I bought a BMW 7 series and my best mate said: “I don’t think you should buy this, bro, it’s too cheap.” And I said: “Let’s live the dream” and put my foot down hard on the accelerator and the bottom of the engine and the gearbox blew out.

When I lost a race for the United States Senate, I thought the world was going to end for me politically, and 18 years later I was elected President of the United States. The biggest disappointment was that I wasn't able to communicate properly to the American people — with the proper conviction and the proper ability — where the country really stood. The pessimists, the naysayers, the change-wanters overwhelmed me, and I wasn't good enough. I wasn't articulate enough to have the country understand that we weren't in a recession, that we were in a rather booming economy in the last half of my presidency. That was a personal shortcoming, a failure on my path.

Fine dining when it goes wrong.

When I got to 40 and realised I hadn’t read all the books I needed to read to understand the world.

That we will drown in plastic waste.

I didn't go to a retirement party once for someone who had been special to me and he died shortly after.

I have great hopes for Barack Obama.

Earning a living as an actor for 40 years.

As an honest person who liked a laugh.

When I read about the abuse of Baby P.