“Why would I want to retire?” Paul Merton on comedy and his biggest regret

The comedian, Have I Got News for You panellist and Radio 4 Just a Minute regular, Paul Merton, 68, talks to Saga Magazine about comedy, retirement and whether he really helped reignite Bruce Forsyth's career

On rumours he helped Bruce Forsyth get the Strictly Come Dancing job

Well, it wasn’t quite like that. I asked if we could have Bruce as a guest presenter on Have I Got News for You in 2003 and he was brilliant, a consummate professional, as you’d expect.

That seemed to reignite his career and the following year he landed Strictly. I have no idea if I had anything to do with it, but if I did, I would be extremely honoured because he was a lovely man.

He was a surprise guest at my wedding to Suki [in 2009] and stepped in to waltz her around the dance floor. He wasn’t shy of the spotlight!

On 35 years on Have I got News for you and his favourite hosts

We had Peter Cook and Spike Milligan in the early days. That was pretty special, meeting people whose work I’d always admired.

Tom Baker and Brian Blessed were suitably “out there” – Stephen Mangan, Carol Vorderman, Alexander Armstrong have all been brilliant.

Ann Widdecombe didn’t quite fit the bill.

Could fellow panellist Ian Hislop cut it as an improv guest

Out on stage with no desk to sit behind? No idea what topics are going to come up and no chance to think about his answer?

It’s too far out of his comfort zone.

Does improv get easier the longer you do it?

I saw my first improv in 1985 and thought it was some kind of comedy magic. People started talking and it was instantly funny. But I suppose it’s like anything: the more you practise, the better you get.

David Mitchell was a guest for some of the live shows earlier this year and he was very nervous. I said, “Look, you do it all the time on Would I Lie to You? – you listen to other people and say something funny.”

He was brilliant. Mind you, he was rather shellshocked when he came off stage.

Trying to be consistently funny for two hours is intense.

Is life a laugh a minute with fellow comedian, wife Suki Webster?

If Suki’s feeling poorly or she’s on the phone arguing with the builders, I’ll give it a rest.

Doing it every minute of every day would be… insanity.

Is it true that you proposed to Suki standing next to a Christmas tree?

You say that as if I was standing next to a polar bear! Yes, it was Christmas and I happened to be standing next to the tree.

My parents were over from Ireland, so if she did say “Yes”, we’d be able to tell them straightaway. It just felt like a nice time to propose.

I wasn’t dressed as Santa Claus or anything like that.

On why he referred himself to a psychiatric hospital in 1989

People read the story about me referring myself to a psychiatric hospital in 1989 and assume it had something to do with depression, but it was actually a reaction to an anti-malaria drug that brought on severe bouts of paranoia.

I was mistakenly given two weekly doses in 24 hours and that was probably the worst day of my life. I had no idea what was happening – I saw a builder working on a house opposite and was convinced he was spying on me.

I ended up walking around the hospital corridors, wondering which person was going to attack me and whether I ought to jump out of the window.

Once I stopped taking the drug, I was fine, but they made me stay there for a few weeks. They don’t let you out of a psychiatric hospital just because you tell them you’re cured.

Why retirement is not in his plans

 I’m 68 years old, but I’m in pretty good shape and have had an amazing career. I listened to Just a Minute as a kid in the late 1960s and I’m lucky enough to have been a regular guest for the past 37 years.

The funny thing is that if I’d stayed with my job at the Civil Service, I’d have retired two years ago. Why would I want to retire? When you enjoy what you do it doesn’t feel like a job.

His biggest regret

Years ago, I was told that Victoria Wood wanted to meet up for a cup of tea. I was so overawed by the thought of sitting down with her that I never followed it up. I often wonder what she wanted to talk about and curse myself for being so shy.