This Is Your Life article

I know exactly what it feels like to be confronted by the Big Red Book because I was a subject when Eamonn Andrews was fronting the programme. I was working at Capital Radio at the time and my colleague Kenny Everett, who was keen on horoscopes, knew I was a Capricorn and kept banging on about it being a week of surprises for Capricorns. I couldn't work out why. It came as a complete surprise when Eamonn pounced. Your heart does actually hover for a moment while your mind works very quickly, telling you this cannot be true. Fortunately I did not have any strong feelings one way or the other about being on the programme and agreed to do it.

PHIL COLLINS OCTOBER 1988

Phil was my first subject - they are always subjects never victims - and if something had gone wrong it would have done considerable damage to my confidence. I was heavily disguised, posing as a busker scraping away on a fiddle in London's Covent Garden. When I nervously revealed myself, Phil turned the air blue and we had to bleep out most of what he said. Despite this, he was happy to take part so I was able to breathe again.

CLAIRE RAYNER JANUARY 1989

This one was agony. We decided to confront Claire on a train. After loads of technical problems (the crew caught the wrong train!) I had to fight my way past other passengers and approach Claire posing as a ticket inspector. She got cross, saying she'd already shown her ticket.

SKIPPER JACK WOODHOUSE FEBRUARY 1991

I was smuggled on board a lifeboat to surprise Jack Woodhouse, the oldest and longest-serving lifeboatman in the country. I fought my way around to the front of the craft in this gale and gasped, "Skipper Jack - this is your life". He didn't even look round. He just said, "Oh, yeah", and stared ahead!

TIM SMIT NOVEMBER 2001

Tim was the guy who started The Eden Project in Cornwall. Because he is terrified of flying, he was less than thrilled to have to fly back to London with me. When we were in the air, the pilot relayed the news to me that two planes had just crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. Needless to say, I didn't tell poor Tim, who was quite terrified enough.

JONAH LOMU JANUARY 2002

Confronting a giant who has left bruised rugby professionals in his wake all over the world was really scary. I trotted out after the New Zealand legend on a training pitch and Jonah could have swatted me like a fly, but he turned out to be one of the gentlest of all the subjects we've ever done. He was a lovely fella.

HARRY CORBETT DECEMBER 1988

I dressed up as Sooty, but it was a dreadful worry for me because I suffer badly from claustrophobia. I insisted on having a slit down the seam of the costume so that I could get at the zip to escape if I suddenly panicked. But then, when I got to Harry, I couldn't get the Big Red Book out because of my huge Sooty paws. I must have lost several pounds in weight during that one.

RICHARD HARRIS NOVEMBER 1990

Actors are always a worry because the last thing they want after coming off stage emotionally drained is to see me with the Big Red Book. Thankfully, Richard looked me in the eye and said, "Oh God, Michael. I'm exhausted but I'll do it just for you". He was fabulous.

BOB HOPE DECEMBER 1995

When I went to Hollywood to do Bob Hope I was worried that he would have no idea who I was. I didn't want to end up like Eamonn when he said, "Lord Mountbatten, this is your life", getting the reply, "What do you mean?" Bob proved a wonderful subject and I ended up singing Two Sleepy People with him.

BILL ODDIE JANUARY 2002

Bill had a pact with his mates in The Goodies that they should all decline if asked to appear on the show. I crept up on him when he was doing one of his birdwatching programmes. He gave me a definite refusal. Disappointed, I bade him goodbye and said no hard feelings. Luckily for us, Bill's family told him they would kill him if he didn't appear, so he changed his mind.