Jeremy Vine on the dangers of mixing social media and alcohol

Jeremy Vine is best known for presenting his lunchtime show on BBC Radio 2. He also hosts Jeremy Vine on 5 and Eggheads on Channel 5 and was a contestant on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.

He spoke to Saga Magazine about getting his first tattoo just before he turns 60 and publishing his first whodunnit.

Vine on social media

We were all taken in by social media at the start, but X has got quite obnoxious and toxic. I stay on it because I do cycling videos – the one I put up yesterday had 450,000 views. Another one had 11 million, so you get a lot of kick back. 

I once called Jeremy Clarkson a muppet on Twitter. In mitigation I was in a pub drinking a pint of lager and did that classic error of tweeting without thinking. I felt bad as I like him, though I don’t think he likes me much.

How he's celebrating turning 60 this year

You’re never too old to get a tattoo and in my 60th year I’ve just got one. For her 18th, my daughter Anna wanted a tattoo from The Smith’s song Still Ill. So she’s got the words: ‘For there are brighter sides to life’ on her arm. On mine, is the other half of the lyric, ‘and I should know because I’ve seen them’. 

It’s my 60th this month and I’m sending an email invite to everyone in my road to celebrate at the cinema. We’re seeing a film that came out in 1965, when I was born. Do I choose The Sound of Music or For a Few Dollars More? 

Writing his first whodunnit

I’ve always wanted to write a whodunnit, but I lacked confidence because my first experience of reading one was when my mum gave me Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot’s Christmas when I was 11. I became obsessed with her books and read all 66 by the time I was 18 and thought no one could do what she does.

It was the joy of the whodunnit coming back over the past couple of years, thanks to Richard Osman, that encouraged me.

My book, Murder on Line One, is about a radio presenter with a talk show for older listeners in Sidmouth, Devon. Tragically, he loses his son and goes to pieces. When he realises somebody has murdered one of the listeners, he feels he owes it them all to find out why.

I’ve been talking to TV producers who are looking to put it on TV, which is very exciting. I’m currently writing my second novel.