Fiona Allen: How close have you come to death?

The question

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A recurring Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

I think I had a close shave with the taxi driver John Worboys. I was in Soho and going back to Chiswick where I lived, and I got a black cab. This guy wouldn’t stop talking and he offered me champagne, and I said: “I don’t like champagne.” It went a bit quiet and I thought I’d offended him. Then I remember going: “Hang on a minute, you shouldn’t be drinking champagne if you’re driving.” And he said: “I’ve just won the lottery and I’m finished after this.” I had a lucky escape.

The Q&A, The Guardian, 1 August 2026 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 216 →

Graham Norton

I was stabbed in my 20s. It was a late-night mugging and, while taking my wallet, they stabbed me in my chest.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 April 2026 source ↗

Courtney Pine British jazz musician

We were doing a tour in Japan and as our plane landed, it rose again, out of the blue. About 10 years later there was this programme about 10 of the nearest misses, and it was my flight. There was another plane on the runway and we nearly landed on top of it. I didn’t know until 10 years later.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 September 2022 source ↗

Jeremy Deller English artist

Three squaddies on a train in 1995.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 June 2020 source ↗

Bradley Wiggins British former professional road and track racing cyclist

I had quite a chequered childhood. I had a knife put to my throat once when I was a kid, which was very scary.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 September 2019 source ↗