My relationship with radio is probably the most successful I’ve ever had. It’s lasted 45 years and counting! We’ve never quarrelled, never fallen out, always been faithful to each other and I cannot imagine us ever divorcing or even separating. From my very first transistor radio, smuggled under the bedclothes aged 15 to listen to music and phone-ins distorted by static and fading batteries, to the crystal clear, digital quality of today’s broadcasts, radio has always been a big part of my life. Despite the proliferation of on-demand platforms, I still prefer to listen to what’s on at any given time.

My taste in music particularly has broadened over the years in a way it would never have done if I’d only listened to what I knew I liked. The same is true for talk radio which, growing up slightly dyslexic, has been my educator in news and politics. In my professional life as an actor and director, radio has gifted me so much inspiration through previously undiscovered music, some of which I’ve used in theatre productions, simply because I’ve switched on and listened. I’m not pretending I like everything, but like an international food market, I want to taste everything that’s on offer.