“I think shows like 'Dancing on Ice,' 'X Factor' and 'Britain's Got Tal...” — Michael Ball Quote

I think shows like 'Dancing on Ice,' 'X Factor' and 'Britain's Got Talent' make great telly, but I'd never want to be contestant. I'm far too insecure and competitive. Also, working in theatre, you're being judged all the time - and I'd rather not be told I'm awful in front of millions of people!

Musicals allow a depth of emotion that you don't get in another form of acting, the chord changes, the lyrics really affect people, so that in two hours, you've forgotten about things.

When I was 19 and at drama school, a couple of friends and I decided to drive from Guildford through France, down to the heel of Italy and then take a ferry to Greece - in an MG Midget. On our second day, in France, we were in a very bad accident and wrote off the car so we had to go home. But we then flew out instead and went island hopping.

I don't have hobbies. Other than watching telly and walking my dogs, what I do is work. That's who I am.

People have an awful lot of problems that society has put on them and a lot to work through because of it.

Life has been good to me. It's not like I missed an awful lot. I had a pretty good lick here. Every moment gets a little more important.

They do awful things in the press. One newspaper in England said I was 12 years older than I am, and I was ready to sue.

I've had some terrible jobs, but working in a kitchen at Cracker Barrel is probably the worst I've ever had. I was a grill cook - awful! It wasn't the smell, it was the people. The music, too. We had to be 'country fresh,' so they played this terrible country music eight hours during the shift. It was a bleak existence - a very dark time.