What's your nickname? At school the ladies called me Cuddles - but sadly it was often Cuddles and nothing else! 

Who was your first teenage crush and why? Don't know her name but she featured on a poster in the eighties, retrieving a tennis ball from the folds of her skirt. 

When was the first time you got drunk and what did you drink? Jack Daniel's at a house party. A guy had borrowed his father's best tie and I cut it off with a pair of scissors. I spent the rest of the night being chased around the house. 

What was the first music single you bought? Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles. 

What did you want to be when you were a kid? I wanted to be like my father. His factory was next to the house in some converted stables. It started off in one stable and grew to take over the whole block. If I need advice with my businesses he remains a source of wisdom and inspiration. 

What's your favourite book and why? JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit - it's a book you can lose yourself in and disappear. 

What's your favourite movie and why? The Blues Brothers - the one-liners are priceless and the music is classic. 

What was the most embarrassing moment in your life? Splitting my shorts at mile 10 while going for a personal best in the Sheffield half marathon. I ran the last three miles half naked.

If you could pick a celebrity to join your staff who would it be and why? Gordon Ramsay. No messing, work out what needs to be done, go for it, get the job done and do it well. As for the swearing, well, that would probably fit in too. 

Who would you most like to sit next to on a plane? Lauren Bacall - I remember her on stage in Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird Of Youth in the 90s. Her eyes still had that sparkle and her voice? Unmistakable. 

What's the weirdest thing you've eaten? A locust sandwich as a bet at university. 

What's your biggest regret? Not going into business for myself sooner than I did. 

If you could star in a television programme, what would it be and why? Doctor Who. Think of all those gadgets I could play with and those aliens to beat.

Topics