Born in London, Jon Sopel, 65, joined the BBC in 1983 as a reporter and producer for Radio Solent. He went on to become a news anchor, presenting on the BBC News channel, The Politics Show and Global With Jon Sopel. As the BBC’s North America editor he covered the 2016 and 2020 elections and Donald Trump’s White House for TV, radio and online; he also co-hosted the Americast podcast. Since 2022, he has presented The News Agents podcast with Emily Maitlis and Lewis Goodall. Sopel’s new book is Strangeland: How Britain Stopped Making Sense. He is married with two children and lives in London.

What is your greatest fear?
Failure, being caught out, making an idiot of myself.

What are the traits you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience and vanity.

What are the traits you most deplore in others?
Arrogance and narcissism.

Describe yourself in three words
Funny, impatient, annoying.

What would your superpower be?
To make people kinder.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I’m on TV, I love everything about my appearance.

Who would play you in the film of your life?
Someone unbelievably good-looking and incredibly clever, because that would make me feel good about myself.

What scares you about getting older?
Every time I play tennis I come back with a fresh injury.

Who is your celebrity crush?
Ruth Wilson, who plays Emily Maitlis in Emily’s version [A Very Royal Scandal, on Prime Video] of her interview with Prince Andrew. So that’s a bit weird.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Professional footballer for Tottenham, or train driver.

Would you choose fame or anonymity?
If I say anonymity the rest of my family is going to say to me: “You bloody liar.”

What was the last lie that you told?
I’m not going to blow my cover.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Hot toast, too much butter and Marmite.

What does love feel like?
Warm and embracing.

What was the best kiss of your life?
That could get me into a lot of trouble.

Have you ever said ‘I love you’ and not meant it?
No, I don’t think I have.

What did you dream about last night?
I was interviewing Donald Trump – and that is a recurring dream.

What is the worst job you’ve done?
Children’s underwear department at Marks & Spencer, Oxford Circus. I was 16 years old, earning money in my summer holidays.

What has been your biggest disappointment?
Not being a professional footballer.

What would you like to leave your children?
Spirit of adventure and kindness.

What is the closest you’ve come to death?
I’ve had motorcycle accidents – I had one where I ended up in intensive care. But if you are on a frontline – which I have been – and people start shooting at you – which they have done – you put yourself in quite considerable danger. So: on a moving frontline in northern Afghanistan in 2001.

What happens when we die?
We become fertiliser.