my life, the letters I get about the book are the most rewarding. Reading a book is a very intimate experience, so it’s gratifying when people I don’t know write to me and say how much it’s helped them put a perspective on their own life. I’m very touched when people write to me or congratulate me. It’s funny to be taken seriously after all these years.
Will you be doing a second volume?
No. Originally, the book was a bit longer but we decided it should all be about childhood. When you start writing about people everybody knows – I’ve been in entertainment since I was 22 – it changes. It suddenly becomes that you’re writing about stories you’ve told before rather than plunging into the mists of memory and sorting out a thread.
Do you still see Mel Smith? Or have you had a big showbiz feud?
Oh no, I saw him the other day. We stay together for the sake of the money.
Who is your least likely celebrity friend?
I was a big pal of John Peel’s. People find that a bit odd. I’m not into obscure bands but we were neighbours in Suffolk and he was a big fan of Not The Nine O’Clock News, so I got to know him quite well. People were always surprised we knew each other.
Do you get mistaken for Michael Palin a lot?
Yes. I also get mistaken for Hugh Laurie. Once, Melvyn Bragg called his daughter over when he saw me in a restaurant to introduce her to her hero John Sessions. And he ended up with three extremely embarrassed people.
You appeared on Stephen Fry’s programme about his depression. Is he always popping round your house when he’s a bit moody?
No, but we’re very old friends. He came to my wife’s birthday party the day before he ran away and went missing back in the 1990s. The party wasn’t that bad. If he needs to be cheered up, maybe I’m not the most obvious choice. I’m quite an acerbic person. I’m not really known to be Mr Cheering-people-up.
You sold your production company for £62million. What have you spent the money on?
Like everyone else, I like houses. I’m sure that I’ve deprived several young people of the opportunity of making their way up the housing ladder. I bought a boat as a present to myself. It’s a very beautiful boat. It’s a classic racing yacht. I raced it at a regatta the other week and she came fourth, so I was very pleased with that.
Metro
