There can’t be many countries in the world Alan Whicker, CBE, hasn’t visited. He’s met many of the most famous celebrities and high profile personalities of the last 60 years from Liz Taylor to Peter Sellers, Jean Paul Getty to the ruthless dictator, ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier.

The travel series, Whicker’s World, will forever be remembered as the iconic programme of its genre in TV history. Meet the legend that is Alan Whicker

How did you feel when you were made a CBE in 2004?
I felt immensely gratified. It was a very happy experience all round. Buckingham Palace was splendid and of course the lunch was great.

I had been fortunate enough to meet the Queen on a number of occasions over the years – the Royal Tour of Nigeria in the 1956 over three weeks or so comes to mind, as does the Royal Commonwealth Tour. She told me she enjoyed watching Whicker’s World, which was a most happy thought.

Did you always want to be a journalist and to travel?
Absolutely. I always wanted to travel and write and I am fortunate I have been able to do so for most of my life. I was given a typewriter at the age of fourteen and have never stopped writing about my amazing experiences around
the world.

Does presenting come naturally to you?
I’ve always been happy talking to camera – I feel I have friends on the other side of the lens too.

Do you get recognised a lot all over the world?
The short answer is, yes, I do.

I remember being at Ayers Rock in Australia, a most humbling and beautiful place, interviewing someone when a passer-by suddenly said, “I know you – my wife’s in the coach reading your book!” It does happen from time to time.

What are your best memories from making Whicker’s World?
Every series produced marvellous memories. I think meeting Comte Robert-Jean de Vogue, then Chairman of Möet and Chandon, was a real highlight. He had fought in the French resistance and had those Gallic good looks – a real silver-haired charmer! The champagne was excellent too. We were filming on a hot summer’s day and, as I left the estate, I was given the special Möet ‘salute’. Their sommeliers and cellarmen formed a guard of honour on two sides of the stairway and as I walked down the middle they all popped their corks, with fizzing champagne flying out of every magnum.

What did you think when Monty Python performed the now legendary sketch, Whicker Island?
I thought it was very funny and told them they would be hearing from my solicitors!

How did you persuade so many high profile figures to allow you access to their private lives and personas?
Most people have been sympathetic to the idea of being filmed and interviewed – if the invitation is pleasantly couched. It has a lot to do with the interviewer of course. If you only want to do a hatchet job then you will find candidates for interview hard to come by.

If you are fair and a conversationalist by nature then I think most people are quite happy to talk about themselves. It’s a sort of genuflection and psychiatrist’s couch.

How would you describe your interview style?
I suppose I take a friendly interest in my subjects – perhaps a challenging interest when it comes to meeting Dictators! I hope my viewers feel that they are listening in on a private conversation of sorts. I think research is absolutely vital to be able to start up a relevant conversation that holds the interest. It should be so imperceptible and seamless that the viewer forgets the camera.

What special memory from your time as a war correspondent stands out?
As a young journalist in Korea,

I slept on the floor of the Russian embassy with some fellow reporters in Pyongyang after the Russians had gone. They left behind bottles of Hungarian champagne and caviar. Then the Chinese army joined the war, and we were pushed back to South Korea again.

Are there any travel reporters or correspondents you admire?
Anyone who puts himself or herself in danger to report a story. Iraq today is a good example of where, as a reporter, one needs to judge the percentages. Even so, many journalists have been killed or injured. My commanding officer in the War said that he, “wouldn’t have anyone risk his life for a story or a picture”– but you always do.

I have always admired the work of Bob Capa – particularly his Spanish Civil War pictures which are quintessentially what war photography is all about.

What are the most dangerous places you have visited and why?
I don’t have to look far beyond the Second World War and my time in Italy – there was enough adventure there to last me for a lifetime. It was a very dramatic period, to say the least. Indeed, the Italian campaign of 1943 and 1944 that was captured by the Army Film Unit I was a part of as an 18-year-old army officer will never leave my memory. We followed the Allied advance through Italy, from Sicily to Venice and filmed battlefronts and the troops on the front line, particularly at Anzio. I met Montgomery and witnessed the battered bodies of Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Pitacci, after their execution. All of this formed the basis for Whicker’s War – my reflections, some sixty years later, on this time. Viewers have been very generous in their opinions of Whicker’s War – and the book was a best-seller.

What have been some of your other scariest moments abroad?
As a young correspondent, I recall my meeting with the Mayor of Manila, Arsenio H. Lacson, the rambunctious reformer whom the people of Manila chose as their first elected mayor in 1951. There was a sign on his office door saying: “Please leave your guns outside”. That was an interesting interview, to say the least.

There was also my time in the Suez ‘Canal Zone’ town of Ismailia in 1951 when British soldiers lost their lives in battles with Egyptian troops as the government in Cairo stepped up its demands for a complete withdrawal of our forces. That was three to four months of continual shooting and pretty hairy, leading up to Gamal Abdel Nasser deposing King Farouk in a bloodless coup.

What are the strangest rituals you have come across on your travels?
Well, there have been a few. Perhaps the Macumba Priestess who blew smoke into my face in the slums of Rio, Brazil, was amongst the most bizarre. She apparently had the power to heal or kill.

I also met a Vodoo Priest in Haiti who was somewhat more menacing. I suppose the oddest of all was meeting John Frum’s Cargo Cultists in the South Pacific who, amongst other strange beliefs, worship Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Who are the most intimidating people you have met?
I have little experience of people as intimidating. I find that a smile can disarm almost everyone. And, anyway, the Tonton-Macoute needed the express permission of ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier to kill Europeans so I felt quite safe when I encountered them in Haiti. They were Duvalier’s savage militia who murdered for fun and ruled the entire country with an iron fist, but I got on OK with them.

So, what was it like meeting the infamous dictator, ‘Papa Doc’?
The film crew I was with was slightly anxious as he was obviously a very unbalanced individual but I think he was flattered by the attention we gave him. He even inscribed a book of his poems for me and was very proactive in suggesting where we film. He preferred to talk Creole but was polite enough to speak in English for my camera.

Tell us about your involvement with the Miss World extravaganza.
I was making a film about Sol Kerzner, one of South Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs – a luxury hotel and casino magnate. He was opening ‘Lost City’, a huge fantasy resort in Bophuthatswana where he was also hosting the Miss World competition. As a footnote, he had earlier married another Miss World. I was asked to sit on the judging panel alongside Joan Collins and Ivana Trump. It was quite a responsibility, having to look at 86 beauty queens in one day. But it was fun.

How has the travel industry changed most over the last 40 years or so?
I remember when it took four days and ten stops to fly to Tokyo! There was one flight crew that passengers got to know well and it was a real adventure. I sat next to a very pretty Thai girl for four days, which was agreeable. Today you just take an overnight flight where you can eat decent enough food and arrive by the time you’ve worked out how to open your bed!

What is the most remote place you have ever visited?
Probably Alaska. There’s an awful place there called Barrow – the northernmost city in the world – where nothing ever melts or rusts or decomposes. There was a jeep I noticed that hadn’t moved in the three years since my previous visit there. It’s hard to get rid of anything.

Another place that comes to mind is Nome, again in Alaska some 160 miles from Russia. “There’s no place like Nome” certainly rings true! I stayed the night at a bar/café that had a couple of beds and a jukebox that played Elvis all night as some Eskimos sang along. Not easy to get to sleep, what with that and the midnight sun.

Why did you decide on Jersey as your home?
I think I caught ‘island-itis’ after a visit to Norfolk Island off the eastern coast of Australia and north of New Zealand. It’s the most glorious place and reminded me of a little piece of Switzerland in the middle of the South Pacific. I looked round first – Malta, Ireland, the Pacific – but settled on Jersey as it’s only 35 minutes from Gatwick if one needs to attend meetings in London, for example. Otherwise, I find it a very relaxing and pleasing place to be.

Are there any places left you would like to visit?
Yes. I haven’t really explored the tip of South America and the Chilean fjords, which I hear are exceptionally beautiful with lakes, snow-capped volcanoes, forests and thermal springs. The most exciting way, it seems, to explore the fjords South of Puerto Montt is by cruise ship or cargo boat. What countries do you find the most difficult to travel in and why?

Most often the places that are the hardest to get to are the ones you don’t want to go to. If you have to bribe the customs officials, you don’t really want to be there in the first place.

What foods do you most enjoy?
Baby beef from Argentina is an emotional experience. I love a good English saddle of lamb, and caviar from anywhere. I also have a case of Lynch-Bages

I am looking forward to sharing any moment now…

What is the most amazing private home you have ever visited?
I met the Sultan of Brunei in his capital, Banda Seri Begawan, and we filmed in his main palace and home, the Istana Nural Iman. It is the world’s largest palace and bigger than The Vatican. There are 1778 rooms, 16 acres of marble and 50 acres of floorspace – it’s not what you would call ‘cosy’.

Which foreign culture do you find the most inscrutable?
I have lived in Japan and after months there I still found it hard to know what people were really thinking and what they believed in. But that was a long time ago and things may be different today.

Who would you take with you if you were going to be stranded on a desert island?
My companion,Valerie Kleeman. She has been packing and cooking for me for over 35 years, so no island would be the same without her!

What three things would you have to take with you when travelling?
A short-wave radio, a razor and insect repellent are all indispensable.

Have you ever been tempted to live abroad?
Practically every time I go away I think to myself, “could I live here?” I certainly thought about Venice as a potential home or parts of New Zealand’s South Island – around Queenstown perhaps. I enjoy Australia greatly and love to be in St Barts in the Caribbean. I do also think that the North West of Scotland compares well with anywhere in the world for beauty.

What is the oddest place you have ever visited?
I suppose the Rat Temple in Rajasthan, India – it’s hard to appreciate why it is so special, but the rats are considered sacred.

Do you think of yourself as being quintessentially English?
It’s possible – not a bad thing to be.

Who devised your dress style and have you always presented yourself in that very dapper way?
No one. I like to dress comfortably and suitably. It’s important to show reasonable respect for the people I always seem to be interviewing.

I was making a feature film set in the 70s when the wardrobe mistress asked me to decide what old clothes I would like to wear. I told her, “You’re looking at them!” The man has no shame...

What do you most like or dislike about the American way of life?
There is nothing to dislike. I have just queued in the rain to get my visa, but they have their reasons for making security a priority. Their way of life is fortunate.

What do you miss most/least about travelling?
What I would like to miss most is the queues – and the security men who have been checking me regularly for years and still want me to take my shoes off.

Could you live without champagne?
Yes – but life wouldn’t be as pleasant.

What are your top restaurants in the world?
Harry’s Bar in Venice – I first went there when I was 19. It is superb. The Rib Room at the Jumeirah Carlton Towers in London offers an exceptional prime rib. Green’s is a favourite on London’s Duke Street. If you want to eat in a terribly grand setting, go to the Louis XV Hotel in Monte Carlo.

Do you enjoy writing books?
Yes. I am currently working on a book – I can’t say too much about it but it concerns my work on Whicker’s World and will probably be published by the people that published Whicker’s War – which was a change of pace for me.

Who would you still wish to meet?
Anyone who is interesting.

Australia or America?
Impossible to answer. They are both superb countries and I am happy in either. They both offer very different rewards to visitors.

Hot or cold climate?
Hot.

Where do you buy your clothes?
My tailor is Douglas Hayward on Mount Street in London’s Mayfair. I buy some casual clothes from Laurent Effel on the island of St Barts in the Caribbean.

What do you have for breakfast?
Fresh vegetable juice, muesli and green tea. I then deserve a good lunch.

What is your favourite of all main courses to order?
Saddle of lamb.

What advice would you give about travelling with children?
Stay at home.

Cruise ships – nightmare or dream?
They can be a dream if you select carefully. Some are superb and some less so.

Are you a safari lover?
I think it is wonderful to see these magnificent animals in their natural state, and humbling as well. But otherwise I am not a huge fan – a few animals go a long way with me.

What do you think about traveling with a group of people you have never met?
Some people join a cruise ship or go on a tour and then instantly complain about the other people. I think if you can’t find a sympathetic travel companion among a thousand passengers then you may have to look inward.

What has it been like appearing in those successful recent TV ads?
Well, let me say I have only agreed to be in three or four commercials in my entire career – so they have been carefully chosen you might say. I thought the end product for Travelocity’s, ‘Hello World’, was excellent – it won many awards I believe. The Tesco ad then followed which was amusing and thankfully successful as well.

I very much enjoyed the Barclaycard campaign – it felt like a small slice of the real Whicker’s World. Indeed, some of the Directors from Whicker’s World helped to make it. They have all been a lot of fun to do.

Which celebrities did you most enjoy or dislike meeting?
I always enjoy meeting celebrities – some very briefly. I suppose I would single out Jean Paul Getty, the American-born philanthropist, art-collector and recluse who donated some £140m to various artistic and charitable foundations, and the pleasant Sultan of Brunei. We met at his magnificent Sutton Place estate in Surrey for lunch. He had been a recluse for most of his life and was almost 70 and ready, I thought, for some public acknowledgment of what he had achieved. He was always very friendly and courteous but had this mournful demeanor. He could seem a bit dull and heavy, but usually was delightful, in a quiet way.

He would charge visitors to make phone calls so that they wouldn’t be embarrassed at having anything for free. He got that from William Randolph Hearst who had his staff pack the bags of guests who made a phone call and didn’t pay for it when they stayed at his San Simeon castle. Paul took great delight in his unparalleled art collection that grew into the Getty Museum in California. Sad to think he never got to see the complete collection on display before his death. He wouldn’t fly and hated sea voyages.

What are your recollections of the late, great, Peter Sellers?
We met for the last time shortly before his death. I went to see him in his rented house in Beverly Hills when he had just finished filming the brilliant, Being There. It was a perfect day – possibly his last really happy day. His wife Lynne Frederick was there as well.

He could be an incredibly entertaining man. I remember he took off my voice perfectly and introduced a mock version of the Whicker’s World title sequence as if presenting to camera. He was just being silly, playing around with one of those glass balls that you shake with a snow-scene of Buckingham Palace inside it.

After that meeting, he went off to the Caribbean for a short while and then home to London and The Dorchester Hotel, where he died of a massive heart-attack.

Who are the most beautiful women in the world that you have met?
I would have to say Liz Taylor in her prime – I had lunch with her last time I was in Beverly Hills. Baroness Fiona Thyssen was my favourite, and still is. I remember meeting Catherine Deneuve when she was married to David Bailey and she was indeed very beautiful. Most Balinese girls would
also qualify.